The LabCanvas Figure editor: vector scientific illustration in your browser

How to make journal figures and graphical abstracts in the LabCanvas Figure editor: vector tools, 700+ adjustable science objects, lab glassware that connects, LaTeX equations, and export at the width and DPI your journal asks for.

By LabCanvas team18 October 20262 min read

The LabCanvas Figure editor is a vector drawing app for scientific figures that runs in the browser. It combines the tools of a general illustration program (pen, Pathfinder, gradients, masks) with things scientists draw every week: 700+ adjustable science objects, lab glassware that snaps together, scientific brushes such as a DNA double helix, LaTeX equations and tables. Figures export at the exact width and resolution a journal asks for.

What you can make with it

The editor is built for the figures that go into papers, theses and grant applications:

Graphical abstracts and TOC graphics, drawn from objects and arrows, or started from a template.
Schematics of syntheses and devices: a reaction flask on a hot plate, a coin cell, a membrane module.
Mechanism figures with molecules from PubChem, proteins from the PDB and labelled pathways.
Multi-panel figures with panel letters, aligned graphs from Graphs & statistics and micrographs edited in the Pixel editor.

Science objects you can adjust

Every object in the Library is drawn by a generator: a small program that turns settings into a drawing. A liposome has settings for its size, its bilayer and its cargo; a nanoparticle for its core, shell and ligands; a beaker for its volume, graduations and liquid. Change a setting and the drawing follows, so one object covers many variants.

Nanomaterials

Nanoparticle 3D, a LabCanvas science object — Nanoparticle 3D

Gold NP, citrate-capped, a LabCanvas science object — Gold NP, citrate-capped

Silver NP, phytochemical capping, a LabCanvas science object — Silver NP, phytochemical capping

CTAB-capped gold seed, a LabCanvas science object — CTAB-capped gold seed

Magnetite NP Fe₃O₄, a LabCanvas science object — Magnetite NP Fe₃O₄

Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell, a LabCanvas science object — Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ core–shell

Lab glassware and instruments

Glassware is drawn at real proportions. Joints snap onto each other and tubing follows the hose barbs, so a distillation or Schlenk setup stays assembled while you move it.

Beaker, a LabCanvas science object — Beaker

Tall-form beaker, a LabCanvas science object — Tall-form beaker

Erlenmeyer flask, a LabCanvas science object — Erlenmeyer flask

Round-bottom flask, a LabCanvas science object — Round-bottom flask

Two-neck flask, a LabCanvas science object — Two-neck flask

Three-neck flask, a LabCanvas science object — Three-neck flask

Analytical balance, a LabCanvas science object — Analytical balance

pH meter, a LabCanvas science object — pH meter

Centrifuge, a LabCanvas science object — Centrifuge

Batteries, devices and frameworks

Electrode crystal, a LabCanvas science object — Electrode crystal

Li₀.₅CoO₂ half charged, a LabCanvas science object — Li₀.₅CoO₂ half charged

LiCoO₂ with 2D lithium planes, a LabCanvas science object — LiCoO₂ with 2D lithium planes

MOF building unit SBU, a LabCanvas science object — MOF building unit SBU

Zn₄O cluster with linkers MOF-5, a LabCanvas science object — Zn₄O cluster with linkers MOF-5

Cu paddlewheel HKUST-1, a LabCanvas science object — Cu paddlewheel HKUST-1

Tools for vector drawing

Tool	What it does
Pen and pencil	Bézier paths, smoothed freehand lines
Pathfinder	Union, subtract, intersect, divide and more
Scientific brushes	DNA (B, A or Z form), RNA, α-helices, β-strands, lipid bilayers and bead chains along any path
Equations	LaTeX typeset into vector outlines, chemistry with mhchem
Tables	Editable tables with booktabs styles
Lens	A magnifier callout that enlarges part of the figure
Artboards	Several figures, or several panels, on one canvas

How to make a journal figure, step by step

Open the dashboard and start a new figure, or open a template.
Press Shift+O (or click Library) and drag objects onto the canvas; adjust them in the Design panel.
Draw arrows and labels with the Arrow and Text tools; group each panel.
Add panel letters and align the panels with Arrange.
Click Download, choose TIFF or PDF, the column width in millimetres and 300–600 dpi.

Templates of real work

The template library holds graphical abstracts of published syntheses and devices, each built from editable objects and listing the papers it follows. Open one and it becomes your own copy.

Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization: an editable graphical abstract template — Graphene oxide: synthesis and characterization

Hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorod arrays: an editable graphical abstract template — Hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorod arrays

How a lithium-ion battery works: an editable graphical abstract template — How a lithium-ion battery works

How it fits with the other apps

The Figure editor is the shared canvas of LabCanvas. Slides and Research Poster use the same editor, so a figure moves onto a slide or a poster without exporting it. Renders from the 3D Studio, setups from Optics and graphs from Graphs & statistics arrive as layers you can still change.

Frequently asked questions

Is the LabCanvas Figure editor free?

Yes. Every app, including the Figure editor, is free to start in the browser with an account. Downloading and exporting files is part of LabCanvas Pro.

Which file formats can I export for a journal?

TIFF, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG and WebP. Set the width in millimetres (for example 85 mm for one column or 174 mm for two) and the resolution (300, 600 or 1200 dpi); the file carries its DPI so it opens at the right size.

Can I edit the science objects after I place them?

Yes. Objects are drawn by generators, so size, colour, counts, labels and other details are settings in the Design panel, and you can change them at any time. You can also expand an object into ordinary paths.

Can I draw a molecule or add a protein?

Search any compound on PubChem from the Online tab of the Library and place it as a 2D structure or a 3D ball-and-stick model, draw your own in MolDraw, or add a protein snapshot from the Protein viewer.

Does it work like Adobe Illustrator?

The core tools will be familiar: pen, direct selection, Pathfinder, offset path, outline stroke, clipping masks, gradients, guides and smart guides. LabCanvas adds the scientific parts on top: generators, scientific brushes, glassware, equations and tables.

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Try it in LabCanvas

Every app is free to start in your browser. Create an account and begin.

Open Figure editor

The LabCanvas Figure editor: vector scientific illustration in your browser

What you can make with it