Figure Assembly Best Practices for Multi-Panel Scientific Figures

Figure assembly — combining multiple charts, images, or panels into a single publication figure — is where most figures succeed or fail at the journal level. Individual panels may be excellent; the assembled figure may still be rejected for inconsistent scaling, misaligned panels, or wrong dimensions. This guide covers the practices used in high-impact publication figures.

What makes a well-assembled figure

A publication-quality assembled figure:

• Is sized to the journal's exact column width
• Has consistent spacing between all panels
• Has panel labels (A, B, C) in a consistent font, size, and position
• Uses consistent visual styling (same color palette, same font, same axis style) across all panels
• Groups related panels logically
• Has a total height that fits within the journal's maximum

See our full guide on how to make a multi-panel figure for step-by-step instructions.

Panel layout principles

Plan your layout before you design individual panels. Decide:

• How many panels (A, B, C, D...)
• Which panels should be equal width vs different widths
• Which panels share a baseline or left edge
• Which panels can be grouped in rows vs columns

Sketch the layout on paper first. A figure with 6 panels can be arranged many ways — plan which arrangement best tells the scientific story.

Common layouts:

• 1 × 2 or 1 × 3: Side-by-side panels of equal width
• 2 × 2 grid: Four equal-size panels
• Mixed: Wide panel (A) with two stacked panels (B, C) to its right
• Stacked rows: Three rows of two panels

Dimension and spacing standards

For journal submission:

Panel spacing: 2–4 mm between panels. Use the same spacing consistently. Never vary spacing within a figure.

Margins: 0 mm outer margin is fine — journals set their own margins in typesetting.

Panel labels: the details matter

Panel labels (A, B, C) seem simple but are a common rejection trigger:

• Case: Uppercase only (A, B, C — never a, b, c)
• Font: Bold, sans-serif (Arial or Helvetica)
• Size: 8–10 pt at print size — large enough to be found quickly, not so large they dominate the panel
• Position: Top-left corner of each panel, 1–2 mm from the edge
• Consistency: Every panel must have a label; labels must be in the same font, size, and relative position

Do not place panel labels outside the figure boundary or in the figure legend — they go inside the figure, in the panel area itself.

Consistency rules for assembled figures

The most common assembly failures are inconsistency between panels:

Axes:

• If multiple panels show the same measurement (time, concentration), use the same axis range
• If panels show different ranges, justify clearly in the legend
• Align x-axes horizontally across panels that share an x-variable

Colors:

• Use the same color for the same experimental group throughout the entire figure and the entire paper
• If Group A is blue in panel A, it must be blue in panel D

Typography:

• All axis labels, tick labels, and legends at the same font size across panels
• Italic gene names consistently throughout

Scale bars (microscopy):

• Show a scale bar in every microscopy panel
• Use the same scale where possible to facilitate visual comparison

Image panels in assembled figures

When including photographs, gel images, or microscopy:

• Brightness/contrast: Apply identical adjustments to all comparable images (e.g., all fluorescence images from the same antibody channel)
• Magnification: State magnification or provide a scale bar — not both
• Insets: Use consistent inset box style (dashed line, white or black) and scale the inset to a size that shows the detail clearly
• Splicing: If gel lanes are rearranged, use a visible dividing line and state this in the legend. This is required by Nature, Cell, and most journals

Exporting the assembled figure

After assembly, export correctly:

• Resolution: 300 DPI minimum for photographs; 600–1200 DPI for all-vector figures; 500 DPI for combinations
• Format: TIFF (lossless) for most journals; PDF/EPS for vector-only figures
• Color mode: sRGB for online-first; CMYK for print — check your journal

See TIFF vs PNG for journal submission and best resolution for scientific figures for export details.

Assembly in FigureGuild

FigureGuild's Figure Assembler handles all of this:

• Select your journal (Nature, Cell, Science, PNAS, or custom dimensions)
• Drag and drop panels — grids snap to consistent spacing
• Panel labels are auto-generated in the correct style
• Styling is synchronized across all chart panels
• Export at journal-required DPI in TIFF or PDF

Assemble your figure in FigureGuild →

FAQ

Should panel labels be inside or outside the panel? Inside, at the top-left. Some older conventions placed labels outside (above and to the left), but modern journal formatting places them inside the panel boundary, typically in bold white or black depending on the panel background.

How much space should I leave between panels? 2–4 mm is the standard range. Choose one value and use it consistently throughout the figure. Nature recommends ~2 mm; Cell allows up to 4 mm.

Do I need to submit panels as individual files or as one assembled figure? Almost always as one assembled file. Check your specific journal — some request individual panels as supplementary files for review purposes, but the main figure should always be submitted as a single assembled image.

Can I mix landscape and portrait panels in one figure? Yes, but plan carefully. Mixing orientations works best when panels with different orientations are clearly separated visually and logically.

What is the maximum number of panels in a single figure? Most journals do not set a hard maximum, but figures with >8 panels often prompt editors to request that some panels be moved to supplementary data. Aim for 4–6 panels per main figure and use supplementary figures for supporting data.