/nature-figure-guide

name: nature-figure-guide
description: "Nature figure preparation: resolution (300+ DPI), formats (AI/EPS/TIFF), RGB color, Helvetica/Arial fonts, lowercase panel labels, image integrity requirements."
license: CC-BY-4.0
compatibility: Python 3.10+, Pillow, Matplotlib
metadata:
  authors: HITS
  version: "1.0"

Nature Figure Preparation Guide

Overview

This guide provides the complete specifications for preparing figures for submission to **Nature** and Nature Research journals. Following these guidelines ensures smooth processing and high-quality reproduction of your figures in both print and online formats.

**Official reference**: https://www.nature.com/nature/for-authors/formatting-guide

---

Resolution Requirements

| Image Type | Minimum Resolution | Notes | |---|---|---| | All figures | 300 DPI | At maximum print size | | Optimal quality | 450 DPI+ | Recommended for best online display | | Online submission | 300 PPI max | To keep file sizes manageable |

**CRITICAL**: Do NOT artificially increase resolution (upsampling) in image editing software. This does not improve quality and may introduce artifacts.

Verify Resolution with Python

from PIL import Image

def check_nature_resolution(image_path):
    """Check if image meets Nature's resolution requirements."""
    img = Image.open(image_path)
    width_px, height_px = img.size
    dpi = img.info.get('dpi', (72, 72))

    print(f"Image: {image_path}")
    print(f"Dimensions: {width_px} x {height_px} px")
    print(f"DPI: {dpi[0]} x {dpi[1]}")

    if dpi[0] < 300 or dpi[1] < 300:
        print("WARNING: Resolution below 300 DPI minimum")
        print(f"  Need at least 300 DPI for Nature submission")
    elif dpi[0] >= 450:
        print("PASS: Meets optimal resolution (450+ DPI)")
    else:
        print("PASS: Meets minimum resolution (300+ DPI)")

    # Check file size
    import os
    size_mb = os.path.getsize(image_path) / (1024 * 1024)
    print(f"File size: {size_mb:.1f} MB")
    if size_mb > 10:
        print("WARNING: File exceeds 10 MB limit")

    return dpi[0] >= 300 and dpi[1] >= 300

---

File Format

Preferred Formats by Figure Type

| Figure Type | Preferred Format | Alternative | |---|---|---| | Line drawings, graphs, schematics | Adobe Illustrator (AI), EPS, PDF | Vector formats preserve editability | | Photographs, micrographs | Photoshop (PSD), TIFF | High-quality raster | | General purpose | JPEG (300-600 DPI) | Acceptable for most figures | | Extended Data figures | JPEG (preferred), TIFF, EPS | |

Also Accepted

• CorelDraw (up to version 8)
• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint

File Size

• **Maximum**: 10 MB per figure file
• Most files should be well under this limit

Important Rules

• Multi-panel figures must be assembled into a **single image file**
• Individual panels must NOT be uploaded separately
• Each complete figure must be a separate file upload

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Figure Size and Dimensions

Nature does not specify fixed column widths for initial submission, but figures should be:

• Composed as a **single image** for multi-panel figures
• Sized appropriately for the intended display
• **Not** uploaded as individual panels

Python: Set Figure Dimensions

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def create_nature_figure(n_panels=1, fig_type='single_column'):
    """Create a Matplotlib figure sized for Nature."""
    if fig_type == 'single_column':
        fig_width = 3.5  # inches (approx 89 mm)
    elif fig_type == 'double_column':
        fig_width = 7.0  # inches (approx 178 mm)
    else:
        fig_width = 5.0  # 1.5 column

    fig_height = fig_width * 0.75  # default aspect ratio

    fig, axes = plt.subplots(1, n_panels, figsize=(fig_width, fig_height))
    fig.set_dpi(450)

    return fig, axes

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Color Mode

• **RGB recommended** (wider color gamut; faithful reproduction of fluorescent colors online)
• CMYK also accepted (converted for print automatically)
• **Accessibility**: Use colorblind-friendly palettes

Recommended Colorblind-Safe Palette

# Nature-friendly colorblind-safe colors
NATURE_COLORS = {
    'blue':   '#0072B2',
    'orange': '#E69F00',
    'green':  '#009E73',
    'red':    '#D55E00',
    'purple': '#CC79A7',
    'cyan':   '#56B4E9',
    'yellow': '#F0E442',
    'black':  '#000000',
}

---

Font Requirements

| Element | Font | Size | Style | |---|---|---|---| | Body text in figures | Helvetica or Arial | 5-7 pt | Regular | | Panel labels | Helvetica or Arial | 8 pt | **Bold, lowercase** (a, b, c) | | Amino acid sequences | Courier | — | Monospace | | Greek characters | Symbol | — | — |

Critical Rules

• Use **sans-serif** fonts only (Helvetica or Arial)
• **Do NOT outline text** — text must remain editable
• Embed fonts as TrueType 2 or 42 (NOT TrueType 3)
• Panel labels: **lowercase bold letters** (a, b, c — not A, B, C)

Python: Apply Nature Font Settings

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def set_nature_fonts():
    """Configure Matplotlib for Nature figure fonts."""
    plt.rcParams.update({
        'font.family': 'sans-serif',
        'font.sans-serif': ['Helvetica', 'Arial'],
        'font.size': 7,
        'axes.labelsize': 7,
        'axes.titlesize': 7,
        'xtick.labelsize': 6,
        'ytick.labelsize': 6,
        'legend.fontsize': 6,
        'figure.titlesize': 8,
    })

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Labeling Conventions

Figure Numbering

• Sequential: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc.
• All figures must be cited in the text in order

Panel Labels

• **Lowercase bold letters**: a, b, c, d, ...
• Font size: **8 pt bold**
• Position: top-left corner of each panel

Axes and Legends

• Include **units in parentheses** on all axes
• Scale bars must be on **separate layers** (not flattened into the image)
• Figure legends placed on a separate manuscript page after References

Example Panel Labeling

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import string

def ad