What is SciFig's AI scientific figure generator and who is it for?

SciFig is a free online AI scientific figure generator and figure maker. Any input to a finished scientific figure in minutes. Who it is for: Researchers, students, educators, R&D teams, and science communicators — anyone turning complex science into a clear figure. Any input: A description, a PDF, a lab photo, or a reference image. What it makes: Mechanism diagrams, pathways, workflows, medical scientific illustration, molecular structures — print-ready for journal submission.

How is SciFig's scientific illustration AI different from BioRender, nano banana, and other AI tools?

BioRender gives templates. Raw AI gives flat pixels. We give science-grade figures you can fully edit. End-to-End, All-in-One: BioRender is a fixed template library — when your topic isn't in it, you're stuck. SciFig generates one-of-a-kind figures from your text, PDF, photo, or sketch, then exports to PNG, JPG, or PPTX directly. Need vector layers for journal submission or element-level editing? Open the result in Vector Canvas and run Vectorize to unlock SVG for Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma, or Affinity. Editable, Not Locked Pixels: Nano banana and Midjourney bake a mislabeled protein into pixels you can't change — one wrong enzyme is a career-ending reviewer comment. SciFig lets you click any text label or shape in Vector Canvas and edit it directly; Vectorize converts the whole figure to a layered SVG when you need element-by-element control. Free Trial, $12 Entry: Try every feature on free credits first — no credit card needed. When you upgrade, paid plans start at just $12/month (annual) or $18/month (monthly) — whichever fits your research cadence.

I'm not in biology — does SciFig's scientific diagram generator cover chemistry, physics, or engineering?

Yes. SciFig isn't a bio-only tool — 11 disciplines supported natively, with published examples you can browse and verify. Far Beyond Biology: Biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, energy, ecology, bioengineering, astronomy, agriculture, materials — the major disciplines are all in. Mechanisms, workflows, cross-sections, ecosystems, graphical abstracts, journal covers, lab apparatus, microstructures, systems & networks — all nine high-frequency figure types covered. No More "Bio-Only" Tools: BioRender locks its asset library to molecules and cells — try drawing a semiconductor band diagram, satellite orbit, or catalytic cycle and you're stuck if it's not in the template. SciFig generates straight from your description, PDF, or sketch — no fixed library required. See for Yourself: Open Inspiration, filter by discipline, and every example ships with its original prompt — copy it into SciFig and reproduce it yourself.

Can I use SciFig to generate scientific images with no design skills, no reference, and no templates?

That's exactly who we built this for. SciFig is the AI scientific illustrator for the blank-canvas problem. Describe It in Plain Language: Use Text-to-Figure. Type "CRISPR cutting DNA with PAM site" and SciFig proposes multiple layouts based on how peer-reviewed journals have visualized similar concepts. Let a Paper Brief the AI: Use PDF-to-Figure. Upload the paper you're working from — SciFig's LLM reads it and generates a new figure informed by the concepts inside. Stop staring at a blank canvas. Start from Real Life: Use Photo-to-Figure or Sketch-to-Figure. Snap your lab rig or a whiteboard doodle — SciFig turns it into clean vectors. No design experience, no template library needed.

I'm worried about AI hallucinations — how does SciFig's scientific figure maker handle them?

AI gets you 99% there. You handle the final 1% — and that's the whole point. Every Element is Editable: Labels, arrows, molecules, organs, legends — each a separate object. Click to fix a mislabeled protein, swap a wrong enzyme, or re-route an arrow — one click, done. 99% = 0% in Science: Raster AI tools (Midjourney, nano banana) bake mistakes into pixels you can't edit. SciFig keeps every element editable because you — the expert — are the final authority.

Do I own the copyright, and can I use the figures for publication and commercial use?

Yes. You own every figure — for journals, for products, for anything legal. Full Publication Rights: Paid plans come with full authority to publish in peer-reviewed journals, on preprint servers, and in your thesis. No tier-gating on publication. Full Commercial Rights: Use your figures in textbooks, commercial products, courses, consulting decks — no additional licensing fees, no revenue share, no "just for research" fine print. Zero Ownership Claim: SciFig claims no ownership, no usage license, no right to feature your work. (Note: Free plans are for non-commercial evaluation only — upgrade before publication or commercial use.)

Do I need to disclose that I used an AI tool when submitting to a journal?

It's your call — and your target journal's policy. No universal rule yet. Check Your Target Journal First: AI-disclosure policies change fast and vary by publisher. Spend 30 seconds on your journal's author guidelines before submission — it's almost always answered there. When in Doubt, a Methods Line Covers You: If the policy is ambiguous, a one-line "Figures prepared with SciFig (AI-assisted)" in the methods section is the safe middle ground — no over-explaining, no hiding.

What file formats and resolutions can I export — PNG, JPG, SVG, PPTX, up to 8K?

Every format journals, posters, and slides actually need. Direct Generation Exports: PNG (recommended for journal submission), JPG (smaller files for sharing or email), and PPTX (a 16:9 PowerPoint slide with the figure embedded — ready to drop into a deck). Every generation tool exports these three. Vector Canvas Adds Layered Output: Open any generated figure in Vector Canvas and run Vectorize to unlock SVG (opens in Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma, or Affinity Designer) plus an editable-shape PPTX where every element is a separately selectable PowerPoint object. Resolution: PNG and JPG at generation resolution, or one-click Upscale to 4K / 8K PNG for large-format printing and journal cover art.

Do the figures meet the 300 DPI requirement for journal submissions?

Yes, absolutely. 1K and 2K hit 300 DPI at standard journal column widths. Single-Column Figures: 1K resolution hits 300+ DPI at standard single-column width — cleared for submission out of the box. Double-Column Figures: 2K resolution hits 300+ DPI at full-page width. No reviewer "please improve figure resolution" comments. Posters & Covers: Need bigger? One-click Upscale to 4K/8K for A0 posters and journal cover art — detail stays sharp, no pixelation.

How long does it take to generate a figure?

Seconds per draft. Minutes end-to-end. Initial Draft: Seconds from prompt to first draft — faster than filling in a BioRender template. Multi-Round Refinement: Each iteration lands in seconds. Lock what works, regenerate just the panel that doesn't. End-to-End: A few minutes from blank canvas to export-ready figure — including your manual edits and the final format pick.

Can I expense SciFig to my institution or lab?

Yes. Invoice-ready, grant-line-item-ready, zero finance friction. Formal Invoices: We issue tax-compliant invoices with your institution's address, tax ID, and itemized usage — drop them straight into your reimbursement system. Grant Line Item: SciFig bills cleanly as "scientific visualization software" — the same category your lab probably already covers for GraphPad, Prism, or Illustrator. Three Subscription Shapes: Individual top-up credits (pay as you go), monthly subscriptions (for regular figure makers), and team / institution plans with bulk credits and single-invoice billing. Contact us for a lab or department quote.

Is my research data secure?

Yes. Your unpublished research stays yours, full stop. Zero AI Training: We NEVER use your private uploads, prompts, or generated figures to train our models — ever. Encrypted End-to-End: All files are encrypted in transit and at rest. Nobody else can see your work.

What is a scientific diagram?

A scientific diagram is a simplified drawing that explains a structure, a process, or a relationship — a pathway, a circuit, a study flow. Unlike a photograph it leaves out everything that is not part of the explanation. SciFig generates one from a plain-language description and keeps every element editable.

What is a figure in science?

In a paper, a figure is any visual that carries evidence or explanation — a chart, a micrograph, a diagram, or a composite panel. A good scientific figure — or research figure, as journals often call it — makes one point clearly enough that a reader gets it before reading the caption.

What is scientific illustration?

Scientific illustration is drawing made to communicate science accurately rather than decoratively — anatomy, specimens, mechanisms, instruments. It prioritises correctness and legibility over realism. SciFig drafts one from your description, and you correct the details only you would catch.

What is an AI scientific image generator?

An AI scientific image generator turns a written description into a research-grade visual. The difference from a general image model is accountability: SciFig gives you an editable output so you can fix terminology, labels, and structures the model gets wrong.

How do I make scientific figures for a research paper?

Describe the figure in plain language, or upload the paper itself. This scientific figure generator drafts a first version, then you fix labels and layout on the canvas. Export the scientific image as PNG or JPG for submission, or run Vectorize for layered SVG and editable-shape PPTX.

How do I make good scientific figures?

One message per panel. Real text labels, not baked-in pixels. A colorblind-safe palette that still reads in grayscale. And an editable source file — because the figure you can revise in ten minutes is the one that survives review. A scientific figure maker with layered output does the last part for you.

Free AI Scientific Figure Generator & Figure Maker

Name: SciFig
Author: SciFig

AI Scientific Figure Generator

AI Scientific Figure, Image and Diagram Generator

From any input to a ready-to-use scientific figure — editable at every step.

Figure prompt

Core Subject (e.g., Cas9 protein cutting DNA)

Action / Details (e.g., Double strand break, detailed molecular view)

Start with 100 free credits|No credit card required

Get up to 300 free credits on day one when you join through an invite.

6 input modes · 6 publication stylesEvery text editable · Multimodal enhanceEditable PPTX · Layered SVG · 8K PNG / JPG

Trusted by 100K+ researchers from leading institutions:

Seven creative paths

Any input. One AI scientific figure generator.

Type a prompt, sketch by hand, drop a reference, upload a PDF, snap a lab photo, or refine in canvas — SciFig handles every path with editable output.

Input

Output

Three stages, one editable workflow

SciFig — one scientific illustration AI, three stages, zero rework.

Generate, enhance, and vectorize your scientific figures in one place.

Text-to-Figure generation demo showing a scientific schematic being created from a text prompt

GENERATE

Turn any input into a publication figure

From text, sketch, reference, PDF, or photo, SciFig generates your figure in one of six publication styles — scientific, line, 3D, editorial, sketch, or watercolor — engineered to match Nature, Cell, and Science. Auto mode skips the style overlay and follows your prompt alone.

Six input modes
Six publication styles + Auto mode
Journal-grade output

Generate Now

ENHANCE

Refine every detail without starting over

Unlike one-shot AI, SciFig keeps everything editable after generation — change any text's content, font, size, or position directly, open the figure in Canvas for element-level edits, or feed a PDF as context for smarter edits.

Every text editable
Built-in Canvas edits
Multimodal + 8K upscaling

Enhance a Figure

Vector Canvas demo showing SVG export and canvas editing of a scientific figure

VECTORIZE

Take full control of every detail

Export figures as editable PPTX or layered SVG, then fine-tune every shape, color, and label in SciFig's built-in canvas with full undo/redo. No Illustrator or Figma roundtrip needed.

Editable PPTX
Layered SVG + undo/redo
Built-in canvas

Open Canvas

Why it is different

SciFig vs general AI image generators — accuracy you can check, output you can edit

A general AI image generator hands you a flat picture. A scientific figure generator gives you accurate structures and output you can still edit.

	General AI image generators	SciFig
Editable after generation	Flat raster only — regenerate the whole image to change one label	Vectorize once, then edit every shape and text object
Export formats	PNG / JPG	PNG, JPG, layered SVG, and editable-shape PPTX
Scientific accuracy	Plausible-looking, often wrong structures and terminology	Built on discipline-specific terminology, and you correct anything the model gets wrong
Resolution	Fixed output size	One-click Upscale to 4K / 8K PNG for large-format printing

Trusted by researchers

What our users actually say about the scientific figure maker

See how researchers use a scientific figure maker to create editable scientific figures, images, and diagrams for papers, presentations, and teaching.

10x

Faster scientific figure creation

AI generation modes

Export formats

“I used to spend an entire day revising scientific figures for submission. With SciFig I describe the change in one sentence and get a publication-ready scientific figure in minutes.”

Dr. Wei L.

Postdoc, Molecular Biology, Stanford

“The editable PPT export is a game-changer. I can fine-tune labels and colors on a scientific diagram right in PowerPoint instead of going back to Illustrator every time a reviewer asks for changes.”

Prof. James R.

Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering, MIT

“Our lab switched from BioRender last semester. The layered SVG output and built-in canvas give us far more control over every scientific illustration, and the AI actually understands scientific context.”

Maria S., PhD

PhD Candidate, Neuroscience, UCL

“I run a lab of 15 people. Before SciFig every student came to me for scientific figure help. Now they generate journal-quality scientific figures on their own — I just review and approve.”

Prof. Yuki T.

Principal Investigator, Systems Biology, ETH Zürich

“As a journal editor I see hundreds of scientific figures a month. Papers with SciFig scientific images consistently have cleaner layouts, correct labeling, and proper resolution. It shows.”

Dr. Elena V.

Associate Editor, Cell Reports Methods

“I teach undergraduate mechanics, and SciFig turned my free-body diagram prep from a two-hour chore into a ten-minute step. I just type what I need and get a clean, editable scientific diagram for every slide.”

Daniel M.

Lecturer, Mechanics, University of Toronto

“As a materials scientist I am constantly fighting journal requirements for vector formats. With SciFig I generate a polished scientific illustration and export straight to SVG as an editable vector — no more redrawing figures the night before submission.”

Dr. Anja K.

Materials Scientist, Max Planck Institute

“In our epidemiology group, building a PRISMA-style study flow diagram used to take half a day. Now I sketch the logic once, and SciFig gives us a clear scientific figure in minutes that everyone on the team can revise.”

Sofia L.

Research Coordinator, Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet

“SciFig basically rescued my thesis slides. I describe a complex ecosystem concept, export the scientific image straight to PPTX, and drop it into my presentation instead of spending hours in PowerPoint.”

Mikkel H.

Master's Student, Environmental Science, University of Copenhagen

How it works

Three steps to an editable research figure

Start with a description, sketch, reference, PDF, or photo; refine every label and export an editable research figure.

Start with any input

YOU: Drop text, a sketch, a reference figure, a PDF page, or a lab photo.
SCIFIG: Generates a journal-grade draft in one of 6 publication styles — or let Auto decide.
YOU GET: A publication-ready first draft in seconds.

Refine without starting over

YOU: Click any label to retype it. Open Canvas for element-level edits. Attach a PDF for context.
SCIFIG: Edits text in place, upscales to 8K, and keeps the figure ready for Canvas editing.
YOU GET: A scientific figure that matches your data, not a lookalike.

Deliver, still editable

YOU: Export to editable PPTX, layered SVG, or 8K PNG / JPG.
SCIFIG: Keeps every shape, label, and color editable in the built-in canvas.
YOU GET: Journal-, poster-, and talk-ready scientific figures — no Illustrator roundtrip.

Scientific figures across disciplines

Scientific Figures, Images and Diagrams Made with SciFig

Explore research figures created worldwide — across life sciences, chemistry, physics, engineering, and medicine.

Life sciences — Pathways, cell structures, and mechanism diagrams. A biology figure maker for the molecular and cellular work your readers need to grasp at a glance.

Chemistry and materials — Reaction schemes, molecular structures, and instrument schematics, exported as editable vectors you can relabel without redrawing.

Physics and engineering — Free-body diagrams, circuits, and Bode plots, each with a dedicated scientific diagram generator instead of a general-purpose canvas.

Medicine and public health — Study flows, PRISMA diagrams, and clinical scientific illustration for manuscripts, posters, and teaching material.

Browse Inspiration

Practical guide

How to make scientific figures, diagrams and illustrations

A practical guide to making scientific figures, diagrams, and illustrations with clear structure and editable output.

Why this matters beyond the journal

A grant reviewer, a first-year student, and a conference audience each need the same diagram to read differently.
Teaching material gets reused every semester — a figure you cannot edit becomes a figure you redraw.
Lab protocols, posters, and slide decks all pull from the same source figure at different sizes.
A scientific diagram is often the fastest way to explain a method to a collaborator in another field.
Journals additionally require vector formats, separated layers, and traceable edits — so the editable version is the one worth keeping.

What goes into a good one

A clear visual hierarchy: one message per panel.
Labels as real text objects, not pixels baked into the image.
A colorblind-safe palette that still reads in grayscale.
Layered output, so a co-author or a student can move one element without touching the rest.
Terminology that matches the field, because the author — not the model — is accountable for accuracy.

More on scientific figures

Text-to-Figure

Generate a figure from a plain-language description

Tools

All SciFig figure generators and the vector editor in one place.

Models

Default to GPT Image 2 for journal papers; switch to Nano Banana Pro for slides and posters; pick Nano Banana 2 for routine figure work

Tutorials

Seven short walkthroughs of the AI scientific figure generator

Blog

Tutorials, tool comparisons, and publication tips for researchers.

Inspiration

Explore publication-ready scientific figure examples, copy the prompts, and use them as starting points for your own work.

Circuit Diagram Maker

Generate accurate circuit diagrams with labeled schematic symbols for research papers, lab reports, and technical publications.

Free Body Diagram Generator

Create accurate, publication-ready free body diagrams with labeled force vectors for weight, normal force, friction, and tension in seconds.

Graphical Abstract Maker

Generate a publication-ready graphical abstract — a single-panel visual summary that captures your study's methods, key finding, and result with clear icons and flow arrows.

FAQ

Everything you need to know about SciFig's scientific figure maker

Common questions about creating scientific figures with SciFig.

SciFig is a free online AI scientific figure generator and figure maker. Any input to a finished scientific figure in minutes.

Who it is for: Researchers, students, educators, R&D teams, and science communicators — anyone turning complex science into a clear figure.
Any input: A description, a PDF, a lab photo, or a reference image.
What it makes: Mechanism diagrams, pathways, workflows, medical scientific illustration, molecular structures — print-ready for journal submission.

BioRender gives templates. Raw AI gives flat pixels. We give science-grade figures you can fully edit.

End-to-End, All-in-One: BioRender is a fixed template library — when your topic isn't in it, you're stuck. SciFig generates one-of-a-kind figures from your text, PDF, photo, or sketch, then exports to PNG, JPG, or PPTX directly. Need vector layers for journal submission or element-level editing? Open the result in Vector Canvas and run Vectorize to unlock SVG for Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma, or Affinity.
Editable, Not Locked Pixels: Nano banana and Midjourney bake a mislabeled protein into pixels you can't change — one wrong enzyme is a career-ending reviewer comment. SciFig lets you click any text label or shape in Vector Canvas and edit it directly; Vectorize converts the whole figure to a layered SVG when you need element-by-element control.
Free Trial, $12 Entry: Try every feature on free credits first — no credit card needed. When you upgrade, paid plans start at just $12/month (annual) or $18/month (monthly) — whichever fits your research cadence.

Yes. SciFig isn't a bio-only tool — 11 disciplines supported natively, with published examples you can browse and verify.

Far Beyond Biology: Biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, computer science, energy, ecology, bioengineering, astronomy, agriculture, materials — the major disciplines are all in. Mechanisms, workflows, cross-sections, ecosystems, graphical abstracts, journal covers, lab apparatus, microstructures, systems & networks — all nine high-frequency figure types covered.
No More "Bio-Only" Tools: BioRender locks its asset library to molecules and cells — try drawing a semiconductor band diagram, satellite orbit, or catalytic cycle and you're stuck if it's not in the template. SciFig generates straight from your description, PDF, or sketch — no fixed library required.
See for Yourself: Open Inspiration, filter by discipline, and every example ships with its original prompt — copy it into SciFig and reproduce it yourself.

That's exactly who we built this for. SciFig is the AI scientific illustrator for the blank-canvas problem.

Describe It in Plain Language: Use Text-to-Figure. Type "CRISPR cutting DNA with PAM site" and SciFig proposes multiple layouts based on how peer-reviewed journals have visualized similar concepts.
Let a Paper Brief the AI: Use PDF-to-Figure. Upload the paper you're working from — SciFig's LLM reads it and generates a new figure informed by the concepts inside. Stop staring at a blank canvas.
Start from Real Life: Use Photo-to-Figure or Sketch-to-Figure. Snap your lab rig or a whiteboard doodle — SciFig turns it into clean vectors. No design experience, no template library needed.

AI gets you 99% there. You handle the final 1% — and that's the whole point.

Every Element is Editable: Labels, arrows, molecules, organs, legends — each a separate object. Click to fix a mislabeled protein, swap a wrong enzyme, or re-route an arrow — one click, done.
99% = 0% in Science: Raster AI tools (Midjourney, nano banana) bake mistakes into pixels you can't edit. SciFig keeps every element editable because you — the expert — are the final authority.

Yes. You own every figure — for journals, for products, for anything legal.

Full Publication Rights: Paid plans come with full authority to publish in peer-reviewed journals, on preprint servers, and in your thesis. No tier-gating on publication.
Full Commercial Rights: Use your figures in textbooks, commercial products, courses, consulting decks — no additional licensing fees, no revenue share, no "just for research" fine print.
Zero Ownership Claim: SciFig claims no ownership, no usage license, no right to feature your work. (Note: Free plans are for non-commercial evaluation only — upgrade before publication or commercial use.)

It's your call — and your target journal's policy. No universal rule yet.

Check Your Target Journal First: AI-disclosure policies change fast and vary by publisher. Spend 30 seconds on your journal's author guidelines before submission — it's almost always answered there.
When in Doubt, a Methods Line Covers You: If the policy is ambiguous, a one-line "Figures prepared with SciFig (AI-assisted)" in the methods section is the safe middle ground — no over-explaining, no hiding.

Every format journals, posters, and slides actually need.

Direct Generation Exports: PNG (recommended for journal submission), JPG (smaller files for sharing or email), and PPTX (a 16:9 PowerPoint slide with the figure embedded — ready to drop into a deck). Every generation tool exports these three.
Vector Canvas Adds Layered Output: Open any generated figure in Vector Canvas and run Vectorize to unlock SVG (opens in Illustrator, Inkscape, Figma, or Affinity Designer) plus an editable-shape PPTX where every element is a separately selectable PowerPoint object.
Resolution: PNG and JPG at generation resolution, or one-click Upscale to 4K / 8K PNG for large-format printing and journal cover art.

Yes, absolutely. 1K and 2K hit 300 DPI at standard journal column widths.

Single-Column Figures: 1K resolution hits 300+ DPI at standard single-column width — cleared for submission out of the box.
Double-Column Figures: 2K resolution hits 300+ DPI at full-page width. No reviewer "please improve figure resolution" comments.
Posters & Covers: Need bigger? One-click Upscale to 4K/8K for A0 posters and journal cover art — detail stays sharp, no pixelation.

10.

11.

Yes. Invoice-ready, grant-line-item-ready, zero finance friction.

Formal Invoices: We issue tax-compliant invoices with your institution's address, tax ID, and itemized usage — drop them straight into your reimbursement system.
Grant Line Item: SciFig bills cleanly as "scientific visualization software" — the same category your lab probably already covers for GraphPad, Prism, or Illustrator.
Three Subscription Shapes: Individual top-up credits (pay as you go), monthly subscriptions (for regular figure makers), and team / institution plans with bulk credits and single-invoice billing. Contact us for a lab or department quote.

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