If you cannot find the answer to your question below, please send an e-mail to sqsartwork@elsevier.com.

File formats

Why do you not accept JPEG files?

• There are a few reasons, but mainly because the JPEG file format is 'lossy', that is to say that the figure quality will be reduced each time the file is opened/manipulated. Also, JPEG file size can be prohibitive.

Why can't I supply artwork in native format (CorelDraw, ChemDraw etc.)?

• We prefer your artwork in TIFF or EPS format because these common interchange formats are readable by a wider number of applications. Virtually all image creation/manipulation software can 'Save As...' or 'Export...' to these common formats.

Can I supply an EPS file created in CorelDraw?

• We only currently accept TIFF files written by CorelDraw that are exported at the appropriate resolution: 300 dpi for halftones, 500 dpi for combinations (line art and halftone together) and 1000 dpi for line art. This is because of known problems with fills and patterns.

Why do you accept figures in MS Office format?

• We recognize that a large percentage of artwork files are in this format, and also it can be difficult to reliably save from these applications to TIFF/EPS. We have developed conversion techniques that will ensure the source files can be used and will be of sufficient quality if input resolutions of placed images are sufficient.

Why don't you accept PNG or PDF files?

• We constantly review technological developments in the graphics industry, including emerging file formats - new and recommended formats will be introduced where appropriate.

Image reproduction/quality issues

My black and white line art is only 300 dpi, yet your site stipulates a minimum of 1000dpi. Can I can just increase the resolution in Photoshop?

• No - the image must be captured at the given resolution. Increasing resolution after capture will never improve the quality of the image.

What line weights should I use on my artwork?

• Any line work should be an absolute minumum of 0.35pt. High-quality reproduction of linework below this width cannot be guaranteed (lower resolution output devices, such as office laserprinters, should not be used as indicators in such cases). For prominent lines (e.g. plot lines on graphs) the weight should be approximately 1pt.

Can I provide screen dumps as electronic artwork?

• This is not recommended, but in some cases it is unavoidable - for example, when you would like to illustrate a screen or settings from a software application.

What tints of black should I use on my graphs?

• It is recommended that you only use three or four variations of color or tone on one piece of artwork to avoid problems in distinguishing between lines - an alternative is to color all lines solid black and use dashed/dotted lines to show a prominent difference.

What colors can I use on my graphs?

• If your artwork is to be printed in color, use bold, solid colors that will reproduce well. If your artwork is to be printed in black and white, you must ensure that a conversion will not result in similar shades of grey. If this is the case, make use of patterns for boxes or dotted/dashed lines.

Color

Why do you now ask for color artwork in RGB format?

• RGB is the color space that has the highest number of available colors. We ask for RGB in order to ensure that your color artwork is published online at the highest possible quality. Note that for a number of Elsevier Health Science journals, there is a preference to receive color images in CMYK, click here to view the list.

Miscellaneous

Why do you not provide artwork creation guides for Solaris?

• Elsevier an its suppliers predominately work only in Windows and Macintosh environments when handling artwork. If you are working in an alternative Operating System, the Windows/Macintosh guides can still be followed, as most packages will behave in the same manner, regardless of the platform.

Do you accept artwork on magnetic optical disk?

• Unfortunately not. We do, however, accept artwork on floppy, CD-ROM, ZIP and JAZ disks. In addition, an increasing number of Elsevier journals have online submission facilities. Search for your journal's homepage to see if online submission is available.