Free for the academic community · No account required · Pro features coming soon
Vol. I · No. 001 Established MMXXVI For Researchers, By Researchers

FigCheck.

Journal figure requirements, checked before you submit. A tool for the weary corresponding author

Stop guessing
at 300 DPI.

Every journal has a different opinion on figure dimensions, resolution, color mode, embedded fonts, and acceptable file formats. Miss one, and your manuscript bounces back from production weeks later.

Upload your figure. Pick a journal. Get a clean checklist of what passes and what doesn't — before you hit submit.

Check a figure → Browse journals
§ I

The Checker

↑
Drop file or click to upload
TIFF · PNG · JPEG · PDF · EPS
Awaiting submission.
Upload a figure and select a journal to begin
§ II

The Directory

Pro features, coming soon.

The free checker handles file format, resolution, dimensions, color mode, and file size. The hard ones — line weights, embedded fonts at print size, colorblind-safe palettes — need more work. We're building them. Join the waitlist to vote on what we ship first.

Vector validation

Embedded font detection in PDF/EPS. Line weight enforcement at final print size. Outline-vs-text checks.

Batch checking

Upload all your manuscript figures at once. Check against multiple journals in parallel for shopping submissions.

Auto-fix tools

Re-export TIFFs at correct DPI. Convert RGB↔CMYK with proper ICC profiles. Embed fonts in PDFs.

✓ You're on the list. We'll email when Pro features are ready — no spam, just launch updates.
§ III

Recommended Tools

Illustration
BioRender

The standard for scientific figure illustration. Pre-built icons for cells, pathways, organisms. Vector exports for any journal.

 Free · Open Source
Inkscape

Free vector editor that handles EPS, PDF, and SVG natively. Perfect for cleaning up exported plots before submission.

 Free · Microscopy
Fiji / ImageJ

The microscopy standard. Calibration bars, channel splitting, and lossless TIFF export at any resolution.
§ IV

Frequently Asked

Is my figure uploaded to a server?
No. All file inspection happens in your browser using JavaScript. Your figure never leaves your computer. We don't have a server that processes uploads — by design.
How accurate are the journal requirements?
Specs are curated from publisher author guidelines and updated quarterly. They're meant as a first-pass sanity check — always verify against the journal's current submission portal, since requirements occasionally change between updates. We are not affiliated with any publisher.
Why doesn't it check line weights or font sizes?
Those checks need server-side parsing of vector files (PDF, EPS) with tools like Ghostscript. We're building it for the Pro tier. The current free version covers the most common rejection reasons: wrong DPI, wrong dimensions, wrong color mode, wrong file format.
My journal isn't listed. Can you add it?
Yes — email us via the waitlist signup with the journal name and a link to its author guidelines. We add requested journals weekly.
Will FigCheck always be free?
The directory and basic checker (format, DPI, dimensions, color mode) will always be free. Advanced features — vector validation, batch processing, auto-fix tools — will be a paid Pro tier when they ship.