Guide for Authors

Figures

Sample Figure and Caption

Preparing Figures for Submission

Use of Color

How to Insert Figures in a Document

Incorporating Figures into the Text

ASAE applies the term "figure" to all types of illustration, including line drawings, graphs and charts, photographs, computer screen captures, etc. Include figures to emphasize points made in the text, not merely to illustrate tabular material graphically. Please observe the following points:

· Number figures consecutively in order of their citation in the text and refer to them as figure 1, figure 2, etc. Abbreviate the word "figure" only in parentheses, i.e., (fig. 1).

· When appropriate, such as to define symbols, accompany figures with legends. Place the legend either directly below the figure or within it.

·  Do not include excessive explanatory text in the figures. Place explanatory information in the figure caption or in the manuscript text.

· Supply a descriptive caption for each figure. The caption can be a sentence fragment or up to two sentences long.

·  Do not include the caption in the electronic art. Instead, type the caption below the electronic figure using the word processing program.

Graphs primarily show trends, so it is not necessary to show all the data points and co-ordinate rulings in most graphs. If a point represents the mean of a number of observations, indicate the magnitude of the variability by a vertical line at each point. If appropriate, use a legend to define line styles, to indicate if the variability is standard error (SE) or standard deviation (SD), or to specify the number of observations or other parameters.

Sample Figure and Caption

Preparing Figures for Submission

Working drawings often contain too much information and are too large for legible reproduction and simple processing. A drawing with a minimal amount of detail, specially prepared for publication, can better illustrate the information that you want to convey.

For Transactions of the ASAE and Applied Engineering in Agriculture, prepare each figure to fit either the 19.5 pica (3.25 inch) text column or up to the 40.5 pica (6.75 inch) page width. Use the larger size only if the amount of detail or the size of the original art requires it. Design the figures to make efficient use of space, and keep in mind that full-page-width figures increase page charges. For the Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, make the figures no wider than 28 picas (4.7 inches).

For all text within figures, use 8-point type if the original art does not require reduction. For the most part, we will use the figure size that you provide if you use 8-point type. Use 6-point type for subscripts and for any secondary text. Please use these two sizes only, and keep the following points in mind:

· Type callouts and all other text within the figure in a sans-serif font, such as Helvetica or Arial. Use boldface only for x- and y-axis titles. Use all caps only when necessary (e.g., for acronyms).

· If a figure contains multiple elements, label them (a), (b), (c), etc., using 8-point bold (as in the sample figure above), and identify them in the caption.

· You may use horizontal or vertical type, but do not use other angles, such as 45 degrees, because of software limitations.

· If you construct figures within Word, please place all text in text boxes.

·  All lines must be dark enough to reproduce in print (avoid lines less than 1/2 point) and distinct from each other in appearance. Dotted lines must be dark enough to reproduce completely.

If possible, insert the figures into the manuscript after the paragraph in which the figure is first mentioned.

If your manuscript includes photographs, please also provide the native files (such as JPG or TIFF) in case we need to enhance the image. When using a digital camera to obtain your photos, use at least a medium setting for quality/file size. We prefer 300 dpi for photos.

For other figures, you are encouraged to also send us the native files of your figures, or a high-quality paper printout (from a 600 dpi laser printer), or a PDF made with print settings, so we have the option of scanning the figures if the electronic files are unsuitable.

Please review your printouts before submitting them. If any lettering is block-like or if curves are not smooth, then your electronic file might be low resolution, perhaps from enlarging. Please provide correctly sized figures, with smooth lettering and curves. We prefer 600 dpi for all non-photo images.

If you have questions about preparing figures for submission, feel free to ask us for assistance. Contact Pat Howard at 269-429-0300, ext. 349, or e-mail: phoward@asabe.org.

Use of Color

Online editions of ASAE journals and technical papers can use color, but print editions are limited to gray-scale representation of color. Therefore, choose colors that reproduce as distinct gray values. Do not use yellow. Choose distinct line types (dashed, dotted, etc.) as well.

How to Insert Figures into a Document

Authors using Microsoft Word occasionally have problems with inserting figures and having them stay in place. If a figure has white "handles" when you click on it, or if the cursor displays arrows pointing in four directions when you pass over a figure, then that figure will float in the manuscript. Such figures must be placed "in line with text" so that they will stay where you want them, and so that the document will pass through our production process.

There are three methods that can ensure that a figure remains in place:

1.   The easiest method is to right click on the figure, select "Format Picture" or "Format Object," select the "Layout" tab, and click on "In line with text" or uncheck the "Float over text" box. If after this procedure the figure isn't exactly where you want it, cut and paste it to the correct location. Notice that the white "handles" become black.

2.   If, in the previous procedure, the figure does not allow you to select "In line with text," then cancel the dialog box. Cut the figure, pull down the "Edit" menu, select "Paste Special....", and select "picture." After the picture has been pasted, right click on the figure, select "Format Picture" or "Format Object," select the "Layout" tab, and click on "In line with text." (Notice the white "handles" become black). If the figure isn't exactly where you want it, cut and paste it into the correct location.

3.   Finally, if the figure has a combination of white- and black-handled elements, then we may have to scan the figure from your paper printout. Many authors insert section breaks before and after such figures to keep them relatively in place in the manuscript.

Regarding methods 1 and 2, be sure to select all of the elements of the figure. Some figures are just one piece, but many figures have individual text boxes and line segments. It is helpful to "group" all individual boxes. To do this:

1.   Turn on the Drawing tools in Microsoft Word. To do this, right click on the gray menu area (above the page area) and select drawing. The Drawing palette should appear on the screen.

2.   Select each element in the figure by clicking on it while holding down the shift key, or select the white arrow on the Drawing palette and click and drag it across the figure to select all the elements. If any elements are not selected, hold down the Shift key and click on them.

3.   Click on "Draw" in the Drawing palette, and select "Group." If the white handles are still showing, you may proceed with method 1 above. If the white handles are not showing, pass your cursor over the figure until the four arrows appear, click on the figure, and proceed with method 1.

Finally, do not crop the figure in Word to eliminate extraneous elements; the cropping will not be retained as the figure moves through our production process. Instead, open the figure and delete the unwanted elements.

Incorporating Figures into the Text

As explained in the preceding sections, insert each figure into your manuscript after the paragraph that first mentions it. Every figure must be explicitly mentioned in the text of the article.

References to figures in the text may use any of these forms:

            Refer to figure 4

            As shown in figure 4

            (fig. 4)

Note that the word "figure" is not capitalized, except at the beginning of a sentence, and is abbreviated only in parentheses.