Abstract
High-quality (see Quality below) digital (electronic) files of figures are preferred. When digital (electronic) files of figures are submitted, also submit a high-quality hard copy to insure that the publisher can size and color-match the electronic figures.
Digital files are preferred. If you are unable to provide appropriate digital (electronic) files of your figures, submit high quality hard copies printed on glossy photographic paper. These will be scanned by the publisher. Do not glue or apply legends to hardcopy illustrations. Each figure should have the figure number, first author’s name, and running title written lightly with soft lead pencil on the reverse. The “top” of each figure should also be clearly indicated so as to ensure its proper orientation.
Authors will receive a matchprint of the final reproduction of their figures for approval prior to the paper going to press.
Quality of halftone figures
Halftone figures (e.g., photographs, photomicrographs, electron micrographs) should be of high quality and high resolution (Sample A) and sufficient contrast with appropriate white balance (Sample B).
Details on the content of the figures, stains, and magnifications (magnifications only required for electron micrographs), should be provided in a legend.
Resolution and format of halftone figures
300 dpi/ppi or higher for halftones (e.g., grayscale and color photomicrographs and photographs); EPS or TIFF format only. Low-resolution halftones will not reproduce well in the Journal (example: Sample A). Anything with resolution below 300 dpi is too low for print quality and will not be accepted.
Halftone figures must not be embedded in text files such as Microsoft Word or in PowerPoint files. Color halftone digital files are preferred in CMYK color.
Quality of line art digital figures
Line art is preferred in vector-based format with the text converted to outlines (paths) prior to saving as EPS files. Combination halftone and line art figures should also have text saved as outlines (paths) prior to saving as EPS files. No edits can be done on these EPS files by the publisher, so check carefully for typos, etc. (Note: Vector graphics are composed of scalable objects defined by mathematical formulas, which makes them resolution independent. A vector image can be enlarged or reduced to any size without loss of quality or definition; example: Sample C.)
Resolution and format for non–vector-based figures
If line art digital figures are provided as TIFF files, resolution must be
Line art digital figures must not be embedded in text files such as Microsoft Word or in PowerPoint files. Line art color digital files are preferred in CMYK color.
Figures/graphics downloaded from Web pages are not acceptable since Web graphics are far below acceptable resolution for printing in the Journal.
Labeling and Sizing Figures
Figures should be referred to sequentially in the text and numbered consecutively with Arabic numerals or Arabic numerals and letters in the lower left-hand corner of the figure. Helvetica Bold or Arial Bold Fonts at 16 -18 pt are recommended for identifying figures. Do not include titles in figures or graphs unless they are essential components of the artwork. The title should be part of a supplied legend.
All figures for the Journal should be submitted at their actual size so that no scaling (enlargement or reduction) is required.
For whole-page plates, the maximum dimensions should not exceed 7.125 inches wide × 8.125 inches tall (18 × 20 cm). For images that are to be one column wide, the image width should be 3.375 inches (8.59 cm). If you wish to submit your artwork grouped together as composites (multipanel figures), the multipanel figure components should be assembled into one file. Please use the following guidelines:
Composite (multipanel) figures should be assembled into one file with each component labeled. Figure sublabels (A, B, C, etc.) should be placed in the lower left-hand corner of each grouping and should contrast clearly with the photograph’s background. Rather than sending four separate files (e.g., Fig. 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D), the four parts must be assembled and submitted as one file.
To create a composite (multipanel figure) containing 6 figures, each separate figure should be sized to 3.5 inches wide × 2.5 inches tall (8.9 × 6.3 cm), leaving 0.125 inches (1.5 mm) between each figure.
To create a composite (multipanel figure) containing 8 figures, each figure should be sized to 3.5 × 2 inches (8.9 × 5 cm), leaving 0.125 inches (1.5 mm) between each figure.
To create a vertical half-page composite (multipanel figure) containing 3 figures, each figure should be sized to 3.5 × 2.5 inches (8.9 × 6.3 cm), leaving 0.125 inches (1.5 mm) between each figure.
To create a horizontal half-page composite (multipanel figure) containing 4 figures, each figure should be sized to 3.375 × 2 inches (8.5 × 5 cm), leaving 0.125 inches (1.5 mm) between each figure.
Crop figures so that no unnecessary white space is bordering the figure. This will reduce file size and improve accuracy when placing the figure on the page of the published article.
Fonts
All fonts must be converted to paths (outlines) in the application in which they were created (e.g., Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW can convert type to paths). Please do this conversion prior to saving as EPS files.
Color Figure Charges
Authors who wish to include color reproduction are encouraged to do so. There is no charge to authors for color images produced in the Journal; however, we ask that authors only provide color artwork that is necessary and appropriate. Our referees will be asked to ensure that only those figures deemed absolutely necessary for the clarity of the manuscript will be allowed and any surplus to requirements will be removed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Editorial Office at (856) 223-9444 or
