Figure and Table Formatting

Our figure experts are published researchers who are highly skilled in the creation of scientific and academic figures. Whether you have existing figure files that need to comply with journal guidelines, or you want to create brand new illustrations, graphical abstracts, or short animations, we can help!

We get your figures and tables ready for publication

Our Figure Formatting service generates publication-ready figures that conform to your chosen journal’s specifications based on your images, graphs, and diagrams. This includes changes to file type, resolution, color space, font, scale, line weights, and layout (to improve readability and professional appearance). After your figures have been formatted, you can ask an unlimited number of questions about the work we have completed. Our Tables service helps you present your data clearly with properly formatted tables that adhere to your target journal's guidelines. Let our team of scientifically-trained illustrators adjust the layout, font, spacing, borders, and shading of your tables to accurately and efficiently communicate your results.

Download one of our sample files to see how AJE's expert editors turn your data sets and unfinished figures into clean, clear tables and figures that are ready for publication in the journal of your choice.

Figure Formatting Before And After (.pdf)

Tables Sample (.pdf)

How to get the best results from Figure Services

  1. Provide editable files for tables, graphs, or diagrams. These files include .xlsx, .pdf, and .doc files containing your original data. You may need to export from your analysis software rather than saving as an image. Please see the video at right for an explanation of editable files.
  2. Provide the highest-resolution images available. Original image files may include .tif, .jpg, or .png formats. These files should never be embedded in Word or PowerPoint documents, as that will reduce their quality.
  3. Specify the journal to which you intend to submit. Our experts will use that journal’s specific guidelines to format your figures to their exact requirements.
  4. Plan your figures to fit onto one physical page of a print journal. If you include too many elements in a single figure, your order may be delayed while we ask you to decide how to divide it into two or more figures, and additional costs may accrue.
  5. Make sure to allow enough time for formatting. Figure Formatting takes 4 business days for 1-4 figures/tables, and the turnaround time increases with additional figures/tables.
  6. Please upload only the figures/tables you intend us to format. For example, if you include 10 figures and 2 tables but order formatting for 3 items, your order may be delayed while we clarify which items you wish to have formatted. Alternatively, please leave us a note letting us know which figures and/or tables to format.

Want to learn more about editable file formats? Please watch this video.

Options and pricing

Our Figure Formatting staff will expertly format your images, graphs, and diagrams according to the submission requirements of your desired journal. After our work is completed, the figures in your paper will be of publication quality.

Figure Formatting

$70 per figure

Extremely large figures or those requiring extensive re-keying will be quoted an hourly rate through our Custom Illustration service.

Order figure formatting

Tables

$30 per table

Extremely large tables or those requiring extensive re-keying will be quoted an hourly rate through our Custom Illustration service.

Order table formatting

Looking for Custom Illustration and Graphing? We've got you covered.

In addition to formatting your existing figures, we can also assist you by generating original illustrations based on sketches, re-drawing low-resolution diagrams and flowcharts to generate publication quality figures, or creating graphs from data tables. Our illustrators work directly with authors to help you turn your ideas and data into figures that will help you communicate your research to the world, be it in print, posters, or presentations. After your order has been formatted, you can ask an unlimited number of questions about the work we have completed.
Learn more about custom illustration

Due to the unique nature of this service, pricing will vary based on the project. Services start around $100, and we will work with you until you are satisfied with the final product.

The AJE Guarantee

We guarantee that the formatted figures and tables that you receive will meet the stated specifications of the journal that you selected. If the journal does have any issues with the preparation of your figures or tables, we will resolve those issues for free. In addition, if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the appearance of your formatted figures, we will work with you until you are happy with the presentation of your data.

Please contact us if there are any problems with your figure or table. If a journal mentions a problem with the formatting of your figures or tables, please include the files that you sent to the journal and all the comments from the journal.

Learn more about the AJE Guarantee
Our Guarantee

Frequently Asked Questions

What file types do you accept for figure formatting?

We are currently able to process the following file types:

  • Any standard graphic format, such as .tif, .jpg, .png, .bmp, or .gif
  • .doc, .docx (Microsoft Word)
  • .odt (OpenOffice Writer)
  • .ppt, .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint)
  • .odp (OpenOffice Impress)
  • .xls, .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
  • .ods (OpenOffice Calc)
  • .opj (Origin)
  • .cdr (CorelDRAW)
  • .ai, .ait (Adobe Illustrator)
  • .psd, .pdd (Adobe Photoshop)
  • .eps (various programs)

File types that are not on this list should be exported as .eps or .pdf files. If you use alternative software, we can also advise you on the best procedure to export figures in one of our recommended file types.

How will you format images, such as photographs and micrographs?

In order to generate top-quality figures, images that are included within a figure should also be sent independently in the highest available resolution file. For ethical reasons, we are unable to make changes to brightness, contrast, or color balance, and we will not crop the image.

How will I review my formatted figures when they are returned in a new file type?

Many journals require figures to be submitted as .eps files, which you may not be able to open using your current software. Thus, in addition to any submission-ready files, we will also send .tif versions of your new figures for you to review.

See All Frequently Asked Questions

Let's get started

We are ready to make your figures better, so place your order today!

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Our Services

We specialize in helping researchers, scientists, and scholars to communicate their findings with a variety of services in 447 areas of study and over 2000 field-specific topics. At AJE, we pride ourselves on consistently delivering the highest quality services in the industry all backed by Nature Journals.

English Editing

Top-quality English editing from an expert in your field to ensure that your text is ready for journal submission

Translation

Translation of your manuscript from Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, or Japanese into publication-quality English

Formatting

Reference and full manuscript formatting to your chosen journal's specifications

Figure Preparation

Visually appealing figures, tables, and custom illustrations of your data

Journal Recommendation

Detailed information on 3 target SCI journals
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