Figure Guidelines

These guidelines are intended to provide a general summary of digital art requirements. For more detail, please refer to AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition, Section 4.2, or APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition, Section 7.22.

General

• Art should be created with drawing or illustration programs of the author’s choice to create clean, crisp lines; freehand or typewritten lettering will not be accepted.
• Submit each figure as a separate file that is clearly identified, preferably as part of its file name (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
• If a figure has multiple parts, all parts should be included in one file.
• Figure legends are required for each figure and must be listed in a separate file. Legends should be brief and describe the content, including definitions of nonstandard abbreviations used the figure. Legends should not repeat information already provided in the text.
• Each figure must be numbered in consecutive numerical order according to their first callout in the text.

Specifications

Labeling/Font Usage

• Ensure that all text, numbers, and symbols are no smaller than 6 points.
• Font and font size should be consistent for all figures. Keep labels and axis measures proportionate with the size of the figures on the journal page, which is 6.5 in. wide, so that the text is readable when viewing the figure at its final size.
• Use standard fonts for text and symbols.
• Fonts should be embedded in the file.
• Provide labels for all multipanel figures. Labels should be consistent for all figures (e.g., A, B, C vs. a, b, c)

File Format

• The following file formats are accepted: PDF, EPS, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG.  EPS and PDF are preferred for vector graphics (charts, graphs, line art). TIFF, JPEG, and PNG are accepted for grayscale and color halftone images.
• Provide all images at the desired final size (eg, one-column, two-column). A figure should be no larger than approximately 19.5 cm (7.5 in.) by 23.5 cm (9.5 in.), which is the size of the print area on a single journal page.

Halftones

• Photographs should be sharply focused and show good contrast.
• Photographic images should be saved at a minimum of 300 dots per inch (dpi). Do not artificially change the resolution of an image as this will result in a low-quality image that does not reproduce well.
• If submitting halftones as PDFs, use the high-quality settings, not default settings, in Adobe to ensure the best resolution.
• Any images where an individual is identifiable must have their identity concealed (e.g., blurring of the face). Written confirmation that it is not an image taken from a study participant or that the participant has provided written informed consent must be provided.

Black and White Art or Combination Halftones with Line Art Elements

• Line art (graphs or charts) or combinations (halftones with line art elements) must be a minimum of 600 dpi. Do not artificially change the resolution of an image as this will result in a low-quality image that does not reproduce well.
• Use shapes, patterns, or labels to differentiate the elements.
• Shades of gray do not reproduce well and should not be used.
• Ensure axes are clearly labeled and symbols are defined in a key.
• If submitting combination halftones as PDFs, use the high-quality settings, not default settings, in Adobe to ensure the best resolution.

Color Figures

• Color figures with elements clearly differentiated by shapes and patterns are welcome.
• Color figures will be published in color online, and will be grayscale in the printed issue.
• Color figures must be in their original RGB color. CMYK will not be accepted.
• When using color, ensure that the information is accessible for readers with a color vision deficiency and readers viewing the figure printed in grayscale:
  • Use symbols, shades, and shapes in graphs or pie charts.
  • Use color vision deficiency-friendly palettes, such as blue/orange, blue/red, or blue/brown. Avoid using red/green, as distinguishing between these two colors is the most common type of color vision deficiency, according to the National Eye Institute.
  • Use contrast tests and grayscale visibility tests to ensure the figure is understandable in grayscale (see Color Resources).
• Ensure that figure legends are written so that readers with a color vision deficiency or viewing the figure in grayscale will understand the information.
• Figures should have adequate contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Version 2.0.
• Shading should vary by at least 20%.

Color Resources

Free Contrast Checker Software: https://www.tpgi.com/color-contrast-checker/

Free Color Deficiency Simulator: https://colororacle.org/

APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition, Section 7.26, Accessible Use of Color in Figures. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/colors

Permissions

Reprinted/Adapted Figures

Any figures or photos from a source not original to the author must be accompanied by documentation from the copyright holder(s) giving the author permission to publish it.

It is the author’s responsibility to acquire all necessary permissions from the copyright holder prior to acceptance.

If the copyright holder does not have an English language permissions form or asks that you provide your own permissions form, please use the one linked here.

The source and copyright holder must be credited in the manuscript.

For more information, please see AMA Manual of Style, 11th Edition, Section 4.2.9, or APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition, Section 12.14-18

Photographs with People

It is the author’s responsibility to acquire written informed consent from participants for images in which an individual is identifiable.

If written consent is not provided, participants must have their identity concealed in the image (e.g., blurring of the face).

Examples

This section provides some examples of formatting that should be avoided as well as formatting that should be used.

1. Use patterns, shapes, and legends to differentiate elements in line art.

Original:


In print:

Patterns with legend:

2. Avoid gray shading or solid colors.

Original:


In print:


 

3. Ensure that color figure legends are clear for readers who will view it in grayscale.





 

4. Photos of study participants should block out the faces to ensure people are not identifiable.





 

5. Make sure colors have adequate contrast ratio and shading.

Original:


In print:

Alternative Text

Summary

• Alternative text allows those who rely on screen readers and other assistive technologies to understand images in your article.
• Alternative text should be equivalent to a glance at an image and should be about 125 characters, 250 characters at most, including spaces.
  • Sometimes alternative text needs to be longer than 250 characters to accurately describe a figure, but longer descriptions should be kept to a minimum.
• Write alternative text how you would describe an image to a colleague over the phone. Brief, simple descriptions helps the listener retain information and maintain the flow of your article.
• The most important part of alternative text is relaying the main content and function of an image.
• Do not write phrases like, “figure of…” or “graphic of…”
• Do not include redundant information that is already included in your article or figure captions.

What is alt text?

Alternative text, or alt text, is very short summary of an image that is machine readable. This allows screen reader programs to read images in an article. Without alt text, a screen reader may simply say “figure,” the file name, or nothing at all.

Who uses alt text?

Anyone who uses a screen reader or similar assistive technologies, such as dyslexic readers, readers with vision impairments, blind readers, readers with cognitive difficulties, and many more, may use a screen reader or other assistive technologies in order to read and interact with your article. Using alt text helps your readers get the full meaning and context from your article.

How do I write alt text?

• Descriptions should be about 125 characters with a maximum of 250 characters, including spaces.
• Include useful and meaningful information that shows why the image is included in your article.
• Don’t state that the figure is a figure.
• Don’t repeat information that is in the text of your article or the figure caption.
• Purely decorative images do not need alt text.

Concise

Alt text should be the equivalent of a quick glance at the image. Short alt text preserves the flow of your article while ensuring your reader gets the information they need. Many screen readers don’t read past 250 characters.

Avoid repeating information that is in the body of your article in your alt text or including extraneous detail. You also don’t need to state that a figure is a figure as the screen reader will do that automatically.

Useful and meaningful

Graphs, flowcharts, historical photos, diagrams, and all the other images you include in your article you put there for a reason. Your description of the image should illustrate why it is included and how it supports the rest of your article. For example:

Image from Figure 1 of Areta, J. L., Meehan, E., Howe, G., & Redman, L. M. (2024). Energetics of a World-Tour Female Road Cyclist During a Multistage Race (Tour de France Femmes). International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 34(5), 253-257. Retrieved Dec 11, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2023-0275

Poor alt text: A combination bar chart and line graph showing energy intake in kcal/day, daily energy expenditure in kcal/day, and body mass in kg over seven stages.

Better alt text: A combination bar chart and line graph showing a consistent daily energy intake deficit and body mass decrease over seven stages.

The poor alt text tells you what the image is, but it doesn’t provide useful information and likely repeats information that is already included in the text of the article. The better alt text has less detail, but better illustrates why the chart is important.

Avoid purely visual descriptions

Blind readers or readers with visual impairments will likely find mainly visual descriptions about color or patterns unhelpful. For photos or paintings, descriptions of how objects relate to each other is more helpful. For example, “a small dog sitting in the lap of an older, formally dressed woman,” is more helpful than “a white dog and woman in a pink dress”. For charts or graphs, descriptions of graph shape, how data relate to each other, and how data trend are more helpful. See the alt text examples below for more information.

Alt text examples

Images and alt text from “A Brief Guide to Effective Alt Text,” by Al Woods from the Learning Guild, accessed December 11, 2024.

Alt text example: Arrows loosely scattered around the target's bullseye.

Alt text example: A line graph. The line trends upward at an accelerating rate.

Additional Resources

Quick how-tos

Context and Detail are Keys to Writing Useful Alt Text

A Brief Guide to Effective Alt Text

How Long Can an "Alt" Attribute Be?

In-depth guides

Web Accessibility Initiative: Images Tutorial

WebAIM: Alternative Text

DAISY Consortium: The Art and Science of Describing Images (W)

Practice and examples

Poet Training Tool

Diagram Center: Image Description Guidelines