Journal Levelize › Overview Statistical Disclosure ↳ Error Bar Type Enforcement ↳ Effect Size + CI + N Mandatory ↳ One-Sided / Two-Sided Disclosure ↳ Correlation vs Causation ↳ Causal Language Detection Journal Submission Ready ↳ Nature Reporting Summary ↳ Journal Format Adaptation ↳ Figure Consistency ↳ Accessibility Check ↳ Peer Review Response

Journal-Specific Format Adaptation

Every major journal has specific technical requirements for submitted figures: minimum resolution, acceptable color modes, font size constraints, minimum line weights. Submitting a figure that fails these requirements results in a technical rejection — before a single reviewer sees the science. Licklider applies the correct specifications automatically with a single preset selection.

STEP 1 —The Pitfall: Format Rejections Before Peer Review

Technical figure rejections are among the most frustrating outcomes in journal submission. A figure is scientifically complete, statistically sound, and aesthetically well-designed — and it is returned because the font size is 6pt instead of 7pt, or the resolution is 300 DPI instead of 350 DPI, or the color mode is RGB instead of CMYK.

The journal-specific requirements are not arbitrary —they reflect the print and digital production workflows of each journal. But they differ enough between journals that a figure prepared for Nature frequently does not meet NEJM's specifications, and vice versa.

  • Resolution: Nature requires 300 DPI for color figures; PNAS requires 600 DPI for line art. Cell Press requires 300 DPI minimum for all images.
  • Color mode: Nature accepts RGB; some journals require CMYK for print production. Color-blind-safe palettes are increasingly required or strongly recommended.
  • Font size: Nature requires minimum 7pt for all text in figures. NEJM requires minimum 8pt. Small fonts in multi-panel figures are among the most common rejection reasons.
  • Line weight: Most journals specify minimum 0.5pt for figure lines. Thinner lines become invisible in print reproduction.
  • Figure dimensions: Single-column figures (Nature: 89 mm wide), double-column (Nature: 183 mm wide), and full-page figures have different maximum heights.

STEP 2 —Journal Requirement

Format specifications for the four implemented presets:

  • Nature: Single-column 89 mm, double-column 183 mm; minimum 7pt font; minimum 0.5pt line; 300 DPI for halftone, 600 DPI for line art; RGB color mode; Arial or Helvetica font family.
  • NEJM: Minimum 8pt font; 350 DPI minimum; figures should fit within a single journal column when possible; Times New Roman or Arial.
  • Science: Single-column 5.5 cm, double-column 12 cm; minimum 6pt font; 300 DPI; sans-serif preferred.
  • Default: General biomedical standard —300 DPI, 8pt font minimum, 0.5pt line minimum, perceptually uniform color palette (Viridis-compatible).

Current scope: Format adaptation is implemented for individual figures. A batch preset application across multiple figures in a manuscript is a planned feature and is not currently available. Each figure must have its preset applied individually.

STEP 3 —Licklider's Solution

Input

  • The target journal preset selection: Nature / NEJM / Science / Default.
  • The figure being exported. The preset is applied at export time —the interactive figure view retains the working resolution and proportions.

Output

  • Preset-compliant export. The exported figure meets all technical specifications of the selected preset: resolution, color mode, font sizes, line weights, and dimensions.
  • Pre-flight check report. Before export, Licklider runs a pre-flight check and lists all parameters that will be adjusted by the preset, with before/after values. The researcher can review and approve before the export proceeds.
  • Deviation detection after preset application. After a preset is applied, if any element of the figure deviates from the preset specification (e.g., a custom color that is outside the perceptually uniform range), a deviation flag is raised.

Guard

Guard condition —Specification violation after preset application: If any element cannot be automatically corrected by the preset (e.g., a font embedded in an image rather than rendered as text), a warning is raised identifying the specific element and the manual correction required. Export proceeds but the issue is flagged in the export report.

STEP 4 —Draft Output (Draft / Needs review)

Example: Pre-flight check report (Nature preset)

PRE-FLIGHT CHECK —Nature preset applied to Figure 2B
--------------------------------------------------
Parameter             Before      After       Status
Resolution            150 DPI     300 DPI     [OK]Auto-corrected
Font size (min)       6pt         7pt         [OK]Auto-corrected
Line weight (min)     0.3pt       0.5pt       [OK]Auto-corrected
Figure width          120 mm      89 mm       [OK]Auto-corrected (single-col)
Color mode            RGB         RGB         [OK]No change required
Color-blind safe      Not checked [OK]Verified [OK]Passes deuteranopia simulation
--------------------------------------------------
All items passed. Figure is ready for Nature submission.
FV
3.2.3 Figure Consistency Verification
After preset application, Figure Consistency Verification checks that all figures in the export share the same style settings.
AR
3.2.4 Accessibility & Readability Check
The color-blind simulation and contrast ratio check are run as part of the pre-flight process after preset application.