Multi-Panel Scientific Figures: Layout, Labels and Captions

Write one question per panel

List each panel's purpose and source. A preparation route, structural detail, microscopy image and quantitative plot may belong in the same figure, but they should remain identifiable as different evidence or explanation types. Remove duplicate information before allocating space.

Choose the reading order before the grid

Use left-to-right order for parallel routes when appropriate, or top-to-bottom order for preparation followed by application and local detail. In the apple-pectin case, three routes share one starting reference and aligned result areas. In the hydrogel case, an overview locates several enlargements.

Allocate size by content

Panels need not be equal rectangles. A dense mechanism may need more room than an orientation panel. Preserve comparable scale or explicitly explain differences when comparing images. Keep gutters and alignment consistent without stretching original images to fill a box.

Coordinate numbering and captions

Confirm the panel-letter convention in the journal instructions. Keep letters, abbreviations, units, scale bars and caption references consistent with the manuscript. Distinguish the full-figure caption from explanatory text inside a panel.

Run a final-size inspection

Check text, contrast, object boundaries and the relationship between insets and their source regions. Review original pixels and effective resolution for embedded images. Retain the source file and open the exported deliverable independently. The beginner layout workflow addresses practical arrangement; a TOC submission is a different composition task.