How to Make a Graphical Abstract (Step by Step)
Make a graphical abstract in 7 steps, with official Elsevier, Cell Press and ACS size specs, layouts, free tools, a checklist and common mistakes.
Last updated: October 11, 2026. Size requirements below were checked against the publishers' own guides on this date. Journals within a publisher can differ, so your target journal's author instructions always take priority.
Quick answer: To make a graphical abstract, write your key finding as one sentence, pick a left-to-right or top-to-bottom layout, sketch 3–5 elements (context, method, result, implication), build it in a vector editor with consistent icons, keep text minimal, and export at your journal's exact size, such as 1328 × 531 px for Elsevier.
What is a graphical abstract and how do you make one?
A graphical abstract is one image that tells your study's main finding in a few seconds. To make one:
- Write the key finding as a single sentence.
- Choose a reading direction (left to right, or top to bottom) with a clear start and end.
- Sketch 3 to 5 elements: context, intervention or method, key result, implication.
- Build it in a vector editor (for example Inkscape or Affinity) using consistent icons.
- Keep text minimal, use one sans-serif font, and a limited palette.
- Export at your journal's exact size, for example 1328 × 531 px at 300 dpi for Elsevier or 1200 × 1200 px at 300 dpi for Cell Press.
Which tools help with graphical abstracts?
Sciicons
Sciicons is a free, searchable library of about 4,900 scientific SVG icons and illustrations (cells, microbiology, anatomy, chemistry, lab equipment and more). Each icon page shows its licence and credit line, icons can be copied as SVG or recoloured in the browser, and optional Pro packs add detailed original sets such as Cell Organelles and Assays. Sciicons also includes browser tools: Molecules (2D/3D structures from PubChem), Proteins (PDB ribbons and surfaces), the Gel Builder and the Well Plate Colorer; previews are free and their SVG/PNG downloads are part of Pro.
LabCanvas
LabCanvas is a browser-based scientific design platform with a 2D canvas, scientific icon packs, 3D generators, a protein visualizer, a molecule editor, an optics table and a chart editor, exporting SVG and PNG. You can get started free. The separate LabCanvas Blender addon (one-time purchase, Blender 4.2+) adds generators for molecules, crystals, DNA, neurons, membranes and devices for rendered 3D figures.
What are the official size and format requirements?
| Publisher | Name used | Size | Resolution | File types | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elsevier (most journals) | Graphical abstract | Minimum 1328 × 531 px (w × h); keep a 500 × 200 aspect ratio if larger | 300 dpi | TIFF, EPS, PDF or MS Office files (check journal) | Elsevier graphical abstract page |
| Cell Press | Graphical abstract | Square, 1200 × 1200 px | 300 dpi | TIFF, PDF or JPG (PowerPoint not accepted) | Cell Press GA guidelines (PDF) |
| ACS | Table of Contents (TOC) / abstract graphic | Maximum 3.25 × 1.75 in (8.25 × 4.45 cm), at actual size | 300 dpi color TIFF (1200 dpi for black and white) | TIFF, or EPS with fonts embedded or outlined | ACS TOC guidelines (PDF) |
Additional details from those guides:
- Elsevier scales the image to a 500 × 200 pixel display window on ScienceDirect, so small text becomes unreadable (Elsevier).
- Cell Press asks for a single panel and Arial font; its PDF guide specifies 8 to 12 pt text, while a Cell Press blog post suggests 12 to 16 pt (the two sources differ; follow the PDF guide or your journal's current instructions) (guide, Crosstalk blog).
- ACS recommends sans-serif text, preferably 8 pt and never below 6 pt, and labelling the file "For Table of Contents Only" (ACS guide).
Step 1: Find the one-sentence message
Before opening any software, finish this sentence: "We show that ___ by ___, which means ___." That sentence is the spine of your graphical abstract. Anything that does not support it, including secondary results, method details and supplementary data, should stay out.
Good test: show the draft to a colleague outside your subfield for five seconds and ask what the paper found.
Step 2: Choose a layout
Linear flow (left to right)
Best for processes and pipelines: sample → treatment → measurement → outcome. It works naturally with Elsevier's wide 5:2 format.
Central hub
A central mechanism (for example a cell, organ or molecule) with causes on one side and effects on the other. It suits Cell Press's square format.
Before and after, or comparison
Two panels contrasting control and treatment, or healthy and disease states. Keep the panels visually identical except for the change you want to highlight.
Cycle
For feedback loops or life cycles; use it only when the biology is really cyclic.
Step 3: Sketch on paper
Draw three thumbnails in two minutes each. Pick the one where the eye moves clearly from start to end. Mark where arrows go and what each icon represents. This saves hours in software.
Step 4: Gather visual elements
Use consistent, scientifically accurate icons. Mixing photorealistic and flat cartoon styles is the most common reason graphical abstracts look amateur.
Free or openly licensed sources:
| Source | License | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sciicons | Shown per icon (often CC0; some CC BY or CC BY-SA) | ~4,900 searchable SVG icons; copy SVG straight into your editor; optional Pro illustration packs |
| Servier Medical Art | CC BY 4.0 (credit Servier) | Medical and biological drawings (terms) |
| NIH BioArt | Public domain or CC BY per item | Biomedical illustrations (terms) |
| Bioicons | Per-icon (CC0, MIT, CC BY, CC BY-SA, BSD) | Open source (GitHub) |
| SciDraw | CC BY 4.0 or CC0 | Neuroscience, animals, setups (licensing) |
If you use an online illustrator, check its license: BioRender's free plan does not allow publication (pricing), and Mind the Graph's free plan keeps a watermark (FAQ).
Step 5: Build it in a vector editor
- Create the canvas at final size. For Elsevier, 1328 × 531 px (or a larger canvas with the same 5:2 ratio); for Cell Press, 1200 × 1200 px.
- Place a grid (for example 3 or 4 columns) and align elements to it.
- Import icons as SVG so they stay sharp and recolorable.
- Draw arrows last, using one arrow style and thickness throughout.
- Add labels in one sans-serif font (Arial or Helvetica are safe), no more than two sizes.
Free editors: Inkscape (open source, GPL) and Affinity (free with a Canva account since 2025, per Canva Help). PowerPoint or Google Slides can work for simple designs, but check that the export meets the resolution requirement, and remember Cell Press does not accept PowerPoint files.
Step 6: Apply design rules that scientists often skip
- Limit color to 2 or 3 meaningful hues plus neutrals; use color to encode meaning (for example red for disease, blue for control), not decoration.
- Use colorblind-safe combinations; avoid red and green as the only contrast.
- White space is not wasted space. Crowded abstracts are skipped.
- Text should be readable at display size. Zoom out to the size readers will see (for Elsevier, roughly 500 × 200 px on screen) and check every word.
- No data-heavy plots. One simplified chart is fine if it is the key result; full panels with error bars are not.
Step 7: Export correctly
- Export from the vector master to the required format (TIFF, PDF, EPS or JPG as specified).
- Confirm pixel dimensions and dpi in an image viewer before uploading.
- Embed fonts or convert text to outlines if the journal asks (ACS mentions this for EPS).
- Keep the editable master file for revisions.
What are the most common mistakes?
| Mistake | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Reusing Figure 1 unchanged | Too much detail for a thumbnail | Redesign around the one-sentence message |
| Tiny labels | Unreadable at display size | Use the journal's minimum font size or larger |
| No clear start or end | Readers don't know where to look | Use a reading direction and numbered or arrowed flow |
| Mixed illustration styles | Looks unprofessional | Use one library or harmonize colors and stroke widths |
| Unlicensed assets | Risk of takedown or correction | Use CC0, public-domain or properly credited CC BY assets |
| Wrong aspect ratio | Cropped or rejected | Build at the exact size from the start |
What does a worked example look like?
Message: "Compound X reduces bacterial biofilm formation by blocking quorum sensing, increasing antibiotic sensitivity."
- Left: a biofilm on a surface (bacteria in matrix).
- Middle: compound X binding a quorum-sensing receptor, with signal molecules blocked.
- Right: dispersed bacteria with an antibiotic icon, labelled "↑ antibiotic sensitivity".
- Format: Elsevier 5:2 layout, three columns, two colors (teal for bacteria, orange for compound X).
All three elements (biofilm, receptor, antibiotic) can be found as SVG icons in free libraries and recolored to the same palette.
What should you check before submitting?
- ☐ One-sentence message written
- ☐ Clear reading direction
- ☐ Exact journal dimensions and dpi
- ☐ One font, two sizes maximum
- ☐ 2 or 3 colors, colorblind-safe
- ☐ Licenses checked, credits added where required
- ☐ Readable when zoomed out to display size
Sources
- Elsevier graphical abstract: https://www.elsevier.com/researcher/author/tools-and-resources/graphical-abstract
- Cell Press GA guidelines: https://www.cell.com/pb/assets/raw/shared/figureguidelines/GA_guide.pdf/
- Cell Press Crosstalk blog: https://crosstalk.cell.com/blog/attract-readers-at-a-glance-with-your-graphical-abstract
- ACS TOC graphic guidelines: https://pubsapp.acs.org/paragonplus/submission/toc_abstract_graphics_guidelines.pdf
- BioRender pricing: https://www.biorender.com/pricing
- Mind the Graph free use: https://mindthegraph.com/blog/faq/use-mind-the-graph-for-free/
- Servier Medical Art terms: https://smart.servier.com/terms-of-use/
- NIH BioArt terms: https://bioart.niaid.nih.gov/terms
- Canva Help, Affinity free access: https://www.canva.com/help/free-affinity-access/
Frequently asked questions
- What size should a graphical abstract be?
- It depends on the publisher. Elsevier asks for a minimum of 1328 × 531 pixels (width × height) at 300 dpi; Cell Press asks for a square 1200 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi; ACS table-of-contents graphics have a maximum of 3.25 × 1.75 inches. Always check your journal's own author guide, which overrides general publisher advice.
- What software can I use to make a graphical abstract for free?
- Inkscape and Affinity are free vector editors suitable for graphical abstracts. Combine them with openly licensed icons from Sciicons, Servier Medical Art, NIH BioArt, Bioicons or SciDraw, and credit any CC BY assets.
- How much text should a graphical abstract contain?
- As little as possible. Publisher guides recommend minimal text; Cell Press asks for a single panel with a clear start and end, and ACS recommends sparse, legible sans-serif labels. A reader should grasp the main finding in a few seconds.
- Can I reuse a figure from my paper as the graphical abstract?
- Elsevier and Cell Press guidance discourages simply reusing a data figure; the graphical abstract should summarize the whole study in one visual story. You can reuse elements, but redesign them for the format.
- Is a graphical abstract the same as a TOC graphic?
- They serve the same purpose, a visual summary shown with the article listing, but ACS calls it a Table of Contents (TOC) graphic and uses different size rules. Use the term and specifications your target journal uses.
More guides on the Sciicons blog · Browse scientific illustrations · Free figure tools