# Graphical abstract maker with journal sizes

> Make a graphical abstract at the exact journal size (Cell Press, Elsevier, ACS, RSC, Wiley, MDPI) with layouts, arrows and science icons. PNG or SVG, free.

URL: https://www.labcanvas.com/tools/graphical-abstract-maker

Pick the journal and a layout, and the canvas opens at the size the journal asks for, with its rules beside it: Cell Press 1200 × 1200 px with Arial 12–16 pt and no data, Elsevier at least 1328 × 531 px, an ACS TOC graphic 3.25 × 1.75 in, RSC at most 8 × 4 cm at 600 dpi, and Wiley, Angewandte, Springer Nature and MDPI sizes. Four layouts (problem → method → finding, a central idea with satellites, before and after, mechanism → applications) fill the canvas with headings, arrows and placeholders; drop in LabCanvas science icons, edit the labels, and download a PNG at the journal’s pixels or dpi, or an SVG. One click sends it to the LabCanvas figure editor with every part still editable.

## Quick answer

- **What it does:** Lays out a graphical abstract or TOC graphic on a canvas at a journal’s exact size, with its rules, a safe area, layouts, arrows and science icons, and exports PNG at the required pixels or dpi, or SVG.
- **Formula:** pixels = inches × dpi = mm ÷ 25.4 × dpi;  inches = pixels ÷ dpi
- **Example:** An Elsevier graphical abstract of 1328 × 531 px at 300 dpi prints 1328 ÷ 300 = 4.43 in by 531 ÷ 300 = 1.77 in (112 × 45 mm); an ACS TOC graphic, 3.25 × 1.75 in at 300 dpi, is 975 × 525 px; an RSC graphic, 8 × 4 cm at 600 dpi, is 1890 × 945 px.

Free, in the browser, no account needed. Updated 2026-10-19.

## Features

- Canvases at the sizes Cell Press, Elsevier, ACS, RSC, Wiley (Advanced Materials, AFM, Small), Angewandte Chemie, Springer Nature and BMC, Nano Research and MDPI ask for, or any size in px, mm or inches
- Each journal’s rules beside the canvas (text size, words, data, reading direction, file types), linked to the guideline, with anything not confirmed on the publisher’s own page marked
- Four layout presets: problem → method → finding, a central idea with four satellites, before and after, and mechanism → applications
- A searchable picker of 67 LabCanvas science icons: cells, bacteria, viruses, mouse, rat, zebrafish, organs, DNA, CRISPR, proteins, antibodies, nanoparticles, catalysts, batteries, solar panels, flasks, syringes, microscopes and charts
- Headlines and labels, rounded boxes and circles, and 15 arrow styles from the figure editor’s line presets (bold, dashed, curved, elbow, reversible ⇌, inhibition ⊣, catalytic cycle); drag, resize and recolour with a colour-blind-safe palette
- Live checks: words in the image, smallest and largest text against the journal’s limits, legibility in Elsevier’s 500 × 200 px window, items outside the safe area, empty placeholders
- PNG at the journal’s exact pixels or at 300, 600 or 1200 dpi with the DPI recorded, JPEG, and SVG
- Edit in LabCanvas: the SVG opens in the figure editor with every box, arrow, label and icon editable, or start from a complete graphical abstract template

## How to use it

1. **Choose the journal and a layout**: Pick the journal (or a custom size) and one of the four layouts. The canvas opens at the journal’s size with headings, arrows and icons, and its rules and checks appear beside the canvas.
2. **Compose**: Edit the headline and labels, click a placeholder and pick an icon, add boxes, circles and arrows, and drag or resize anything. Keep the checks green: few words, text at the journal’s size, everything inside the dashed safe area.
3. **Export or keep editing**: Download a PNG at the journal’s pixels or dpi, or an SVG. To add molecules, plots, more icons or your own drawings, send it to the LabCanvas figure editor, where every part stays editable.

## At a glance

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Formula | \(\text{pixels} = \text{mm} \div 25.4 \times \text{dpi}\); pixel sizes at 300 dpi |
| Journals | Cell Press, Elsevier, ACS, RSC, Wiley Advanced journals, Angewandte Chemie, Springer Nature and BMC (920 × 300 px), Nano Research, MDPI, or a custom size |
| Layouts | Problem → method → finding; central idea with satellites; before and after; mechanism → applications |
| Icons | 67 LabCanvas science icons, searchable |
| Output | PNG at the journal’s pixels or at 300–1200 dpi (DPI recorded), JPEG, SVG; or the SVG sent to the LabCanvas figure editor |
| Checked | Publisher guidelines checked November 2026 |

## How it works

$$\begin{aligned} \text{pixels} &= \text{inches} \times \text{dpi} \\ &= \text{mm} \div 25.4 \times \text{dpi} \end{aligned}$$

$$\text{print size (in)} = \text{pixels} \div \text{dpi}$$

**Sizes and units.** Publishers state the size of a graphical abstract in one of two ways. Cell Press, Elsevier, Springer Nature’s BMC titles and MDPI give pixels; ACS, RSC, Wiley and Angewandte give a printed size in inches or centimetres, to be supplied at 300 or 600 dpi. The tool works in points (1/72 inch) of the printed size, so a 12 pt label is 12 pt whatever the journal: a pixel size is taken at 300 dpi, the resolution those publishers ask for, so Elsevier’s 1328 × 531 px is a \(4.43 \times 1.77\) inch canvas and Cell Press’s 1200 px square is 4 inches. On export, a pixel size is written at exactly the journal’s pixels (or a whole multiple, where the journal accepts larger images of the same shape), and a printed size at the dpi you choose: \(3.25 \times 300 = 975\) by \(1.75 \times 300 = 525\) pixels for an ACS TOC graphic. The PNG records its DPI, so it opens at the printed size.

**Rules the canvas shows.** Each preset lists what the journal’s own guideline says and links to it: Cell Press wants one square panel, Arial or Avenir at 12–16 pt, no data of any kind, sparing text and a clear reading direction; Elsevier shows the image scaled into a 500 × 200 px window, so the tool shows that view and how tall your smallest text is there; Angewandte asks for text of at least 6–7 pt. Where a size could not be confirmed on the publisher’s own page (the Wiley Advanced journals and Nano Research, read in copies of their instructions) or applies only to some journals (Springer Nature has no portfolio-wide size), the preset says so. The dashed safe area keeps text and icons 4 % of the shorter side from the edges, a LabCanvas margin rather than a journal rule, because the image is scaled down and sometimes cropped in tables of contents.

### How to design a graphical abstract

**What the evidence says.** Graphical abstracts help most where a picture is what people see first. In a crossover study of 44 *Annals of Surgery* articles, tweets with a visual abstract had 7.7 times the impressions (23,611 vs 3,073 on average), 8.4 times the retweets and 2.7 times the article visits of tweets with the title alone (Ibrahim et al. 2017). In a randomised crossover trial of 40 *American Journal of Nephrology* articles, tweets with a visual abstract were viewed about twice as often as citation-only tweets and had 5 times the engagement, although the authors note that any image might have had part of that effect (Oska et al. 2020). In a randomised trial of 41 surgical papers, visual abstracts drew more engagement than plain-English summaries, but engagement was low in every group (Chapman et al. 2019). There is no good evidence that a graphical abstract raises citations: in *Molecules*, papers published with one had fewer PDF downloads, abstract views and citations than papers without (Pferschy-Wenzig et al. 2016). Make one because the journal asks for it and because it is what readers see in the table of contents and on social media, not to win citations.

**Design rules that hold up.** Jambor and Bornhäuser (2024) give ten rules: decide the one message first, pick a few key visuals, design the layout around a reading direction, keep text to short labels, use colour sparingly and consistently, and ask colleagues who do not know the work for feedback. Hullman and Bach (2018) analysed 54 graphical abstracts from many fields and publishers’ guidance, describing their layouts, how they show time, how they use text and the kinds of pictures they use; inconsistent visual styles, unclear relationships between pictures and missing annotations were the common problems. In practice:

- **One message.** Write the take-home sentence first. If it needs “and”, it is two graphical abstracts.
- **One reading direction.** Left to right (or top to bottom), as the layouts do; arrows carry the order, not numbers.
- **Few words.** Label things; do not explain them. The checks count the words in the image and warn above 30, a LabCanvas guide figure; Cell Press asks for no paragraphs.
- **Text at the journal’s size.** 12–16 pt for Cell Press; for Elsevier, text that stays readable when the image is shown 200 px high; for ACS, RSC and Angewandte, about 6–8 pt at the printed size.
- **One visual style.** Use icons from one set, one line weight and two or three colours with a meaning (problem, method, result). The palette is Okabe–Ito, readable with red–green colour blindness.
- **New findings, not data.** Cell Press forbids data in the graphical abstract; elsewhere, a simplified schematic of the result reads better than a plot at this size.

**Icons and licences.** The icons are LabCanvas drawings from the figure editor’s own pictogram generators, not a third-party set, so there is no outside licence to check before you publish. Cell Press asks that every element is your own or licensed for commercial use.

**References.** Ibrahim AM, Lillemoe KD, Klingensmith ME, Dimick JB. Visual abstracts to disseminate research on social media: a prospective, case-control crossover study. *Ann Surg* 2017;266:e46–e48, [doi:10.1097/SLA.0000000000002277](https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000002277). Oska S, Lerma E, Topf J. A picture is worth a thousand views: a triple crossover trial of visual abstracts to examine their impact on research dissemination. *J Med Internet Res* 2020;22:e22327, [doi:10.2196/22327](https://doi.org/10.2196/22327). Chapman SJ, Grossman RC, FitzPatrick MEB, Brady RRW. Randomized controlled trial of plain English and visual abstracts for disseminating surgical research via social media. *Br J Surg* 2019;106:1611–1616, [doi:10.1002/bjs.11307](https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11307). Pferschy-Wenzig E-M, Pferschy U, Wang D, Mocan A, Atanasov AG. Does a graphical abstract bring more visibility to your paper? *Molecules* 2016;21:1247, [doi:10.3390/molecules21091247](https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21091247). Jambor HK, Bornhäuser M. Ten simple rules for designing graphical abstracts. *PLoS Comput Biol* 2024;20:e1011789, [doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011789](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011789). Hullman J, Bach B. Picturing science: design patterns in graphical abstracts. In: *Diagrammatic Representation and Inference (Diagrams 2018)*, LNCS 10871, 183–200, [doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91376-6_19](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91376-6_19).

## Worked examples: an Elsevier and a Cell Press graphical abstract, and every journal’s size

**1. Elsevier, problem → method → finding.** Choose Elsevier and the first layout. The canvas is 1328 × 531 px, which at 300 dpi is \(1328 \div 300 = 4.43\) by \(531 \div 300 = 1.77\) inches (\(4.43 \times 25.4 = 112\) by 45 mm), the 5: 2 shape Elsevier asks for. The headline is 15 pt and the labels 12 pt. Elsevier shows the image scaled into a 500 × 200 px window, a factor of \(\min(500 / 1328,\ 200 / 531) = 0.377\); a 12 pt label is \(12 / 72 \times 300 = 50\) px tall in the file and \(50 \times 0.377 = 18.8\) px on screen, so it stays readable, while 6 pt text would be 9.4 px. Replace the three placeholders (for example a cancer cell, a drug-delivery nanoparticle and a mouse), write three labels of two or three words, and export: 1328 × 531 px, or 2656 × 1062 px at 2× for sharper print, both 5: 2.

**2. Cell Press, mechanism → applications.** Choose Cell Press: one square of 1200 × 1200 px, 4 × 4 inches at 300 dpi (288 × 288 pt). The layout starts its labels at 12 pt and its headline at 16 pt, the two ends of the 12–16 pt Cell Press asks for, and the checks turn red if text goes outside that range. Put the mechanism in the circle of arrows on the left and three applications on the right, keep it to about a dozen words, and export a 1200 × 1200 px PNG with 300 dpi recorded.

**3. ACS and RSC at their printed sizes.** An ACS TOC graphic of 3.25 × 1.75 in is 975 × 525 px at 300 dpi and 1950 × 1050 px at 600 dpi. An RSC graphical abstract of at most 8 × 4 cm at 600 dpi is \(80 / 25.4 \times 600 = 1890\) by \(40 / 25.4 \times 600 = 945\) px. Text of 7 pt on these is \(7 / 72 \times 600 = 58\) px tall at 600 dpi.

**Start from a full template instead.** The [LabCanvas graphical abstract templates](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/graphical-abstracts) are complete designs, for example [CRISPR diagnostics](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/graphical-abstracts/crispr-diagnostics-find-sequence-light-signal), [bacteriophages against biofilms](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/graphical-abstracts/bacteriophages-against-biofilms) and [nanozymes](https://www.labcanvas.com/templates/graphical-abstracts/nanozymes-nanoparticles-that-act-like-enzymes); each opens in the editor with every layer editable, and [the graphical abstract size guide](https://www.labcanvas.com/graphical-abstracts) covers each publisher in more detail. For the figures inside the paper, the [journal figure size checker](https://www.labcanvas.com/tools/journal-figure-size) gives column widths and dpi, and the [multi-panel figure maker](https://www.labcanvas.com/tools/figure-panel-maker) lays out panels at those widths.

| Publisher | Canvas | Pixels | Main rules | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cell Press | 1200 × 1200 px | 1200 × 1200 px (4 × 4 in at 300 dpi) | One square panel, 1200 × 1200 px at 300 dpi; Arial or Avenir, 12–16 pt: smaller text is not legible online | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: Cell Press graphical abstract guidelines (PDF), Matter figure guidelines, Chem figure guidelines |
| Elsevier | 1328 × 531 px | 1328 × 531 px (4.43 × 1.77 in at 300 dpi) | At least 1328 × 531 px (w × h) at 300 dpi; a larger image keeps the 5: 2 ratio (500 × 200); Shown scaled into a 500 × 200 px window, so text must stay legible at that size | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: Elsevier: graphical abstracts |
| ACS TOC graphic | 3.25 × 1.75 in | 975 × 525 px at 300 dpi 1950 × 1050 px at 600 dpi | Fits 3.25 × 1.75 in (8.25 × 4.45 cm), made at the final size; Other ACS sizes: ACS Catalysis and ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 3.33 × 1.875 in; Chem. Rev. 5 × 5 cm | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: JACS Au author guidelines, J. Org. Chem. author guidelines, Analytical Chemistry author guidelines, ACS Catalysis author guidelines |
| RSC | 8 × 4 cm | 1890 × 945 px at 600 dpi 3780 × 1890 px at 1200 dpi | At most 8 cm wide × 4 cm high; use the whole space; Figures at 600 dpi or more (TIFF) | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: RSC: figures, graphics and images |
| Wiley Advanced journals | 5.5 × 5 cm | 650 × 591 px at 300 dpi 1299 × 1181 px at 600 dpi | ToC image 55 mm wide × 50 mm high (or the wide format, 110 × 20 mm); ToC text of 50–60 words, different from the abstract | Not confirmed: check the journal: Advanced Materials author guidelines |
| Wiley Advanced journals, wide | 11 × 2 cm | 1299 × 236 px at 300 dpi 2598 × 472 px at 600 dpi | Wide ToC image, 110 mm wide × 20 mm high; ToC text of 50–60 words, different from the abstract | Not confirmed: check the journal: Advanced Materials author guidelines |
| Angewandte Chemie | 5.5 × 5 cm | 650 × 591 px at 300 dpi 1299 × 1181 px at 600 dpi | ToC graphic at most 5.5 × 5.0 cm (w × h), or the wide format 11.5 × 2.5 cm; Text at least 6–7 pt | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: Angewandte Chemie: Notice to Authors |
| Angewandte Chemie, wide | 11.5 × 2.5 cm | 1358 × 295 px at 300 dpi 2717 × 591 px at 600 dpi | Wide ToC graphic, at most 11.5 × 2.5 cm; Text at least 6–7 pt | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: Angewandte Chemie: Notice to Authors |
| Springer Nature / BMC | 920 × 300 px | 920 × 300 px (3.07 × 1 in at 300 dpi) | 920 × 300 px, at most 150 kB; JPG, PNG or SVG, as a separate file | Journal-specific: Critical Care: visual abstracts, ChemTexts: graphical abstracts |
| Nano Research (Springer) | 8 × 5 cm | 1890 × 1181 px at 600 dpi 3780 × 2362 px at 1200 dpi | At least 80 mm wide × 50 mm high, height 5/8 to 1 of the width; At least 600 dpi | Not confirmed: check the journal: Nano Research journal page |
| MDPI | 1100 × 560 px | 1100 × 560 px (3.67 × 1.87 in at 300 dpi) | At least 1100 × 560 px (w × h), at most 5500 × 2800 px; PNG, JPEG or TIFF | Confirmed on the publisher’s page: MDPI Blog: maximising the impact of your graphical abstracts, MDPI announcement on graphical abstracts |

## Questions

### What size is a graphical abstract?

It depends on the journal. Cell Press: 1200 × 1200 px at 300 dpi. Elsevier: at least 1328 × 531 px (w × h) at 300 dpi, larger at the same 5 : 2 ratio. ACS TOC graphic: 3.25 × 1.75 in in many ACS journals (ACS Catalysis 3.33 × 1.875 in). RSC: at most 8 × 4 cm at 600 dpi. MDPI: at least 1100 × 560 px. Angewandte Chemie: at most 5.5 × 5 cm or 11.5 × 2.5 cm. Always check the target journal’s guide for authors.

### How do I make a graphical abstract for free?

Choose the journal in this tool so the canvas has the right size, pick a layout, put an icon in each placeholder, write short labels and download the PNG or SVG. It runs in your browser with no account. For more icons, molecules or plots, open it in the LabCanvas figure editor, which is free to start (downloads there are part of LabCanvas Pro).

### What should a graphical abstract include?

The paper’s main finding as one picture: the starting problem or system, what you did and what you found, in one reading direction with arrows, a few key visuals and short labels. Leave out data, long text, logos and background that is not new.

### How many words should a graphical abstract have?

As few as possible. Cell Press asks for no paragraphs and sparing labels, and design guidance agrees on short labels rather than sentences. The tool counts the words in the image and warns above 30. The explanation belongs in the written abstract or the ToC text (RSC: one or two sentences; Wiley Advanced journals: 50–60 words).

### What font size should I use in a graphical abstract?

Cell Press asks for Arial or Avenir at 12–16 pt. Angewandte Chemie asks for at least 6–7 pt at its 5.5 × 5 cm size. Elsevier asks for a font size that stays legible when the image is shown 200 px high; 12 pt at 1328 × 531 px is about 19 px tall there. Use one sans-serif font throughout.

### Can I use these icons in a published paper?

Yes. The icons are LabCanvas’s own drawings from the figure editor’s pictogram library, not a third-party icon set, and as with everything made in LabCanvas, what you make is yours to publish, including commercially: the library icons are provided for use in your figures. Check your journal’s own rules too; Cell Press, for example, asks that every element is your own or licensed for commercial use.

### Is a graphical abstract the same as a TOC graphic?

Mostly. ACS, RSC, Wiley and Angewandte call it a table-of-contents (TOC or ToC) graphic and show it in the issue’s table of contents with a short text; Cell Press and Elsevier call it a graphical abstract and show it with the article. The sizes and rules differ, which is why the tool has a preset for each.

### How do I export a graphical abstract at 300 dpi?

For a journal that gives pixels (Cell Press, Elsevier, MDPI), download the PNG at the journal’s size: it is made at those pixels and records 300 dpi. For a printed size (ACS, RSC, Wiley, Angewandte), choose 300 or 600 dpi in the export menu: an ACS 3.25 × 1.75 in graphic is 975 × 525 px at 300 dpi.

### Can I edit the graphical abstract later?

Yes. Your design is kept in this browser, and Edit in LabCanvas sends it to the figure editor as SVG, so every box, arrow, label and icon stays a separate editable layer. You can also download the SVG and open it in Illustrator, Inkscape or PowerPoint.