Publishing your figures
Yes — you can use what you make with BioDiorama in your paper, thesis, poster, slides or grant. This page explains, in plain words, what you need to know and what to check before you publish.
In short
It's free
No account, no sign-up, no payment, no watermark on your pictures.
Your work stays with you
Your figures and photos stay on your computer. Nothing you make is uploaded to us.
What you make is yours
Use it in papers, theses, posters, slides, grant applications and teaching.
Credits are listed for you
A few pictures come from open science data. Figure credits tells you the exact line to add.
What you can do with your figures
- Yes: journal papers, theses, posters, slides and talks, grant applications, teaching, lab websites and science communication.
- Ask us first: selling the pictures themselves — for example as stock images, or inside a product you sell. Write to us through Contact.
- Your own photos and files are yours too. Only use pictures you have the right to publish, and get consent from any person who can be recognised. For patient images, follow your ethics approval.
Before you submit: a five-step check
- Open Figure credits. In the 2D Studio it is File › Figure credits; in the 3D Studio, Figure credits. It lists every picture in your figure that asks for a credit, with the exact words to use.
- Put the credit lines in your figure legend (or the acknowledgements) — not on the picture itself. The save window also gives you the line for your legend.
- Look for "share-alike" items. If your journal needs other terms, take them out and pick another picture (see the colours below).
- Save at print quality. Use Save picture: TIFF or PNG at 300 or 600 dpi for photos and print, or PDF or SVG for sharp lines and text that stay editable. PowerPoint works for slides.
- Check the science. Pictures are simplified illustrations, not to exact scale. Compare important details with the original papers or databases before you publish.
What the credit colours mean
Figure credits marks each picture with a colour and a word, so you can see at a glance what to do:
| Colour | What it says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dark red | Required, and share-alike | Add the credit, and the figure must be shared under the same licence (CC BY-SA). If your journal can't accept that, remove this picture. |
| Red | Required | Add the credit line to your legend. |
| Amber | Requested | The source asks for a credit. Please add it. |
| Light green | Good practice | Not required, but naming the source is good scientific practice. |
| Green | Not needed | Nothing to add. |
Pictures drawn by BioDiorama itself never need a credit. Proteins from RCSB PDB and molecules from PubChem have no conditions either — though citing a structure's own paper is still good practice.
Using a template that is "Based on" a paper
Many templates show the paper they come from. The picture is BioDiorama's own drawing of what that paper reports — it is not a copy of the paper's figures. If you use one, cite that paper in your work as the source of the science, just as you would for any idea you build on.
Is any of it made by AI?
Many journals now ask about AI-made images, so here is exactly how BioDiorama works:
- BioDiorama does not use image-generating AI — no tool here makes a picture from a written prompt. The library's 3D models, icons and diagrams are built for the library, and real proteins and molecules come from public databases (RCSB PDB, AlphaFold, PubChem).
- The only AI works on your own photos: Remove background and Make icon find the subject in a photo and can read printed text in it. This runs on your computer, and your photo is never uploaded. If you used it on a photo and your journal asks, say so.
Citing BioDiorama
Appreciated, not required. A line in your figure legend or acknowledgements helps others find the tool: “Figure created with BioDiorama (https://biodiorama.com).” A full reference and a BibTeX entry are under How to cite.
Your privacy, in short
- Nothing you make is uploaded. Your figures, scenes and photos are saved in your browser and exported on your computer.
- BioDiorama goes online only when you ask it to — for example to search for a protein, a molecule or a reference image. Your browser then asks that database directly.
- No adverts. We count visits (which pages are opened) to improve BioDiorama, and you can turn this off at any time under Cookie settings.
- Keep your own copies. Because your work lives in your browser, clearing your browser's data deletes it. Save a project file (.biofig) or export anything you want to keep.
The full text
This page is a friendly summary, not legal advice. When in doubt, check your journal's figure policy or ask your library's copyright office. The full rules are here:
- Privacy & licence — what data is used, and the full list of sources and their licences.
- Terms of use — the rules for using BioDiorama.
- Using it in publications — more detail on each kind of licence.
Questions? Write to kr.abhishekum@gmail.com.
Last updated: November 2026.