Journal figure width: 90 mm single column or 180 mm double?

Journals specify figure width in millimetres because that is the physical width of their printed column. Typical values are about 90 mm single and about 180 mm double, though every journal publishes its own numbers and you should check yours.

Why this matters more than resolution

Build a figure at an arbitrary size and let the journal scale it, and your text scales too. An 11 pt axis label on an oversized figure can arrive at 5 pt in print, below the minimum most journals accept. Building at the final width means what you see is what gets printed.

Choosing between them

Single column for one panel with one or two series. It is the default and it respects the reader's page.

Double column for multi-panel figures, wide time axes, or heatmaps whose cells would otherwise be illegible.

Do not use double column just because there is room. A sparse figure across a full page reads as padding.

Text size

Set font sizes at the final width. Aim for 7 pt minimum on axis labels and tick text, the floor most journals specify. If labels do not fit at that size, the problem is the figure design, not the font.

Consistency across panels

Every panel should share font, font size, axis line weight and palette. Mismatched panels are one of the most common cosmetic reasons a figure is sent back.

In Plotara

The Figure Builder lays out figures at 90 mm and 180 mm directly, with panel labels applied automatically, so text sizing is fixed at the width you publish at.