How to Format Your Manuscript for Journal Submission
A practical guide to manuscript formatting, from basic typography to figures, tables, and file preparation for journal submission.
Manuscript formatting is one of the most common causes of desk rejection and editorial delay. Journals have specific requirements for file format, font, margins, line spacing, figure format, and more. While requirements vary by journal, there are baseline standards that apply across most academic publishers. This guide covers the core formatting requirements and best practices. You can also run your paper through our manuscript checker to catch formatting issues automatically.
Basic typography requirements
Most journals specify these typography standards:
- Font
- Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt (some journals accept 11pt)
- Line spacing
- Double-spaced throughout (including references)
- Margins
- 2.5cm (1 inch) on all sides
- Text alignment
- Left-aligned (not justified) for manuscript submission
- Page numbers
- Bottom center, starting from title page
- Line numbers
- Required by most journals for review, enable in Word or LaTeX
Title page format
The title page typically includes:
- Full paper title (not bold, not all-caps)
- Running title (short title under 50 characters, required by many journals)
- Author names (all authors, in agreed order)
- Author affiliations (numbered superscripts)
- Corresponding author with email address
- ORCID iDs for all authors
- Word count (for main text, abstract, and sometimes total)
Heading structure
Use consistent heading levels throughout. APA uses 5 levels with specific formatting. AMA/Vancouver typically use bold numbered headings. Most journals use 2–3 levels: H1 (all caps or bold centered), H2 (bold left-aligned), H3 (italic bold). Use your word processor's built-in heading styles, not manual bold/italic.
Figures: preparation guidelines
Figure preparation is a common source of delays at publication:
- Resolution
- 300 dpi minimum for grayscale/color; 600 dpi for line art
- Format
- TIFF or EPS preferred for print; high-res PNG or JPEG for online-only
- Size
- Must be legible at published size, typically 8cm (single column) or 17cm (double)
- Color
- Use CMYK for print journals; RGB for online-only journals
- Accessibility
- Avoid red-green combinations; use patterns or shapes to distinguish groups
- File naming
- Figure1.tif, Figure2.tif, not 'final_fig_v3_use_this.jpg'
Tables: formatting standards
Table formatting requirements:
- Number sequentially (Table 1, Table 2...)
- Caption above the table (not below like figures)
- Horizontal lines only, no vertical lines in most styles
- Statistical notes below table (a p<0.05, b p<0.01, etc.)
- Column headers clearly labeled with units
- Tables editable (not images), editors must be able to copy text
Reference formatting
References must be consistently formatted in your target journal's style, common formats include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver. Key requirements: all authors listed (some styles use 'et al.' after 6 or 8 authors), year after author names (author-year styles) or at the end (Vancouver), DOIs included for journal articles, consistent punctuation and capitalization.
Frequently asked questions
No: submission manuscripts are formatted for review (double-spaced, line numbers, author information). Final layout is handled by the journal's production team after acceptance. Don't try to match the published two-column layout at submission.