All articles published in ICB can have their own cover for the pdf version of the article.

Please submit your cover image or cover art as part of your submission. You will receive instructions in the decision letter if and when your manuscript is accepted.

Relevance

The design should be centered around a high-resolution image relevant to the content of the article. Such relevance can take many forms and we encourage you to think beyond the literal.

Image elements

The cover should form a coherent composition. We recommend a single photo, but allow multiple images if the design is clearly coherent. We allow a combination of photos and graphic elements (such as lines, drawings, text labels) if those graphic elements support the photographic elements.

AI generated art is discouraged. Any image elements that comprise data (charts, microscope photographs, etc.) must not be generated or edited using AI. See ICB's AI policy for more details.

Image quality

Photographs should be uncompressed, high resolution (at least 4MB), and have good dynamic range in brightness. Drawn images must meet high professional standards.

Image enhancement and alternation

We allow photos that have been altered to enhance their clarity and visual appeal, including photos taken with filters or imaging techniques that require artificial colors, as long as those alterations are not misleading or falsifying the scientific or image content.

Visual appeal

The cover should be clear, visually engaging, and appropriate for a scholarly journal. It should have a level of complexity that maintains a single focus yet contains enough detail to invite a closer look.

Copyrights

Please ensure that you are the copyright holder of any images that you propose, or that you have obtained written permission from the copyright owner (written permission to be submitted with the images).