Figure Styling
General scientific figure styling skill for default agents and graph-generation tasks.
This skill has two layers:
- OutputType recipes — self-contained recipes for default-agent use (
SKILL.md + one recipe file).
- Optional style guides — venue- or aesthetic-specific refinement, loaded only when requested.
Lightweight read rule: For normal use, read only this SKILL.md and one outputType recipe. Do not load styles/, quality/, input/, or triage/ unless explicitly needed.
Route by outputType
| outputType |
Read |
Rendering mode |
Use for |
figure |
figure.md |
code-first |
paper figures, data plots, multi-panel figures |
poster |
poster.md |
mixed |
academic posters |
graphical-abstract |
graphical-abstract.md |
AI-first |
graphical abstracts, TOC figures |
presentation |
presentation.md |
mixed |
slide visuals |
flowchart |
flowchart.md |
AI-first |
workflow diagrams, process diagrams |
Optional style guides
Read these only when the user explicitly requests a venue/style or a style_id is provided.
If a listed file is not present, continue with the outputType recipe and report the missing file.
| style_id |
File |
Use for |
neurips_diagram |
styles/neurips_diagram.md |
ML methodology diagrams (NeurIPS / ICML / ICLR / CVPR) |
neurips_plot |
styles/neurips_plot.md |
ML/statistical plots (NeurIPS / ICML / ICLR / CVPR) |
nature_figure |
styles/nature_figure.md |
Nature / Cell / Science-style scientific figures |
ieee_figure |
styles/ieee_figure.md |
IEEE journal / conference figures |
color_palettes |
styles/color_palettes.md |
Colorblind-safe palette reference (Paul Tol) |
Scientific visual language
Use concrete visual schemas instead of generic scientific prompts.
Prefer:
- Flat vector scientific illustration
- Clean white or very light background
- Short accurate labels
- Explicit entities and connections
- Editable-looking vector composition
- Journal-grade readability
- Clear module hierarchy
- Restrained scientific palette
Avoid:
- Generic AI art
- Decorative 3D or photorealistic glow
- Fake charts, fake axes, fake data in AI diagrams
- Dense tiny text or unreadable legends
- Abstract boxes without scientific meaning
- Childish cartoon style
- Heavy shadows or decorative gradients
Domain adaptation rule
Do not assume a fixed scientific domain.
When the user provides a domain, instantiate the visual schema with that domain's concrete entities, structures, labels, and relationships.
Examples (not defaults):
- 3D genomics: TAD, chromatin loop, boundary insulation, enhancer, promoter, CTCF/cohesin, Hi-C contact map, genome-browser tracks
- Cell biology: nucleus, mitochondria, ER, Golgi, membrane receptors, signaling pathway
- Immunology: T cell, antigen-presenting cell, receptor, cytokine, immune synapse
- Neuroscience: neuron, synapse, axon, dendrite, action potential
- ML/systems: encoder, decoder, attention, pipeline stage, data flow
These are domain instantiation examples, not default assumptions.
Custom styles
Additional .md style files may be added to styles/ following the existing file structure. Use the matching style_id when requesting a venue or aesthetic style.
1---2name: figure-styling-skills-index3description: Aesthetic guidelines and output-type recipes for scientific figure production. Supports lightweight default-agent use through SKILL.md + one outputType recipe, with optional venue-specific style guides when requested.4---56# Figure Styling78General scientific figure styling skill for default agents and graph-generation tasks.910This skill has two layers:11121. **OutputType recipes** — self-contained recipes for default-agent use (`SKILL.md` + one recipe file).132. **Optional style guides** — venue- or aesthetic-specific refinement, loaded only when requested.1415**Lightweight read rule**: For normal use, read only this `SKILL.md` and one outputType recipe. Do not load `styles/`, `quality/`, `input/`, or `triage/` unless explicitly needed.1617---1819## Route by outputType2021| outputType | Read | Rendering mode | Use for |22|---|---|---|---|23| `figure` | `figure.md` | code-first | paper figures, data plots, multi-panel figures |24| `poster` | `poster.md` | mixed | academic posters |25| `graphical-abstract` | `graphical-abstract.md` | AI-first | graphical abstracts, TOC figures |26| `presentation` | `presentation.md` | mixed | slide visuals |27| `flowchart` | `flowchart.md` | AI-first | workflow diagrams, process diagrams |2829---3031## Optional style guides3233Read these only when the user explicitly requests a venue/style or a `style_id` is provided.34If a listed file is not present, continue with the outputType recipe and report the missing file.3536| style_id | File | Use for |37|---|---|---|38| `neurips_diagram` | `styles/neurips_diagram.md` | ML methodology diagrams (NeurIPS / ICML / ICLR / CVPR) |39| `neurips_plot` | `styles/neurips_plot.md` | ML/statistical plots (NeurIPS / ICML / ICLR / CVPR) |40| `nature_figure` | `styles/nature_figure.md` | Nature / Cell / Science-style scientific figures |41| `ieee_figure` | `styles/ieee_figure.md` | IEEE journal / conference figures |42| `color_palettes` | `styles/color_palettes.md` | Colorblind-safe palette reference (Paul Tol) |4344---4546## Scientific visual language4748Use concrete visual schemas instead of generic scientific prompts.4950**Prefer:**51- Flat vector scientific illustration52- Clean white or very light background53- Short accurate labels54- Explicit entities and connections55- Editable-looking vector composition56- Journal-grade readability57- Clear module hierarchy58- Restrained scientific palette5960**Avoid:**61- Generic AI art62- Decorative 3D or photorealistic glow63- Fake charts, fake axes, fake data in AI diagrams64- Dense tiny text or unreadable legends65- Abstract boxes without scientific meaning66- Childish cartoon style67- Heavy shadows or decorative gradients6869---7071## Domain adaptation rule7273Do not assume a fixed scientific domain.7475When the user provides a domain, instantiate the visual schema with that domain's concrete entities, structures, labels, and relationships.7677Examples (not defaults):78- **3D genomics**: TAD, chromatin loop, boundary insulation, enhancer, promoter, CTCF/cohesin, Hi-C contact map, genome-browser tracks79- **Cell biology**: nucleus, mitochondria, ER, Golgi, membrane receptors, signaling pathway80- **Immunology**: T cell, antigen-presenting cell, receptor, cytokine, immune synapse81- **Neuroscience**: neuron, synapse, axon, dendrite, action potential82- **ML/systems**: encoder, decoder, attention, pipeline stage, data flow8384These are domain instantiation examples, not default assumptions.8586## Custom styles8788Additional `.md` style files may be added to `styles/` following the existing file structure. Use the matching `style_id` when requesting a venue or aesthetic style.
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