Cell Figures

---
name: cell-figures
description: Use to finalize Cell Press display items — column-width sizing, minimum fonts, RGB, show-the-data with defined error bars/n/replicate type, scale bars, colorblind-safe palettes, multi-panel discipline, stand-alone legends, and image integrity.
---

# Display Items (cell-figures)

## When to trigger

- Figures will not render legibly at Cell Press print widths.
- Bar charts hide the underlying data (no points, no n, no defined error bars).
- Panels are raw software screenshots; blots are cropped without disclosure.
- Color is the sole encoding, or rainbow/jet maps are used for continuous data.

## Sizing for Cell Press columns

Design figures to render at final print width without rescaling text:

- **1 column** ≈ **85 mm** wide
- **1.5 column** ≈ **114 mm** wide
- **2 columns (full width)** ≈ **174 mm** wide
- **Minimum font** in the final figure: **~6–7 pt** (sans-serif, e.g., Helvetica/Arial), legible after reduction.
- **RGB** color mode (Cell is online-first); line weights heavy enough to survive reduction.

> Confirm exact widths, resolution, and file formats against the current Cell Press figure/digital-image guidelines.

## Show the data, not just the summary

- Replace bar-of-means with **dot plots / box+points / violins+points**, especially for small n.
- State **n** and **what n is** in every legend: cells? animals? independent biological replicates? technical replicates?
- **Error bars must be defined** (SD vs SEM vs 95% CI) — never undefined — and the **replicate type** stated.
- For images (blots, micrographs): show **scale bars**; present full, **uncropped** key blots in the supplement.

## Color and accessibility

- Use a **colorblind-safe palette**; avoid red/green as the only contrast.
- Do not encode meaning by color alone — add shape/pattern/labels.
- No rainbow/jet colormaps for continuous data — use perceptually uniform maps (viridis, etc.).
- Ensure adequate contrast; check the figure in grayscale.

## Multi-panel discipline

- Group panels by the **claim** they support; one message per figure.
- Consistent axis scales across comparable panels.
- Label panels A, B, C…; the legend title states the figure's message.
- Move overflow panels to Supplemental Information rather than shrinking fonts.

## Figure legend structure (stand-alone)

Each legend: a short **title sentence** (the claim of the figure), then **per-panel** descriptions (A, B, C…), then **statistics** (test used, exact n, replicate type, error-bar definition, P values or exact values). The figure + legend should be interpretable without the main text. Cross-reference related STAR Methods where relevant.

## Image integrity (non-negotiable)

- No inappropriate manipulation: no selective deletion, splicing, or beautification of gels/blots/images; disclose any grouping with a clear dividing line.
- Quantitative comparisons must come from the **same** experiment/exposure.
- Keep **unprocessed source images and source data** — Cell may request them.
- Follow the **Cell Press digital image guidelines** for adjustments (apply linearly to the whole image; no obscuring/eliminating features).

## Output format

```
【Item count】 N (typical Cell Article ≤ ~7–8 main) → ok / over → move to Supplemental
【Sizing】 designed at 85 / 114 / 174 mm? fonts ≥6–7 pt? RGB? yes/no
【Data shown】 points + n + replicate type + defined error bars? yes/no
【Colorblind-safe】 yes/no (palette used)
【Integrity】 scale bars / uncropped blots in supplement / source data kept? yes/no
【Legends】 title + per-panel + stats, stand-alone? yes/no
【Fixes】 [...]
【Next】 cell-star-methods
```

## Anti-patterns

- **Do not** paste raw Prism/ImageJ/instrument screenshots as figures.
- **Do not** use bars to hide a tiny, variable n — show the points.
- **Do not** leave error bars undefined or omit what n represents.
- **Do not** crop or splice blots without a visible boundary and disclosure.
- **Do not** rely on red-vs-green as the sole encoding.

> Confirm specs against the current Cell Press figure and digital-image guidelines.