Artwork - formats checklist

Preferred and accepted file formats for artwork submission

Application/format

Extension

Accepted

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)

TIF, TIFF

Recommended image format for halftones and bitmaps

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)

JPG, JPEG

Recommended image format for halftones

Encapsulated PostScript  (EPS)

EPS

Recommended image format for vector-based images (*and embedded images)

Portable Document Format  (PDF)

PDF

Recommended format for texts, notes, documents, vector-based images

Microsoft Word

DOC, DOCX

Recommended format for texts, notes, documents

Microsoft Excel

XLS, XLSX

Recommended format, typically charts when used for images, and tables for documents

Microsoft Powerpoint

PPT, PPTX

Recommended format for annotated images

Before you submit your artwork, make sure you can answer "yes" to the following:

  • My files are in the correct format - EPS, PDF, TIFF or JPEG, or Microsoft Office files (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
  • My color images are provided in the preferred RGB colorspace (unless the journal's guide for authors prescribes otherwise).
  • The physical dimensions of the artwork match the dimensions of the journal to which I am submitting. See Sizing of Artwork.
  • The lettering used in the artwork does not vary too much in size. See Sizing of Artwork.
  • I have used the recommended file-naming conventions. See File Naming.
  • All illustrations are provided as separate files (unless the journal's guide for authors prescribes otherwise).
  • All artwork is numbered according to its sequence in the text.
  • Figures, schemes and plates have captions and these are provided on a separate sheet along with the manuscript, in addition all figures are referred to in the text.
  • If required, I have specified the preferred magnification factor of my artwork on the sheet with filenames that accompany the submission.
  • Are all the rights cleared both for print and electronic publication?

Click here to see the guide for Elsevier authors to obtain/seek permission to use third party material

Question: I submitted high resolution halftone images and bitmap files, but in the PDF they are 300 dpi (JPEG) and 800 dpi, why?

All halftone images in the web PDF files are downsampled to 300 dpi, to reduce the overall file size. Bitmap images in the PDF are reduced to 800 dpi for the same reason.

Please note that the high-resolution image is available separately on our web platforms in the HTML rendering of the article via dedicated links.

The smaller Web PDF file size allows for easier handling (e-mail, downloads from websites, etc.). For print the full resolution of the image file will be used, of course.

Figure captions

Submit figure captions with your submission.

There are a few ways to submit figure captions with your submission:

  1. if the journal provides for a submission item type called "Figure Caption", submit your caption here in the form of a text file;
  2. if there is no such submission item type, you should list your figure captions at the end of your manuscript text file.