If you need to make a graphical abstract, the best options are the services by Editage, Wiley Editing Services, Taylor & Francis Editing Services, etc. Or you can use tools like BioRender, Mind the Graph, etc. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of each graphical abstract service and tool, enabling you to find the option that meets your needs best.
What is a graphical abstract?
A graphical abstract is a visual summary of the main findings of a research paper. It’s required by many journals, including Elsevier and Cell Press journals. A graphical abstract
- Makes it easier for readers to understand and retain key findings
- Makes the paper stand out among others
- Increases views, clicks, and citations of the paper
Top Graphical Abstract Services
Editage
Best for: All STEM researchers, including those with zero design experience
With 20+ years of expertise in scholarly communication and illustration design, Editage creates compelling, high-quality graphical abstracts across fields. Even better, you don’t need to provide any sketch of your own; just submit your full paper and get a graphical abstract tailored to your journal’s specifications. You retain copyright of the finished graphic and can share it freely without any permission required.
Price: USD 149 onwards
Turnaround time: 4 days
Wiley Editing Services
Best for: Researchers looking to boost the visibility of their papers and stand out from the crowd
Wiley Editing Services employs a multidisciplinary team of scientific illustrators and design experts to create graphical abstracts. They provide several samples for you to view on their website, and you make payment for your own graphical abstract only after you have reviewed and approved it.
Price: USD 350 onwards
Turnaround time: 5 days
Taylor & Francis Editing Services
Best for: Researchers with high-impact papers that they are eager to promote and share
Taylor & Francis Editing Services offers you two options: graphical abstracts and research infographics. The latter are more expensive and better suited for conference presentations, though. An advantage of Taylor & Francis’ service is that graphical abstracts are linked to the DOI of your published article via a hyperlink and/or QR code.
Price: USD 399 onwards
Turnaround time: 5 business days
Pubrica
Best for: Researchers with strong design preferences or niche research topics
Pubrica’s graphical abstract service requires a bit more input from you compared to the others listed above: you have to fill in a customized questionnaire along with submitting your manuscript. You also need to review and approve the first draft of the graphical abstract before you get the final version. An advantage of Pubrica is that you also get the working file of the graphical abstract in Adobe, not just the final JPEG/TIFF/etc. You even get the option of a 3D graphical abstract (though most journals ask for 2D graphical abstracts).
Price: USD 150-250
Turnaround time: 5+ days (depending on promptness of your response)
Springer Nature Research Solutions
Best for: Researchers eager to improve their visibility on multiple platforms
These graphical abstracts are perfect for sharing on social media, in presentations, or for journal submission. The company takes significantly longer than others to deliver a graphical abstract (10 business days) but allows you one round of revisions for free. It also has a very easy submission form, with space to share your comments and preferences about your graphical abstract.
Price: ~USD 350
Turnaround time: 10 business days
Top Graphical Abstract Tools
If you’ve good design skills and experience in creating your own graphics, you can try out the following tools:
Mind the Graph
Best for: Medical and life sciences researchers on a tight budget
This tool offers you 75,000+ free scientific illustrations and vector graphics that you can use in up to 4 projects. Paid plans allow you to get watermark-free illustrations and also request customized illustrations, as well as access to 300+ professionally designed templates.
Pricing: USD 5-9 per month (if billed annually)
BioRender
Best for: Biology and life sciences researchers working on cutting-edge technology
BioRender’s library of illustrations covers everything from human anatomy to nucleic acids, cell structures, and proteins. The basic version is free, but you can export your project only in low resolution, without permission for commercial use or publication. You’ll need the paid plan to create graphical abstracts suitable for journal submission.
Price: USD 35 per month
Adobe Illustrator
Best for: Researchers who can get free help from a professional designer
A state-of-the-art design tool, perfect for professional designers at top-tier journals. Unfortunately, Illustrator has a steep learning curve and is not beginner-friendly. Hence, I wouldn’t recommend it for researchers who don’t have a designer friend.
Price: ~USD 22 per month if billed annually
Canva
Best for: Researchers and students looking to add some zing to non-academic communication
Canva is a popular, beginner-friendly online design tool. It’s not tailored for scientific images, though, so it can be tricky to get accurate illustrations for your graphical abstract. However, it’s great for creating stunning visuals to accompany presentations, cover page designs, etc.
Price: USD 12-15 per month for Pro version (single user)
Inkscape
Best for: Researchers who have previously worked with vector graphics and who have multiple projects
Inkscape is a free vector graphics editor software. Like Canva, it can be used for a variety of graphics and images but is not designed specifically for scholarly communication. The advantage of Inkscape, however, is that you can customize almost every aspect of its user interface, including even keyboard shortcuts. This makes Inkscape convenient when you have a series of design projects.
Price: Free
Bottom line: should I use a graphical abstract service or a tool?
Use a graphical abstract service if you are short on time, have no/limited design experience, or are submitting your paper to a top-tier journal with high standards.
Use a tool to create a graphical abstract if you have a tight budget, are comfortable with design, or have flexible timelines for submission.
