Nature Cover Art Guidelines: Submission and File Checklist

Last reviewed: July 12, 2026 · Reviewed by the SciFig Editorial Team

Submitting cover art to Nature is not the same as submitting a manuscript figure. Cover artwork is considered by an editorial and art team for a specific issue, competes with other candidates, and is selected for visual impact as well as relevance to the research.

This checklist summarizes the official Nature research figure guide for covers. It applies to Nature and Nature-branded research journals covered by that guide. Individual editors may provide different or additional instructions, so follow direct editorial correspondence over any general checklist.

The essential facts

Nature's current cover guide states:

• Submit artwork through the manuscript tracking system with the final manuscript files, or contact the handling editor if it is not ready.
• Send it as soon as possible after final files, ideally within two weeks.
• The cover canvas is 213 mm × 285 mm, including a 3 mm bleed on the top, bottom, and right.
• Files should be at least 300 dpi at actual size.
• Accepted formats listed in the cover guide are PSD, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG.
• Leave room for the journal logo and coverlines, but do not place the logos in the artwork.
• Images created by generative AI are not permitted.

Cover consideration is not guaranteed. Selection varies by journal and issue, and a strong submission can still be passed over because of topic balance, timing, or competing artwork.

1. Design a cover, not a manuscript figure

A research figure carries detailed evidence. A cover image should create curiosity and communicate the spirit of the work without trying to explain the entire paper.

Nature's guide emphasizes beauty, technical quality, simplicity, novelty, and action. Translate those principles into practical choices:

• Focus on one visual idea rather than a montage of every experiment.
• Use a clear focal point that remains strong at thumbnail size.
• Prefer an active composition with depth, movement, or visual tension.
• Avoid dense labels, legends, axes, and figure-panel lettering.
• Preserve scientific integrity even when the representation is conceptual.

An abstract visual can be appropriate, but it should still connect honestly to the paper rather than imply a result the study did not establish.

2. Reserve space for page furniture

The final cover includes a masthead and coverlines. Important details can disappear if the composition ignores those elements.

Create layout guides before making the artwork:

1. Set the canvas to 213 × 285 mm.
2. Add 3 mm bleed guides on the top, bottom, and right.
3. Mark a safe region for the Nature or journal title at the top.
4. Keep the main subject away from likely coverline positions.
5. Do not add the official logo, issue date, barcode, or coverlines yourself.

Use the layout diagram in the official cover guide as the current reference. Do not infer a template from a screenshot of a previous issue because title and coverline placement can vary.

3. Build at print resolution from the start

At 300 dpi, a 213 × 285 mm canvas is approximately 2516 × 3366 pixels before considering application-specific bleed handling. Starting with a small image and enlarging it later does not restore lost detail.

• Keep photographic or rendered source assets at full resolution.
• Preserve layers when working in PSD or TIFF.
• Inspect edge detail, gradients, and texture at 100% zoom.
• Avoid heavy JPEG compression and artificial sharpening halos.
• Check how saturated RGB colors may change in print production.

The official guide allows a lower-resolution file for initial consideration if the submission note states that a higher-resolution version is available. Make sure that version genuinely exists and can be delivered quickly.

4. Avoid common disqualifiers

Nature explicitly warns against crowded compositions, low resolution, childish or overly cartoon-like treatment, overused visual clichés, and copyright infringement. The guide also says that generative-AI-created images are not permitted.

Before submission, ask:

• Does the image remain clear when viewed small?
• Is every recognizable asset original, licensed, or used with permission?
• Does it avoid logos, branded products, fictional characters, and identifiable copyrighted designs?
• Can the team document how the artwork was made and where each source element came from?
• Has the scientific team checked that the concept does not misrepresent the study?

5. Do not use generative AI for Nature cover artwork

The current Nature cover guide lists images created by generative AI, including systems such as DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney, among the things to avoid and states that they are not permitted.

That restriction means a generated SciFig image should not be submitted as Nature cover art. Do not assume that redrawing, compositing, or lightly editing a generated image removes the policy issue. If any digital method creates uncertainty, ask the handling editor and retain a transparent production record.

AI output also needs scientific verification in any internal workflow: it can invent anatomy, materials, instruments, symbols, and spatial relationships. Never use it as evidence or as a replacement for observed research imagery.

6. Submit with useful context

Follow the manuscript-system instructions or the handling editor's directions. A concise submission note can identify:

• The manuscript title and reference number.
• The research connection represented by the artwork.
• The creators and their roles.
• The rights status of all source materials.
• The availability of layered or higher-resolution files.

Do not claim that cover art submission affects manuscript acceptance. Cover selection happens in relation to issue planning and artwork quality, not as a substitute for editorial and peer review.

Final preflight checklist

• [ ] Exact journal and handling-editor instructions checked
• [ ] 213 × 285 mm canvas with required bleed
• [ ] At least 300 dpi at actual size
• [ ] PSD, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG prepared as requested
• [ ] Space reserved for masthead and coverlines
• [ ] No journal logo embedded in the artwork
• [ ] No generative-AI-created image used
• [ ] Scientific accuracy, originality, permissions, and source files reviewed
• [ ] Submitted with final files or promptly afterward, ideally within two weeks

Related SciFig resources

• Journal cover concept generator for internal ideation only; do not submit generated output to Nature
• Scientific illustration tools
• How to make a graphical abstract

Official sources

• Nature research figure guide: Covers
• Nature cover author guide PDF
• Nature final-submission artwork guidance

Policy note: This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nature Portfolio. Requirements and policies may change. The current official guide and instructions from the handling editor always take precedence.