Figures on The Augmented Scholar

Matplotlib Publication Figure Template

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What Makes a Publication-Quality Figure

Journal requirements typically demand:

300 DPI minimum (often 600 for line art)
Figure width: 86 mm (single column) or 176 mm (double column) — exact values depend on journal
Font size: 8–10pt for axis labels, consistent with body text
No chart junk: white background, no box spines, minimal grid lines
Colour-blind friendly palettes (avoid red/green alone)

This template sets all of these automatically. A single import figure_styles at the top of a notebook applies the preset.

Matplotlib — Publication-Quality Figures for Researchers

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why Matplotlib Is Still the Standard

Despite the rise of Seaborn, Plotly, and Altair, Matplotlib remains the tool you need to know for academic publishing. Every journal has figure requirements (DPI, font size, line weight, column width) and Matplotlib is the most direct way to meet them precisely.

Academic Conference Poster Template

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Printing Tips

Recommended Print Settings

Setting	Value
Format	A0 portrait (841 × 1189 mm)
Resolution	150 DPI for mixed graphics; 300 DPI for line art only
Colour profile	CMYK (ask your print shop)
Bleed	Add 3mm bleed in Inkscape export if required

Exporting from Inkscape

File → Export PNG → set 150 DPI for a quick proof
File → Save a Copy → PDF with “Use exported objects size” checked for print

Common Conference Poster Sizes

This template is A0 portrait. Other common sizes:

Diagrams.net — Free Diagramming for Researchers

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Why Researchers Use Diagrams.net

Diagrams.net (formerly draw.io) is the standard free tool for creating:

Research methodology flowcharts (PRISMA diagrams, study design charts)
System architecture diagrams (for CS/engineering papers)
Data pipeline diagrams
Neural network / ML architecture visualisations
Conceptual framework figures

Completely free — no account required, no watermarks, no premium tier. Your diagrams save to your Google Drive, OneDrive, or local files.