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Guides Cancer Research (AACR) figure preparation: 300-1200 DPI resolutions, EPS/TIFF/AI formats, hierarchical Ai/Aii/Bi panel labels, display limits, legend rules with replicates. Includes Python Pillow resolution checker.
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This guide provides the complete specifications for preparing figures for submission to **Cancer Research** and other AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) journals. Cancer Research has a distinctive **hierarchical panel labeling system** (Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii) and strict limits on the total number of display items.
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Share bugs, ideas, or general feedback.
This guide provides the complete specifications for preparing figures for submission to Cancer Research and other AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) journals. Cancer Research has a distinctive hierarchical panel labeling system (Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii) and strict limits on the total number of display items.
Official reference: https://aacrjournals.org/pages/article-style-and-format
| Image Type | Minimum Resolution |
|---|---|
| Line art | 1,200 DPI |
| Halftone / color images | 300 DPI |
| Combination artwork | 600-900 DPI |
from PIL import Image
def check_cancer_res_resolution(image_path, image_type='halftone'):
"""Check if image meets Cancer Research resolution requirements.
Args:
image_type: 'lineart' (1200), 'halftone' (300), or 'combination' (600)
"""
min_dpi = {'lineart': 1200, 'halftone': 300, 'combination': 600}
required = min_dpi.get(image_type, 300)
img = Image.open(image_path)
dpi = img.info.get('dpi', (72, 72))
print(f"Type: {image_type} | Required: {required} DPI | Actual: {dpi[0]} DPI")
passed = dpi[0] >= required
print("PASS" if passed else f"FAIL: Need {required} DPI minimum")
return passed
| Format | Accepted |
|---|---|
| EPS | Yes |
| TIFF | Yes |
| AI (Adobe Illustrator) | Yes |
| PSD (Photoshop) | Yes |
| PNG | Yes |
| PS (PostScript) | Yes |
| Article Type | Maximum Display Items |
|---|---|
| Research Articles | 7 figures + tables combined |
| Letters | 2 display items total |
| Element | Font | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Manuscript body text | Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman | 12 pt |
| Figure text | Same fonts | 8-12 pt range |
Cancer Research uses a unique three-level hierarchical labeling system:
Preferred format: Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii (NOT Aa, Ab, Ba, Bb)
def generate_cancer_res_labels(n_main_panels, sub_panels_per_main=None):
"""Generate Cancer Research hierarchical panel labels.
Args:
n_main_panels: Number of main panels (A, B, C, ...)
sub_panels_per_main: List of sub-panel counts per main panel,
or None for no sub-panels
Returns:
List of label strings
Example:
generate_cancer_res_labels(3, [2, 3, 1])
# Returns: ['Ai', 'Aii', 'Bi', 'Bii', 'Biii', 'C']
"""
import string
labels = []
roman = ['i', 'ii', 'iii', 'iv', 'v', 'vi', 'vii', 'viii']
for i in range(n_main_panels):
main_label = string.ascii_uppercase[i]
if sub_panels_per_main and sub_panels_per_main[i] > 1:
for j in range(sub_panels_per_main[i]):
labels.append(f"{main_label}{roman[j]}")
else:
labels.append(main_label)
return labels
# 3 main panels: A has 2 sub-panels, B has 3, C has 1
labels = generate_cancer_res_labels(3, [2, 3, 1])
print(labels)
# Output: ['Ai', 'Aii', 'Bi', 'Bii', 'Biii', 'C']
Cancer Research follows general AACR editorial policies for image integrity:
from PIL import Image
import os
def validate_cancer_res_figure(image_path, image_type='halftone'):
"""Full validation of a figure against Cancer Research requirements."""
img = Image.open(image_path)
issues = []
# 1. Resolution check
min_dpi = {'lineart': 1200, 'halftone': 300, 'combination': 600}
required = min_dpi.get(image_type, 300)
dpi = img.info.get('dpi', (72, 72))
if dpi[0] < required:
issues.append(f"Resolution {dpi[0]} DPI below {required} DPI for {image_type}")
# 2. Color mode check
if img.mode not in ('RGB', 'RGBA'):
issues.append(f"Color mode is {img.mode}; RGB recommended")
# 3. Format check
fmt = img.format
accepted = ['TIFF', 'EPS', 'PNG', 'JPEG', 'PDF']
if fmt and fmt.upper() not in accepted:
issues.append(f"Format '{fmt}' not in standard list")
# Report
print(f"=== Cancer Research Figure Validation ===")
print(f"Dimensions: {img.size[0]} x {img.size[1]} px")
print(f"DPI: {dpi[0]} x {dpi[1]}")
print(f"Color mode: {img.mode}")
print(f"Format: {fmt}")
if issues:
print(f"\nISSUES FOUND ({len(issues)}):")
for issue in issues:
print(f" - {issue}")
else:
print("\nAll checks PASSED")
print("\nREMINDER: Cancer Research limits Research Articles to 7 figures+tables total")
print("REMINDER: Legends must include number of technical AND biological replicates")
return len(issues) == 0
Cancer Research uses a unique three-level labeling system: Level 1 uses capital letters (A, B, C), Level 2 uses Roman numerals (i, ii, iii), and Level 3 uses lowercase letters (a, b, c). The preferred format is Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii — not Aa, Ab, Ba, Bb. No boxes or periods surround panel labels.
Cancer Research strictly limits the total number of display items (figures + tables combined). Research Articles are limited to 7 display items; Letters are limited to 2. Planning figure composition to maximize information density within these limits is essential.
A distinctive Cancer Research requirement is that figure legends must include the number of both technical and biological replicates for each experiment shown. This transparency standard supports reproducibility and is checked during editorial review.
What type of image are you preparing?
├── Line art (diagram, schematic) → 1,200 DPI
├── Halftone (photo, micrograph) → 300 DPI
├── Combination (mixed text + image) → 600-900 DPI
└── Multi-panel figure
├── Simple panels (A, B, C) → Standard uppercase labels
└── Sub-panels needed → Hierarchical: Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii
| Scenario | Format | Resolution | Labeling |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western blot with quantification | TIFF + EPS | 300 DPI (blot) + 1,200 DPI (graph) | Ai (blot), Aii (quantification) |
| Tumor growth curves | EPS or AI | Vector or 1,200 DPI | A, B, C (simple panels) |
| Immunohistochemistry panel | TIFF | 300 DPI | Ai, Aii, Bi, Bii (conditions x magnifications) |
| Flow cytometry dot plots | TIFF or PDF | 300 DPI | Hierarchical by condition |
| Kaplan-Meier survival curves | EPS or PDF | Vector | Simple A, B labeling |
Before submitting figures to Cancer Research, verify: