Free to start · No watermark
The graphical abstract generator turns the abstract of your research paper into one panel that reads left to right, from problem to method to result, as a 2K image for the journal. Paste the abstract or describe the study, online, with nothing to install.
From abstract to graphical abstract
Problem, method, mechanism, result. Point at a highlighted phrase to see where the graphical abstract generator put it in the figure.
The abstract, pasted as written
Moisture degrades perovskite solar cells within weeks. We coat the 3D perovskite film with a thin 2D passivation layer of phenethylammonium (PEA+) cations. The layer blocks water from entering and heals defects at the film surface. Power conversion efficiency rises from 21.2% to 23.5%, and cells keep 92% of their starting efficiency after 1,000 hours at 85% relative humidity.
Before you submit
Elsevier, The Lancet and ACS reject AI-made graphical abstracts; most others accept them with a disclosure. Check your row before using any graphical abstract generator.
| Publisher | Graphical abstract size | AI-made graphical abstract | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ElsevierElsevier journals, including Cell Press | Graphical abstract size:1328 × 531 px or larger (5:2), 300 DPI | Not acceptedGeneral-purpose AI image tools must not be used for graphical abstracts. AI flow charts inside the paper are allowed with a caption note. | Read the rule: Elsevier |
| The Lancet | Graphical abstract size:No graphical abstract in the main journal | Not acceptedAI is for brainstorming image ideas, not for the images you submit. | Read the rule: The Lancet |
| ACSAmerican Chemical Society | Graphical abstract size:TOC graphic 3.25 × 1.75 in (8.25 × 4.45 cm) | Not acceptedAI-generated images cannot be used in table of contents graphics. AI cover art is allowed. | Read the rule: ACS |
| RSCRoyal Society of Chemistry | Graphical abstract size:TOC entry up to 8 × 4 cm, 600 DPI | Check firstIllustrative AI graphics are allowed with a caption note, if the tool is trained on licensed data and cleared for commercial use. Ask the editor. | Read the rule: RSC |
| Springer NatureNature Portfolio and Springer journals | Graphical abstract size:Set by each journal | Check firstPhotorealistic AI images are not permitted; drawn illustrations are not addressed. Disclose AI use and check the journal. | Read the rule: Springer Nature |
| Wiley | Graphical abstract size:Set by each journal | Allowed, disclose itAI tools are fine for diagrams and conceptual illustrations; name the tool in the figure caption. | Read the rule: Wiley |
| MDPI | Graphical abstract size:1100 × 560 px or larger | Allowed, disclose itDeclare it at submission, describe it in Methods and name the tool in Acknowledgments. | Read the rule: MDPI |
| Taylor & Francis | Graphical abstract size:Landscape 2:1, shown 525 px wide | Allowed, disclose itAllowed for conceptual illustrations and flow diagrams, with disclosure. Not for research data or clinical images. | Read the rule: Taylor & Francis |
| IEEE | Graphical abstract size:660 × 295 px, 300 DPI | Allowed, disclose itName the AI system and where it was used in the Acknowledgments. | Read the rule: IEEE |
| PLOS | Graphical abstract size:No graphical abstract | Allowed, disclose itAI figures that illustrate or summarize results are allowed, disclosed in the figure legend. | Read the rule: PLOS |
| Frontiers | Graphical abstract size:No graphical abstract in the general guidelines | Allowed, disclose itAllowed when checked by the authors and disclosed with the tool, version and model. | Read the rule: Frontiers |
Checked against each publisher's own pages on 9 November 2026. Policies change; the author guidelines of your journal have the final word.
Compared
For most journals, talks and preprints the graphical abstract generator is fastest; for Elsevier, Cell Press and ACS, use an icon tool or PowerPoint. Checked 9 November 2026.
| Feature | Graphical abstract generator | Icon tools (BioRender and similar) | PowerPoint by hand | General AI chat (ChatGPT and similar) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You start from | Your abstract | Templates and an icon library | A blank slide | A chat prompt |
| Built for journal figures | Figure style, journal layouts, 2K PNG | Scientific icons and templates | General drawing tools | General image chat |
| Elsevier, Cell Press and ACS | Not accepted (general AI image model) | Accepted; Elsevier points authors to these tools | Accepted | Not accepted |
| Drawing skill needed | None | Arranging icons and arrows | A lot | None |
| Moving one element | Change the text and redraw | Full control | Full control | Ask again in the chat |
| Cost to start | Free credits | BioRender free plan: 3 figures, no publication use | Free on the web with a Microsoft account | Free and paid plans |
What makes a good graphical abstract
The same study drawn twice by the graphical abstract generator, the second cluttered on purpose. Readers scan a contents page in seconds; only the first gets the click.
Graphical abstract examples
Each one came out of the graphical abstract generator in one pass, shown as readers meet it in a table of contents. Open the description or load it to fit your study.
Contents · made with the graphical abstract generator
Chemistry
“Copper-doped TiO2 nanosheets convert CO2 into methanol under visible light. Draw molecules as simple labelled formulas (CO2, H2O, CH3OH, O2), not ball-and-stick models. Left: CO2 and water. Middle: a TiO2 nanosheet with copper sites; visible light excites electrons that reduce CO2 at the copper sites while holes oxidize water to O2. Right: methanol yield three times higher than undoped TiO2.”
Machine learning
“A graph neural network predicts drug-target binding. Left: a drug molecule drawn as a molecular graph and a protein drawn as its amino acid sequence. Middle: the graph neural network encodes the molecule, a protein language model encodes the sequence, and an attention layer joins them. Right: predicted binding affinity, and a ranked list of candidate drugs, with higher accuracy than docking.”
Clinical research
“Remote blood pressure monitoring in rural clinics. Top: adults with uncontrolled hypertension measure blood pressure at home with a cuff linked to a smartphone app. Middle: readings go to a nurse, who adjusts medication every two weeks. Bottom: after 6 months, systolic blood pressure falls by 12 mmHg more than with usual care, and fewer clinic visits are needed.”
Ecology
“Urban heat lowers pollinator diversity, and green roofs bring it back. Left: a hot city center with bare roofs, high surface temperature and few bees. Middle: green roofs planted with native flowers cool the roof surface. Right: more bee and hoverfly species on green roofs than on bare roofs, close to the numbers in city parks.”
Plant science
“Drought tolerance in rice through the hormone ABA. Left: drought stress raises abscisic acid (ABA) in the leaf. Middle: ABA binds its receptor in guard cells and the stomata close, so less water is lost. Right: rice plants overexpressing the ABA receptor keep 80% of their grain yield under drought, against 45% for normal plants.”
The studies and numbers are made up to show the format. Put your own results in the description, and the graphical abstract generator draws them the same way.
How to make a graphical abstract
The graphical abstract generator needs one thing from you: the abstract. Layout and a sketch are optional.
Four to six sentences work best: the problem, what you did, how it works and what you found. Name any labels you need.
16:9 for wide slots, 1:1 for square ones, 4:3 in between. The publisher table above lists the sizes; crop the 2K image to the exact ratio.
The 2K PNG is ready in under two minutes. Check every label and arrow; change one line of the text and draw it again if needed.
FAQ
A single image that sums up a research paper. Journals show it next to the title in the table of contents and on the article page, so readers see the main finding at a glance, reading from cause on the left to result on the right.
Yes. The graphical abstract maker is free to start: new accounts get free credits to try it, and after that each graphical abstract uses one credit. The pricing page lists packs and plans.
It depends on the publisher. Elsevier journals (Cell Press included), The Lancet and ACS do not accept AI-made graphical abstracts or table of contents graphics. Wiley, MDPI, Taylor & Francis, IEEE, PLOS and Frontiers allow AI illustrations when you disclose them. The table above links each rule; for those journals, use the graphical abstract generator for talks, conference posters, preprints and social media instead.
Elsevier asks for at least 1328 × 531 pixels (5:2), MDPI at least 1100 × 560 pixels, IEEE 660 × 295 pixels and ACS a 3.25 × 1.75 inch table of contents graphic. The graphical abstract generator draws 2K images in 16:9, 4:3 or 1:1, large enough to crop and scale to any of these.
Yes. The publisher table above has free PowerPoint templates at the Elsevier, ACS, MDPI and square sizes, with guides for the reading order. Place a figure from the graphical abstract generator in it, or draw your own on top of the guides.
A visual abstract, common in medical journals and on social media, puts the study design, numbers and result into a fixed template with text. A graphical abstract is a drawn summary of the finding with few words. To get a visual abstract, describe the boxes and numbers you want.
The result is a PNG, so the labels are part of the image. Change the words in your description and run the graphical abstract generator again, or place your own text over the image in PowerPoint or Illustrator.
Your text is used only to draw your figure. It is never used to train AI models, and you can delete a figure with its description at any time.
Paste your abstract, pick the layout and download a 2K graphical abstract in under two minutes.
