Every publisher wants something slightly different from a graphical abstract: a wide banner for Elsevier, a square for Cell Press, a small table-of-contents graphic for ACS. Getting the size or format wrong is one of the most common reasons a figure gets sent back. Below are the current requirements for the three publishers I’m asked about most, taken from each publisher’s own author guidelines (last checked October 2026). Always confirm against your specific journal’s guide for authors, since individual journals can add their own rules.
Quick comparison
| Publisher | Shape & size | Resolution | Fonts | File types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsevier | Landscape, min. 1328 × 531 px (about 2.5:1) | 300 dpi min. | Times, Arial, Courier or Symbol | TIFF, EPS, PDF or MS Office |
| Cell Press | Square, 1200 × 1200 px, single panel | 300 dpi | Arial, 12–16 pt | TIFF, PDF or JPG (no PowerPoint) |
| ACS (TOC graphic) | Fits within 3.25 × 1.75 in (8.25 × 4.45 cm), at actual size | 300 dpi color; 1200 dpi black & white | Sans serif (e.g. Helvetica), 8 pt preferred, never below 6 pt | TIF, or EPS in RGB with fonts outlined or embedded |
Elsevier
- Size: at least 1328 × 531 pixels (width × height). Larger images should keep the same ratio, roughly 2.5:1.
- Legibility: text must stay readable when the image is shrunk to a 200-pixel-high window, so keep labels large and few.
- Content: original artwork that clearly represents the paper; a clear start and end, reading top to bottom or left to right. No “graphical abstract” heading inside the image, no separate text outline, and no unnecessary white space.
- Submission: upload as a separate file in the online submission system. Permission is needed for any third-party material, and any use of generative AI must follow Elsevier’s AI policy.
Cell Press
- Size: one panel, 1200 pixels square at 300 dpi.
- Text: Arial at 12–16 pt, simple labels, used sparingly. Keep the eTOC blurb and Highlights out of the image, and avoid jargon.
- Content: no data of any type; the image should be fully graphical, emphasize the new findings, and be distinct from the figures already in the paper. No caricatures, especially of animals.
- Most common mistake: a white border or excess white space. Cell Press publishes the file as submitted, without editing it.
ACS (Table of Contents graphic)
- Size: must fit within 3.25 × 1.75 inches (8.25 × 4.45 cm) and be submitted at actual size.
- Resolution: 300 dpi for color, 1200 dpi for black and white.
- Content: original artwork that gives a quick visual impression of the paper without specific results. No photographs or caricatures of people, no logos or trademarked products, and ideally not a reused figure from the paper.
- Placement: label it “For Table of Contents Only” and place it on the last page of the manuscript, or upload it as a separate file.
Mistakes that get graphical abstracts sent back
- Wrong aspect ratio, e.g. a square image sent to an Elsevier journal.
- Text that becomes unreadable at thumbnail size.
- Borders and empty margins around the artwork.
- Charts or raw data where the journal asks for a purely visual summary.
- Reusing a main-text figure instead of making a new visual summary.
Want it done to spec the first time?
I design graphical abstracts and central illustrations for researchers and format every file to the target journal’s requirements. If the journal asks for changes to the figure’s format or layout, I make them free. Most graphical abstracts fall in the Graphic tier ($550, 7 days).
Sources
- Elsevier: Graphical abstract guidelines
- Cell Press Crosstalk: Attract readers at a glance with your graphical abstract
- ACS journal author guidelines (Table of Contents graphic requirements)
