Easy PDF submission at The Plant Cell

YES, you can submit a single PDF of your manuscript with your figures (and supplemental data) to The Plant Cell at first submission! We’ve realized that authors may not be aware of this, although it has been possible for some years.

During submission you will notice that there are only two files required: a cover letter and a “manuscript text file.” The latter can be an author-created PDF file that contains the main text and the figures (you do not need to submit a Word document of the main text in addition to this; that is needed only after acceptance). You only need make sure of the following:

*include a complete figure legend beneath each figure to facilitate review (don’t make reviewers hunt around for legends positioned in some other spot).

*the figures should be reasonably high resolution: clear and sharp if enlarged on screen to 200-400% (check this in your PDF before submitting).

*you may also include all of the supplemental figures and tables at the end of the PDF; just make sure they are labeled appropriately and each is accompanied by a complete legend.

*Lengthy tables (anything over 1-2 pdf pages) should be submitted separately as an Excel files and labeled as a “Supplemental Data Set.” You may include multiple such “data sets” as multiple sheets in a single Excel file.

*keep final file sizes as small as possible; a good rule of thumb is to aim for less than 25 MB. Put the supplemental figures in a separate PDF if necessary.

*If you have any questions, please contact Senior Features Editor Nan Eckardt (neckardt@aspb.org) for assistance.