Scientific Illustration Insights
Tutorials, tool comparisons, and prompt frameworks for researchers creating publication-ready scientific figures.
Articles
eLife Submission Guide 2026: Preprint First, $3,750 Fee
How to submit to eLife: post a preprint first, $3,750 fee charged at review not acceptance, public reviews, article types and word limits, and full waivers.
Alex Carter·
Nature Communications Formatting Requirements 2026
Nature Communications formatting: vector line art, 300 DPI photos, 88mm and 180mm column widths, 10 display items, 5,000 words and a 200-word abstract.
Alex Carter·
Nature Communications Impact Factor 2026: 18.1
Nature Communications impact factor is 18.1, with a five-year JIF of 18.9. What the number covers, and why a 2026 search returns a 2025 value.
Alex Carter·
Nature Communications Submission Guide 2026: Format & Fees
How to submit to Nature Communications: format-flexible first submissions up to 30MB, 5,000-word guidance, 10 display items, and the $7,350 APC.
Alex Carter·
3 Minute Thesis Slide: Design Guide (2026)
How to design the single static slide for a Three Minute Thesis, covering the one-idea rule, visual hierarchy, common judging criteria, and what to leave out.
SciFig Team·
Adobe Illustrator Alternatives for Scientists
Adobe Illustrator alternatives for scientific figures, compared on EPS and PDF export, CMYK support, licensing, and handling R and Python plot files.
SciFig Team·
Applied vs Basic Research: Key Differences
How applied and basic research differ in aim, timeline, funding, and outputs, why the boundary is blurrier than textbooks suggest, and where your work fits.
SciFig Team·
Block Diagram: How to Make One (2026)
How to make a block diagram for a system or process, covering block granularity, signal labelling, feedback loops, and the tools that export publication vector.
SciFig Team·
7 Canva Alternatives for Scientific Diagrams
Canva alternatives for scientific diagrams, compared on vector export, template licensing, offline access, and whether output meets journal figure requirements.
SciFig Team·
Free ChemDraw Alternatives: 7 Tools Compared for 2026
Free ChemDraw alternatives compared on SMILES and MOL support, stereochemistry, reaction schemes, and publication vector export — and which to pick.
SciFig Team·
ColorBrewer Palettes for Scientific Figures
ColorBrewer hex codes for Set2, Dark2, Paired, Blues, RdBu, and RdYlBu, with guidance on picking sequential, diverging, or qualitative for research data.
SciFig Team·
Definition of Terms in Research: How to Write It
How to write the definition of terms section in a thesis or paper, with conceptual versus operational definitions, placement rules, and worked examples.
SciFig Team·More on scientific figures
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Free AI Scientific Figure Generator and Figure Maker — Create Research Figures, Images, Illustrations and Diagrams
Text-to-Figure
Generate a figure from a plain-language description
Tools
All SciFig figure generators and the vector editor in one place.
Models
Default to GPT Image 2 for journal papers; switch to Nano Banana Pro for slides and posters; pick Nano Banana 2 for routine figure work
Tutorials
Seven short walkthroughs of the AI scientific figure generator
Inspiration
Explore publication-ready scientific figure examples, copy the prompts, and use them as starting points for your own work.
The Best Color Palettes for Scientific Figures (2026)
Publication-grade and colorblind-safe color palettes for scientific figures, graphs, pie charts, combo charts, and diagrams, with HEX values.
18 Scientific Poster Examples to Learn From in 2026
18 scientific poster examples across biology, chemistry, medicine, and engineering — plus PhD examples, poster templates, and a poster-maker workflow.
How to Add Figures to a Research Paper
Step-by-step guide to including figures in research papers: placement, captions, DPI, vector formats, and journal-specific rules. Avoid common rejection causes.
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Publication-ready scientific figures, in minutes
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