What is a TOC Graphic and How to Make One That Gets Noticed

When a reader scans a journal's table of contents, your paper is competing with dozens of others for a few seconds of attention. The small image beside your title — the TOC graphic — is often what decides whether they click. This guide explains what a TOC graphic is, which publishers require one, the exact size and format specifications, and how to design one that actually earns the click.

TOC graphic vs graphical abstract: what's the difference?

The two terms are used loosely and often interchangeably, which causes a lot of confusion. In practice, a TOC graphic (table of contents graphic) is the small thumbnail that sits next to your article's listing in the contents and on search results pages. A graphical abstract is usually a larger, more detailed figure displayed on the article's landing page and in databases. Many ACS journals ask for a single image that serves both roles, whereas Elsevier treats the graphical abstract as a separate, larger asset. The safest approach is to read your target journal's author guidelines and design for the tightest constraint.

Which journals require a TOC graphic?

A growing number of publishers either require or strongly encourage one. All ACS journals require a TOC/abstract graphic at submission. Elsevier, Wiley, Springer Nature, and the Royal Society of Chemistry request graphical abstracts for most of their titles. Even when it is optional, providing one is almost always worth the effort: papers with a strong visual summary tend to attract more views and shares, and a clear thumbnail makes your work easier to find and remember.

Size and format specifications

Getting the dimensions wrong is the fastest way to have your file rejected at upload. The most widely used specifications are:

• ACS: the graphic must fit within about 3.25 × 1.75 inches (roughly 8.25 × 4.45 cm), which is approximately 975 × 525 pixels at 300 DPI. Submit as TIFF at 300 DPI for colour (1200 DPI for black-and-white line art). Use a sans-serif font such as Helvetica or Arial, ideally 8 pt and no smaller than 6 pt.
• Elsevier: graphical abstracts should be a minimum of about 531 × 1328 pixels (height × width) and designed to read clearly at small sizes; the preferred working area is roughly 13 × 5 cm.
• General rule: whatever the journal, build at 300 DPI from the start, keep text legible at thumbnail scale, and export in the file format the publisher specifies (usually TIFF, sometimes high-quality PNG or EPS).

Always confirm the current numbers in your specific journal's guidelines, as individual titles tweak these values.

Design principles that get the click

A TOC graphic lives or dies at thumbnail size, so simplicity wins. Communicate one idea, not your entire results section. Use a single focal point and a calm background so the eye knows where to land. Keep your colour palette to two or three hues, and make sure any text is short enough to read at a glance — a label or two, never a paragraph. Left-to-right or top-to-bottom flow helps readers grasp a process instantly. Finally, keep the visual style consistent with your paper's figures so the reader feels continuity from thumbnail to full text.

A step-by-step process

First, write a one-sentence summary of your paper's single most important finding — that sentence is your design brief. Second, sketch two or three rough layouts on paper before touching any software. Third, build the graphic at the journal's exact dimensions and resolution, choosing a tool that fits your content: PowerPoint or Inkscape for simple schematics, Illustrator for polished vector work, BioRender for biology icons, or Blender when you need realistic 3D structures. Fourth, shrink your draft to thumbnail size on screen and ask whether the message still reads instantly; if not, remove elements until it does. Fifth, export in the required format and check it against the publisher's submission checklist before uploading.

Common mistakes to avoid

The recurring failures are predictable: cramming too much in, tiny labels that disappear at thumbnail scale, low-resolution exports that look blurry in print, and reusing a busy results figure instead of designing a purpose-built summary. Watch out for colour choices that lose contrast when scaled down, and avoid relying on colour alone to distinguish elements, since some readers and some print runs will not reproduce it faithfully.

Related reading: How to Create a Graphical Abstract in Blender and Free vs Paid Scientific Illustration Tools.