Artwork Preparation

High-quality artwork (figures, illustrations, charts, images) enhances your manuscript’s clarity, impact, and professional appearance. With our Artwork Preparation service, we help transform your visual materials into publication-ready art that meets editorial and technical standards.
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  • Figures and images are often among the first things readers notice, they communicate your results visually and complement the text.
  • Poorly prepared artwork (low resolution, blurry lines, unreadable text) can delay publication, require rework, or even lead to rejection at technical screening.
  • Journals typically enforce strict artwork rules (file format, resolution, color, fonts). Proper preparation saves you time and increases the chance your manuscript passes workflow checks..

Our service includes the following key tasks:

  • Format Conversion & Standardization:
     Convert graphics into preferred formats (e.g. TIFF, EPS, PDF) while retaining quality. Ensure vector artwork is preserved and bitmaps are optimized.
  • Resolution & Dimensional Adjustments: Adjust and ensure images meet required DPI (e.g. 300 dpi for photographs, 1000 dpi or more for line art) at final publication size.
  • Color Management & Accessibility: Convert or adjust colors to be legible in both color and grayscale formats. Use color-blind-friendly palettes, maintain contrast, and avoid misleading color combinations.
  • Font, Label & Text Integrity : Ensure text in figures is clear, consistent, legible, and embedded when saving files. Use sans-serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica) for clarity.
  • Caption & Legend Alignment : Format and polish figure legends or captions. Make sure legends are descriptive, explain symbols, abbreviations or scales, and allow understanding of the figure independent of text.
  • Panel Layouts & Multi-Part Figures : Compose multi-panel figures (a, b, c …) consistently, align panels, label subparts, and ensure logical arrangement and readability.
  • Quality Assurance & Proof Checks : Run final checks to confirm that resolution, clarity, labeling, format compliance, and general aesthetics are up to publishing standards. Address any issues before you submit.

To guide authors and set expectations, we typically follow best practices aligned with leading publishers:

  • All figures should be cited in the text in the order they appear.
  • Save artwork in recommended formats (TIFF, EPS, PDF) and avoid lossy formats like JPEG unless absolutely necessary.
  • Line art should have resolution around 1000 dpi; halftones (photographs) at 300 dpi.
  • Fonts must be embedded; text should remain editable (avoid rasterizing text).
  • Maintain minimal white space; crop artwork closely.
  • Use ethical image editing: global adjustments (brightness/contrast) allowed, but avoid selective manipulation that misrepresents data.
  • For color-blind accessibility, avoid red-green combinations and test figures in grayscale.
  • Follow the Journal Instructions First : Always check the journal’s “Instructions for Authors” since those rules take precedence over general guidelines.
  • Start Formatting Early : It’s easier to adjust during writing than rework at the end.
  • Be Consistent : Uniform style (fonts, heading levels, reference style) is more important than trying to match published layouts.
  • Use Templates When Available : Many journals provide Word or LaTeX templates to follow.
  • Do Not Hide Information : Remove hidden text or author names for blind review if required.
  • Cross-check All Elements : Ensure figures, tables, and supplementary files are properly cited, numbered, and formatted.

  • Technical Compliance & Reduced Rework : Ensures your figures pass publisher checks, saving you tedious revisions later.
  • Professional Aesthetic : Clean, consistent visuals strengthen the impact and clarity of your findings.
  • Experiential Treatment : We handle the intricacies (vector vs bitmap, resolution scaling, color conversion, multi-panel layout), so you can focus on science.
  • Time & Effort Saved : You don’t have to wrestle with technical formatting details, we provide turn-key artwork deliverables.
  • Price per Image / Figure : Charge a fixed rate for each figure / artwork file that needs preparing (format conversion, resolution adjustment, labeling, color correction, etc.). Example benchmark: $15 USD per image (as used by some journal services)
  • Bulk / Volume Discount : If an author submits many figures (e.g. 5, 10, more), offer a discounted rate for each additional figure beyond a base number.
  • Rush / Priority Surcharge : Offer expedited processing (e.g. same day or next day) at a premium (for example +25–50 % extra) over standard rates.
  • Complexity / Custom Graphics : If the figure is especially complex (multi-panel, 3D model, custom illustration, data plots needing replotting), charge a higher rate (e.g. 2× or 3× the standard rate for simple figures).
  • Revisions / Re-formatting after Reviewer Requests : After peer review, authors often need to revise or reformat figures. Indicate whether a number of these revisions are included or whether revisions incur extra fees per figure.
  • Hourly or Flat Rate for Whole Manuscript Figures : Instead of per-figure pricing, you may also offer an hourly rate (e.g. USD $X per hour) or a flat rate covering all figures, depending on manuscript length and complexity.

QUESTIONS?

FAQs

What file formats do you accept for figures / artwork?
We accept common high-quality file formats such as TIFF, EPS, PDF, AI, and PNG. These formats preserve resolution and allow better conversion during production. For vector graphics (e.g. charts, diagrams), EPS or AI is preferred.
What resolution should I use for images, line art, or combined figures?
  • Photographic / halftone images: ~300 dpi at final publication size.
  • Line art / graphs / diagrams: 1000 dpi or higher for clarity.
  • Combination figures (mix of photo + line art): ~600 dpi.
How should I size and scale my artwork?
Provide your artwork at or above the final intended publication size, not too much smaller. Avoid excessive white margins. The artwork should scale down cleanly rather than be scaled up (which can cause pixilation).
What about fonts, labels, and text in figures?
  • Use standard, clean fonts (e.g. Arial, Helvetica) that embed correctly.
  • Keep text sizes legible after reduction, maintain consistency across panels.
  • Avoid layering text or converting it to raster unless necessary.
Can I reuse artwork from other publications or external sources?
Yes, but only if you have obtained the necessary permissions from the copyright holder. You must clear these permissions before submission and provide documentation.
Do I need to submit captions and figure legends separately from artwork files?
Yes. Captions and legends should be provided as text (in your manuscript document), not embedded in the figure files. Each figure should be submitted as a separate file labeled clearly (e.g. “Fig1.tif”).
Will you help with color accessibility and converting to grayscale?
Yes, we ensure the artwork is legible in both color and grayscale, and recommend color palettes that are accessible for readers with color vision deficiencies (e.g. avoiding red/green combos).