How to place figures and tables for a PLOS ONE submission

Start with the distinction PLOS ONE makes

Figures, figure captions, and tables are related, but PLOS ONE does not treat them as one submission object. The journal's current submission guidelines say that figure files are uploaded separately from the manuscript. Figure captions remain in the manuscript, immediately after the first paragraph that cites the figure. Tables also remain in the manuscript and appear directly after the paragraph where each table is first cited.

That distinction is the key to a clean submission package. An author can have a scientifically correct figure and still create avoidable submission work by embedding the image in the manuscript, separating its caption into another document, or leaving the figure file name out of sync with the citation. The safest approach is to manage three coordinated layers: the callout in the prose, the caption or table title in the manuscript, and any separate source file required by the journal.

Place figure citations and captions in read order

PLOS ONE asks authors to cite figures in ascending numerical order at their first appearance. In the manuscript text, the journal abbreviates the label as “Fig,” followed by an Arabic numeral. A first citation therefore follows the pattern “Fig 1,” then “Fig 2,” and so on. For multipart figures, panel letters can be included, such as “Fig 1A.”

The caption belongs in the manuscript immediately after the paragraph where the figure is first cited. This is sometimes called read-order placement. It helps a reviewer encounter the callout and the explanation together even though the high-resolution artwork is supplied as a separate upload.

Each caption needs, at minimum, a figure label and a concise descriptive title. A legend can follow when readers need definitions, panel descriptions, methods context, or explanations of non-standard symbols and abbreviations. The caption should not be baked into the image file itself.

A practical manuscript sequence looks like this:

1. A results paragraph explains the finding and cites Fig 1.
2. The Fig 1 caption follows that paragraph.
3. The next body paragraph continues the Results narrative.

If the manuscript currently collects all figure legends at the end, authors should compare that arrangement with the current PLOS ONE read-order instruction before submission.

Keep each figure as a separate, consistently named file

The manuscript contains the caption, not the publication-ready figure artwork. PLOS ONE instructs authors to upload each figure as an individual file. Its figure guidance describes TIFF or EPS as the accepted figure formats and uses names such as Fig1.tif and Fig2.eps.

Consistency matters across all three references to a figure. A citation to Fig 1 should point to a caption labeled Fig 1 and a separate file whose name identifies it as Fig1. If a late revision changes the figure order, update the in-text citations, captions, and file names together. Renumbering only one layer is an easy way to produce a mismatched package.

The separate figure files also need to meet the journal's technical specifications. PLOS ONE's figure page currently lists size, resolution, file-format, font, and file-size requirements. Those specifications are distinct from manuscript placement. In other words, putting the caption in the correct location does not make the figure file technically compliant, and a technically compliant TIFF does not fix a missing or misplaced caption.

Place tables directly after their first citation

Tables follow the same read-order principle, but they are not uploaded like figure artwork. PLOS ONE says to place each table in the manuscript directly after the paragraph in which it is first cited. Tables should be cited in ascending numerical order when they first appear.

Above the table, include the table label and a brief descriptive title. Legends, footnotes, and other explanatory text go below the table. This gives the table a predictable structure:

1. The body paragraph introduces and cites Table 1.
2. “Table 1” and its concise title appear above the table.
3. The table itself follows.
4. Notes, definitions, and footnotes appear below it.

Do not convert an ordinary table into a screenshot merely to control its appearance. A manuscript table should remain editable unless the journal gives a specific reason to supply it differently. Keeping it editable also makes last-minute corrections to labels, values, or notes safer.

Check numbering after the manuscript structure is stable

Figure and table placement should be checked after major structural edits. Moving a Results subsection can change which display item appears first. Deleting a display item can leave a gap in numbering. Adding a new first figure can invalidate every later citation, caption, and filename.

Use a separate pass for each display type:

• Read only the figure citations from beginning to end and confirm that each whole figure first appears in ascending order.
• Match every figure citation to one caption and one separate figure file.
• Read only the table citations and confirm ascending order.
• Confirm that each table follows the paragraph containing its first citation.
• Check that every abbreviation and non-standard symbol used in a caption, legend, or table note is defined where needed.

This focused pass is more reliable than trying to notice numbering problems during a general proofreading review.

Do not let placement obscure the underlying reporting requirements

Correct formatting is necessary, but it is not a substitute for complete reporting. PLOS ONE's guidance also asks authors to identify measurement units and make clear which measures of central tendency and variation are shown. The figure and table instructions connect presentation to interpretation: reviewers must be able to understand what a display represents and trace it to the corresponding discussion in the manuscript.

Before submission, look beyond location and numbering. Confirm that axes, panel labels, units, table headings, legends, and notes make the display understandable. If a figure contains multiple panels, make the panel identifiers consistent between the artwork, caption, and text. If a table contains abbreviations, define them in the note rather than assuming every reader will recognize them.

A final PLOS ONE display-item checklist

Before uploading the manuscript, confirm the following against the current official instructions:

• Figures are cited in ascending order at first appearance.
• Each figure caption follows the paragraph containing the first citation.
• Figure captions use the journal's “Fig” label convention and include a concise title.
• Captions are in the manuscript, not embedded in the figure files.
• Every figure is supplied as its own correctly named and technically compliant file.
• Tables are cited in ascending order and remain in the manuscript.
• Each table follows the paragraph containing its first citation.
• Table labels and titles are above the table; notes and footnotes are below it.
• Citations, labels, captions, panel letters, and file names agree after the last substantive edit.

The official journal pages remain the controlling source, and authors should recheck them close to submission. Articlo can prepare author-provided manuscript content against its stored PLOS ONE profile, but the author remains responsible for the scientific content, the accuracy of every display, and the final submission decision.