/science-figure-guide

name: science-figure-guide
description: "Science (AAAS) figure preparation: resolution (150-300+ DPI), formats (PDF/EPS/TIFF), RGB color, Myriad/Helvetica fonts, strict image manipulation policies including gamma adjustment disclosure."
license: CC-BY-4.0
compatibility: Python 3.10+, Pillow, Matplotlib
metadata:
  authors: HITS
  version: "1.0"

Science (AAAS) Figure Preparation Guide

Overview

This guide provides the complete specifications for preparing figures for submission to **Science** journal (published by AAAS). Science has different requirements for initial vs. revised manuscript submissions and requires explicit disclosure of nonlinear image adjustments.

**Official reference**: https://www.science.org/content/page/instructions-preparing-initial-manuscript

---

Resolution Requirements

Initial Submission

| Image Type | Resolution | |---|---| | All figures | **150-300 DPI** |

Revised Manuscript (Higher Standards)

| Image Type | Minimum Resolution | Notes | |---|---|---| | Line art | **300 DPI+** | At final print size | | Grayscale and color artwork | **300 DPI+** | Higher resolution preferred |

**CRITICAL**: Upsampling (artificially increasing resolution) is **prohibited**. The resolution must be native to the image.

from PIL import Image

def check_science_resolution(image_path, stage='initial'):
    """Check image resolution for Science submission.

    Args:
        image_path: Path to image file
        stage: 'initial' (150-300 DPI) or 'revised' (300+ DPI)
    """
    img = Image.open(image_path)
    dpi = img.info.get('dpi', (72, 72))

    min_dpi = 150 if stage == 'initial' else 300

    print(f"Stage: {stage} submission")
    print(f"DPI: {dpi[0]} x {dpi[1]}")
    print(f"Minimum required: {min_dpi} DPI")

    if dpi[0] >= min_dpi:
        print("PASS: Resolution meets Science requirements")
    else:
        print(f"FAIL: Need at least {min_dpi} DPI")

    return dpi[0] >= min_dpi

---

File Format

Revised Manuscript Formats (in order of preference)

| Figure Type | Preferred Formats | |---|---| | Vector illustrations/diagrams | **PDF, EPS, Adobe Illustrator (AI)** | | Raster illustrations/diagrams | **TIFF** (300+ DPI) | | Photography/microscopy | TIFF, JPEG, PNG, PSD, EPS, PDF |

Initial Submission

• Figures can be embedded directly in `.docx` or PDF manuscript files

---

Figure Size and Dimensions

| Layout | Width | |---|---| | 1 column | **3.4 inches** (86 mm / 20.38 picas) | | 1.5 columns | **5.0 inches** | | 2 columns | **7.0-7.3 inches** | | Maximum | **6.5 x 8 inches** (16.5 x 20 cm) |

Figures should be sized to fit 8.5" x 11" or A4 paper.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

SCIENCE_WIDTHS = {
    'single':  3.4,   # inches
    'middle':  5.0,
    'double':  7.3,
}

def create_science_figure(layout='single', aspect_ratio=0.75):
    """Create a Matplotlib figure sized for Science journal."""
    width = SCIENCE_WIDTHS[layout]
    height = min(width * aspect_ratio, 8.0)  # max height 8 inches

    fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(width, height))
    fig.set_dpi(300)
    return fig, ax

---

Color Mode

• **RGB** is the standard practice
• Journal handles CMYK conversion for print
• No explicit color mode mandate, but RGB is recommended

---

Font Requirements

| Element | Font | Size | Style | |---|---|---|---| | Preferred font | **Myriad** | — | Sans-serif | | Alternative fonts | Helvetica, Arial | — | Sans-serif | | Panel labels | — | **8 pt** | **Bold** | | Other figure text | — | 5-7 pt | Max 7 pt, min 5 pt |

Critical Rules

• **All fonts must be embedded**
• Use sans-serif fonts whenever possible
• Simple solid or open symbols reduce well at small sizes

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

def set_science_fonts():
    """Configure Matplotlib for Science journal figure fonts."""
    plt.rcParams.update({
        'font.family': 'sans-serif',
        'font.sans-serif': ['Myriad Pro', 'Helvetica', 'Arial'],
        'font.size': 7,
        'axes.labelsize': 7,
        'axes.titlesize': 7,
        'xtick.labelsize': 6,
        'ytick.labelsize': 6,
        'legend.fontsize': 5,
    })

---

Labeling Conventions

Figure Numbering

• Cite figures in numerical order in the text

Titles and Captions

• Figure titles go at the **beginning of the caption**, NOT inside the figure
• No single caption should exceed approximately **200 words**

Axes

• Label ordinate and abscissa with: **parameter/variable**, **units**, and **scale**
• Use sans-serif fonts for all labels

def format_science_axis(ax, xlabel, ylabel, x_unit='', y_unit=''):
    """Format axes following Science journal conventions."""
    if x_unit:
        ax.set_xlabel(f"{xlabel} ({x_unit})", fontsize=7)
    else:
        ax.set_xlabel(xlabel, fontsize=7)

    if y_unit:
        ax.set_ylabel(f"{ylabel} ({y_unit})", fontsize=7)
    else:
        ax.set_ylabel(ylabel, fontsize=7)

    ax.tick_params(labelsize=6)

---

Image Integrity and Manipulation Policy

PERMITTED

• **Linear adjustments**: Brightness, contrast, color — applied **uniformly to the entire image**

REQUIRES DISCLOSURE

• **Nonlinear adjustments** (e.g., gamma corrections) must be **specified in the figure caption**

PROHIBITED

• **Selective enhancement**: Altering one part of an image while leaving other parts unchanged
• Adjustments that cause changes in data interpretation
• Manipulations applied to local areas only

Best Practices

• Perform all manipulations only on **copies** of unprocessed image data
• Adjustments must be moderate and not misrepresent the data
• All changes must be applied to the **whole image**

---

Python Quick Start: Full Validation

from PIL import Image
import os

def validate_science_figure(image_path, stage='initial'):
    """Full validation of a figure against Science requirements."""
    img = Image.open(image_path)
    issues = []

    # 1. Resolution check