# FigPad — complete guide > FigPad is an AI workspace for scientific figures. Generate a figure from text, a sketch, a reference image or a paper, edit labels and regions without starting over, and export PNG, JPG, editable SVG or editable PPTX. Pricing is credit-based, and figures made on free and paid plans come with publication and commercial-use authorization. --- # Product capabilities FigPad is an AI workspace for scientific figures. Generate a figure from a text description, a sketch, a reference image or a paper, refine it in conversation, edit labels and regions, then export PNG, JPG, editable SVG or editable PPTX. ## Generate figures - Describe a mechanism, workflow, apparatus or concept in plain language and get a draft figure. - Attach images to guide the result: a hand sketch or whiteboard photo keeps your layout and arrows; a journal figure you like lends its composition and palette to a new figure about your own topic. - Attach a PDF or Word (.docx) paper and FigPad drafts the figure from it. With no instructions, it draws a graphical abstract. - Flowchart mode produces diagrams with starter templates for: Flowchart, Model Architecture, Cycle Diagram, Timeline. - Models: GPT Image 2 (OpenAI), GPT Image 2.5 Flare (OpenAI), GPT Image 2.5 Sunburst (OpenAI), Nano Banana 2 (Google), Nano Banana Pro (Google), Seedream 5.0 Lite (ByteDance). Every model costs 2 credits per figure. - Aspect ratios: Auto (default), 1:1, 4:3, 3:4, 3:2, 2:3, 16:9, 9:16, 5:4, 4:5, 21:9. - [Open the workspace](https://figpad.ai/generate-figure) ## Refine in conversation - Ask for changes ("make the labels larger", "add a feedback arrow on the right") without rewriting the prompt; the conversation remembers the current figure. - Step back and forth between versions and keep the best one. - Projects save automatically. Share a read-only link, optionally password-protected. ## Edit - In-image text editing: FigPad detects the labels in a figure so you can fix a term or typo without regenerating it. Supports bold, italic, underline, subscript, superscript and LaTeX. AI rewrite costs 2 credits; a local redraw costs 1. - Region edit: select a rectangle or lasso an area and describe the change. Pixels outside the selection stay unchanged. 2 credits. - Background removal: produces a transparent PNG as a new version. 4 credits. - SVG editor: a free in-browser canvas to change fill, stroke and opacity, move or delete shapes, and add text. No sign-in needed. ## Export - PNG and JPG, for documents and slides. - Editable SVG, for Illustrator, Inkscape or the built-in canvas. 4 credits, charged once per figure version. - Editable PPTX built from the SVG version, so text and layout stay editable in PowerPoint. No charge beyond the SVG conversion. ## Publication and commercial rights - Figures generated through your account, on a free or a paid plan, come with a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free authorization to use, modify and publish them for academic, educational, publishing and commercial purposes: journal articles, theses, preprints, books, conference posters and talks, grant applications and commercial materials. - This authorization is not affected by later plan changes or cancelling a subscription. - When exporting, you can download a free Publication Authorization Certificate that identifies the figure version and issue date and can be verified on a public page that does not show your email. - A certificate is not a copyright registration and does not guarantee acceptance by a journal. AI output may not be copyrightable in every jurisdiction, and similar output may be generated for other users. See the Terms of Service, sections 3.3 to 3.7. ## More tools SVG converter, scientific poster generator, multi-panel figure layout and colony counter: see https://figpad.ai/tools.md. ## Official sources - [Workspace](https://figpad.ai/generate-figure) - [Tutorials](https://figpad.ai/tutorials) - [Pricing](https://figpad.ai/pricing) - [Terms of Service](https://figpad.ai/terms-of-service) --- # Pricing and credits FigPad runs on credits. Buy a one-time credit pack, a monthly subscription or a yearly plan, then spend credits on figure generation, editing and export. Check the pricing page for current terms. ## How credits work - Every action costs a fixed number of credits. A figure generation costs 2 credits on every model and aspect ratio. - If a generation fails, its credits are refunded automatically. - Credits that expire soonest are used first. - Prices below are the amounts charged at checkout, in USD. ## Credit packs (one-time purchase) | Plan | Price | Credits | Figure generations | Credits valid for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Starter | $12 | 95 | up to 47 | 3650 days (10 years) | | Plus | $19 | 160 | up to 80 | 3650 days (10 years) | | Pro | $39 | 340 | up to 170 | 3650 days (10 years) | ## Monthly subscriptions Billed monthly and renews automatically. Each month’s credits expire at the end of that billing period. | Plan | Price | Credits per month | Figure generations per month | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Starter | $19 / month | 220 | up to 110 | | Plus | $25 / month | 300 | up to 150 | | Pro | $39 / month | 480 | up to 240 | ## Yearly plans One payment covers 12 months and does not renew automatically. All credits are added at purchase. | Plan | Price | Per month | Credits | Figure generations | Credits valid for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Starter | $108 / year | $9 | 1,560 | up to 780 | 365 days (1 year) | | Plus | $180 / year | $15 | 2,640 | up to 1,320 | 365 days (1 year) | | Pro | $372 / year | $31 | 5,760 | up to 2,880 | 365 days (1 year) | ## Credit cost per action | Action | Credits | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | | Generate a figure (text, sketch or reference image, graphical abstract, flowchart mode) | 2 | Same price on every model and aspect ratio. | | Draw a figure from an attached PDF or Word document | 2 | Reading the document is free; the figure itself costs a normal generation. | | Edit text in a figure with AI | 2 | | | Redraw edited text locally | 1 | Charged only when the redraw succeeds. | | Region edit (rectangle or lasso) | 2 | | | Remove background | 4 | Charged only for a valid transparent result. | | Convert a figure to SVG (also enables editable PPTX and the canvas) | 4 | Charged once per figure version; downloading it again is free. | | Convert an uploaded image to SVG (SVG converter) | 4 | | | Scientific poster from a paper PDF | 10 | 2 to read the paper + 8 to generate the poster. | | Count colonies on a plate photo | 1 | | | Multi-panel figure layout, SVG editor, publication certificate | Free | | ## Free credits - New accounts receive 6 free credits after verifying their email. - Invite a colleague: when they sign up with your invite link, you each receive 4 credits (up to 15 successful invites). Invite credits do not expire. ## Official sources - [Pricing](https://figpad.ai/pricing) --- # Tutorials Step-by-step workflows for FigPad: text to figure, sketch to image, reference to figure, vectorizing, and paper to poster, followed by feature guides and FAQs. ## Quick Start ### Text to Figure Describe a mechanism, workflow, or concept in plain language and generate a draft you can keep editing. 1. **Describe the figure.** Open the workbench and write the subject, relationships, arrow direction, labels, and intended use. Example: “Cell signaling pathway with ligand binding, kinase cascade, and transcriptional response, flat vector style for a journal figure.” More specific prompts produce layouts closer to submission needs. Choose GPT Image 2 or Nano Banana 2 and set the aspect ratio. 2. **Refine in conversation.** You do not need to rewrite the full prompt. Say “change the red module to blue,” “add a feedback-inhibition arrow on the right,” or “make the labels larger.” Use the lasso to redraw one region, or detect and edit in-image text while the rest stays put. 3. **Export the figure.** When labels, color, and layout look right, export PNG / JPG for documents, or convert to editable SVG and PPTX for PowerPoint or Illustrator. Recheck scientific accuracy and the journal’s type size and resolution rules before submission. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#text-to-figure ### Sketch to Image Upload a hand sketch, whiteboard photo, or low-fidelity block diagram. FigPad keeps the structure and fills in publication-ready detail. 1. **Upload the sketch.** Photograph a paper sketch, lab whiteboard, or rough flowchart and upload it. Module placement, arrow flow, and hierarchy guide the composition — you do not need a polished line drawing first. 2. **Describe what to generate.** Say what the sketch represents: protocol steps, instrument connections, or a mechanism. Name the structure to keep and the labels, colors, and style you want added. Avoid uploading an image with no instructions. 3. **Polish and export.** Compare the result with the original sketch. If a module is missing or an arrow is wrong, lasso that area. Then export a raster or vector file. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#sketch-to-image ### Reference to Figure Borrow composition and color from a journal figure or graphical abstract, then generate a new figure for your own topic. 1. **Upload a reference.** Pick a figure whose layout, palette, or information hierarchy you want to follow. The goal is visual language, not a copy of the original content. 2. **Write your own science.** Describe the mechanism, workflow, or apparatus and the labels that must appear. FigPad uses the reference as a visual guide and rebuilds the scene around your content. 3. **Adapt, then export.** Check that only the style was borrowed and the content is yours. Keep iterating with chat or regional edits, then export for a paper or talk. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#image-to-figure ### Vectorizer Turn a raster scientific figure into scalable, editable SVG, and export PPTX when you need slides. 1. **Start from the workbench or an upload.** Convert a figure you just generated, or upload an existing PNG / JPG to the SVG converter. Clean lines and a simple background vectorize more reliably. 2. **Edit on the canvas.** In the built-in SVG editor, change fill, stroke, and opacity, move or delete shapes, and add text or geometry. This is the place to fix label color and alignment before submission. 3. **Export SVG or PPTX.** Export SVG for Illustrator and similar tools, or an editable PPTX for slides. Vector artwork stays sharp when you scale it up for a poster. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#vectorizer ### Paper to Poster Upload a paper PDF, pick an academic template, and generate a structured poster you can still edit before presenting. 1. **Upload the PDF.** Open Paper to Poster and upload the manuscript. FigPad reads the title, abstract, methods, and main results as the starting copy for each poster panel. 2. **Choose a template and generate.** Pick a template for a conference or lab meeting. You can still revise key findings, captions, and author details after generation. 3. **Tighten before you present.** Shorten long paragraphs, check figure callouts and units, then export for print or screen. Treat the poster as a presentation draft, not automatic final layout. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#paper-to-poster ## Features ### AI Scientific Figure Generator Four entry points cover the usual research-visual workflow, then you refine and export in the same workbench. - **Text to Figure:** Generate a first draft of a mechanism, workflow, apparatus figure, or graphical abstract from a written description. - **Sketch to Image:** Upload a hand sketch or low-fidelity layout and keep the module relationships while filling in detail. - **Reference to Figure:** Upload a journal figure or abstract you like and generate a version that fits your own topic. - **Paper to Poster:** Upload a PDF and generate an academic poster you can still edit. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#figure-generator ### Conversational Iteration The first image is rarely the last. FigPad treats generation as a conversation so the model remembers the current figure. - **Edit the latest version:** Ask for color, label, arrow, or layout changes without restating the full prompt. - **Compare versions:** Move between versions in the same thread and keep the one closest to submission quality. - **Projects save automatically:** Conversations and images stay in workbench history so you can continue later. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#conversation ### AI Image Editing When most of the figure is right, change only the part that is not. - **Lasso redraw:** Select a region, describe the change, and regenerate only that area. - **In-image text edit:** Detect labels and notes, then fix a term or typo without regenerating the whole figure. - **Aspect ratio:** Generate at a ratio the selected model supports, for single-column, double-column, or slide layouts. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#editing ### Export Pick a format for a paper, slide, or poster, then do a final check before you submit. - **PNG / JPG:** Drop into Word, LaTeX, or slides for drafts and routine talks. - **SVG vector:** Scale without blur and edit shapes or colors in Illustrator or the built-in canvas. - **Editable PPTX:** Keep editing text and layout in PowerPoint for lab meetings and defenses. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#export ### Vectorization and Canvas Rasters are fast to review. Vectors are better for relabeling, recoloring, and large prints. - **Raster to SVG:** Convert a generated or uploaded image to vector paths. Each conversion costs 4 credits. - **Built-in canvas:** Change fill, stroke, and opacity, add text or shapes, and move or delete elements. - **Downstream tools:** Continue layout in PowerPoint, Illustrator, and similar apps after export. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#vector-canvas ### Inspiration Gallery Browse compositions, palettes, and diagram patterns researchers already use instead of starting from a blank prompt. - **Browse by type:** Common categories include workflows, mechanisms, graphical abstracts, and lab apparatus. - **Reuse prompts:** Open a figure to see its source prompt, copy it, and adapt it to your topic in the workbench. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#inspiration ### Share Your Work Create a link when a colleague needs to see the process or the result. - **Public link:** Anyone with the link can view the conversation and images, but they cannot edit your project. - **Password access:** Require a password before opening the share. Use this for unpublished data. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#sharing ## FAQ ### Features - **How far does sketch-to-figure go?:** You can upload hand sketches, structure drafts, flowcharts, or low-fidelity layouts. It is best for locking module relationships and arrow direction before you polish detail — especially for mechanism figures and graphical abstracts. - **Does reference-to-figure copy the original?:** No. It borrows composition, color, and visual language, then rebuilds the figure around your science so you can move a journal style onto your own topic. - **Can I still change text, color, and layout?:** Yes. Continue in chat, or use lasso and in-image text edit for local changes instead of redrawing from scratch. - **Can I edit vectors in PowerPoint or Illustrator?:** Yes. Export SVG or editable PPTX, then keep adjusting type, color, and layout. Scaling up for a poster stays more stable. - **Can I use results in papers and talks?:** Yes, for paper figures, abstracts, posters, and presentations. Before formal submission, still check labels, type size, contrast, and export size against the target journal. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#faq-features ### Credits - **How are credits deducted?:** Generating a figure costs 2 credits. Converting to SVG costs 4. Remaining credits appear in the top-right of the workspace. - **What if I run out?:** Buy a one-time pack, upgrade to monthly or yearly, or invite a colleague — you both receive 4 credits. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#faq-credits ### Account - **Is my research data secure?:** Prompts, uploads, and generated figures stay in your workspace unless you share them. Follow your institution’s rules for unpublished or regulated data. - **Where do I get invoices?:** After signing in, open billing settings and download invoices from payment history. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#faq-account ## Glossary ### Core Concepts - **Prompt:** The instruction you give the AI to generate or edit a figure. Naming structure, labels, color, and use case gets you closer to scientific communication. - **Conversation context:** In one thread the model remembers the current figure, so you only need to describe the incremental change. - **Hallucination:** When the AI draws an extra bond, the wrong cell structure, or another unsupported detail. Fix the region with the lasso, or put critical labels in the prompt. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#glossary-core ### Generation Modes - **Text to Figure:** Generate entirely from a written description when you have a clear concept but no existing visual. - **Sketch to Image:** Render a hand sketch or whiteboard photo into a fuller scientific figure while keeping the original structure. - **Reference to Figure:** Use an existing image as a style and layout guide, then generate a new figure for your topic. - **Paper to Poster:** Extract structure from a PDF and generate an academic poster draft you can still edit. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#glossary-modes ### Editing and Export - **Lasso edit:** Redraw only the selected area. Use it when 90% of the figure is right. - **In-image text edit:** Recognize text on the figure and change a label without regenerating everything. - **Vectorization:** Convert pixels into paths so the figure can scale and be edited piece by piece. - **Credits:** The meter for generation and vectorization. Generation costs 2 credits; SVG conversion costs 4. Source: https://figpad.ai/tutorials#glossary-tools ## Official sources - [Tutorials](https://figpad.ai/tutorials) --- # Tools Besides the figure workspace, FigPad offers standalone tools for vectorizing images, editing SVG, building posters and multi-panel figures, and counting colonies. ## SVG converter Upload a PNG, JPG, BMP or WebP image and convert it into an editable SVG. 4 credits per conversion. - [SVG converter](https://figpad.ai/svg-converter) ## SVG editor Create, upload and edit SVG vector graphics in the browser: change fill, stroke and opacity, move or delete shapes, add text, then export. Free, no sign-in needed. - [SVG editor](https://figpad.ai/svg-editor) ## Scientific poster generator Upload a paper PDF, choose an academic poster template, and FigPad lays out the title, methods and key results as a poster you can still edit. 10 credits per poster (2 to read the paper, 8 to generate). - [Scientific poster generator](https://figpad.ai/scientific-poster) ## Multi-panel figure layout Arrange panels into a journal-ready multi-panel figure with 14 layout templates and column-width presets (Nature Single column 89 mm; Nature Double column 183 mm; Cell Single column 85 mm; Cell 1.5 column 114 mm; Cell Double column 174 mm; Science 1 column 57 mm; Science 2 columns 121 mm; Science 3 columns 184 mm). Export PNG, TIFF, PDF, SVG at 300 or 600 DPI. Runs in the browser and is free; exporting requires a free account. - [Figure layout](https://figpad.ai/figure-layout) ## Colony counter Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP photo of a plate and get a colony count with an annotated image. 1 credit per successful count. - [Colony counter](https://figpad.ai/colony-counter) ## Scientific visualization gallery Browse figures by type, open one to see the prompt behind it, and adapt it in the workspace. - [Mechanism Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/mechanism-diagram): Mechanism diagram templates for molecular mechanisms, signaling pathways, cascades, and biological processes. - [Process Flow Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/process-flow-diagram): Process flow diagram templates for experiments, analysis pipelines, research workflows, and technical processes. - [Graphical Abstract Template](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/graphical-abstract-template): Graphical abstract template examples for papers, posters, proposals, and scientific presentations. - [Lab Equipment Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/lab-equipment-diagram): Lab equipment diagram templates for instruments, apparatus, optical paths, and experimental setups. - [Microstructure Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/microstructure-diagram): Microstructure diagram templates for cells, tissues, organelles, materials, bacteria, and microscopic anatomy. - [Network Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/network-diagram): Network diagram templates for biological systems, technical architecture, data flows, and interaction maps. - [Journal Cover](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/journal-cover): Journal cover templates for high-impact research visuals and editorial-style scientific concepts. - [Cross Section](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/cross-section): Cross section templates for anatomy, materials, layered systems, devices, and natural structures. - [Ecology Diagram](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization/ecology-diagram): Ecology diagram templates for ecosystems, environmental cycles, food webs, and earth-system processes. ## Official sources - [SVG converter](https://figpad.ai/svg-converter) - [Figure layout](https://figpad.ai/figure-layout) - [Scientific visualization gallery](https://figpad.ai/scientific-visualization) --- # About FigPad FigPad (https://figpad.ai) is an AI scientific figure generator for papers, graphical abstracts, posters and presentations. ## What FigPad is FigPad is an AI workspace for scientific figures, built for researchers, students and labs. It covers the path from idea to submission: generate a figure from text, a sketch, a reference image or a paper; fix labels and regions without starting over; convert it to editable SVG or PPTX; and download a publication authorization certificate for journals. ## Languages The site is available in 10 languages: English (https://figpad.ai/), 中文 (https://figpad.ai/zh), 한국어 (https://figpad.ai/ko), 日本語 (https://figpad.ai/ja), Español (https://figpad.ai/es), Deutsch (https://figpad.ai/de), Français (https://figpad.ai/fr), Português (https://figpad.ai/pt), Русский (https://figpad.ai/ru), ไทย (https://figpad.ai/th). ## Affiliate program Join the FigPad Affiliate Program. Earn a 30% commission on every customer you refer — first purchase, renewals, and upgrades included. Powered by Affonso. - [Affiliate program](https://figpad.ai/affiliate) ## Contact - Email: contact@figpad.ai - Website: https://figpad.ai/ ## Official sources - [FigPad](https://figpad.ai/) - [Terms of Service](https://figpad.ai/terms-of-service) - [Privacy Policy](https://figpad.ai/privacy-policy) --- # Cite FigPad Pick the wording that matches what you actually did, replace the placeholders, and follow the rules of your journal or institution. ## Figure captions - Generated from a text description: "Figure created with FigPad (https://figpad.ai) from a text description and edited by the authors. Scientific content and labels were reviewed by the authors." - Generated from a sketch or reference image: "Figure created with FigPad (https://figpad.ai) from the authors' [sketch / reference image]. Scientific content and labels were reviewed by the authors." - Vectorized: "Vector version produced with the FigPad SVG converter (https://figpad.ai) and edited by the authors." ## Methods and AI disclosure Describe the input, what the tool did, and the checks or edits you made: > We used FigPad (https://figpad.ai; accessed [date]) to [generate / edit / vectorize] [figure number] from [a text description / the authors' sketch / a reference image]. The authors [describe edits] and verified the scientific accuracy of all content and labels. ## Website reference FigPad has no citation DOI. Cite the website with your access date: > FigPad. AI scientific figure generator. https://figpad.ai (accessed [date]). ## Check the venue’s AI policy Publishers differ on AI-generated images: some require disclosure, some restrict AI imagery in certain article types. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy of every figure. Check the author guidelines of your target journal before submission. ## Official sources - [FigPad](https://figpad.ai/) - [Terms of Service](https://figpad.ai/terms-of-service)