In APA 7th edition, figures include any visual display that is not a table: graphs, charts, maps, photographs, diagrams, and drawings. Every figure needs a number, a title, and a note if the source needs attribution. The label, title, and note all appear below the figure — not above it.
APA Figure Format: The Four Components
| Component | Format | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Figure number | Figure 1. — bold, «Figure» + Arabic number + period | Yes |
| Figure title | Italicized title in title case — on the line below the number | Yes |
| The figure itself | The image, chart, or graph | Yes |
| Figure note | Begins with «Note.» in italics — below the figure | Only when needed |
Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Sections 7.22–7.36.
Correct Label and Caption Layout
All four components appear below the figure, flush left, double-spaced:
Figure 1
Mean Test Scores by Sleep Duration Group
[Figure appears here]
Note. Error bars represent one standard deviation. Data collected from 312 undergraduate participants at a single university. Adapted from «Sleep and Academic Performance,» by Walker and Smith (2023, p. 45). Copyright 2023 by Academic Press.
Types of Figure Notes
| Note type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| General note | Explains the figure overall, defines abbreviations | Note. SD = standard deviation; M = mean. |
| Specific note | Refers to a specific element within the figure | an = 45. bp < .05. |
| Probability note | Reports statistical significance | *p < .05. **p < .01. ***p < .001. |
| Copyright note | Required when reprinting or adapting from another source | Note. Adapted from «Title,» by Author (Year, p. X). Copyright Year by Publisher. |
Numbering Figures
Number figures sequentially in the order they are first mentioned in the text: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3. Do not use letters or subsection numbers (not «Figure 2a» or «Figure 3.1» for main text figures).
Figures in appendices use the appendix letter: Figure A1, Figure A2, Figure B1.
Figure Placement in the Paper
| Document type | Where to place figures |
|---|---|
| Student paper | Embed in the text after the paragraph that first mentions the figure |
| Manuscript for publication | Place all figures after the reference list, each on its own page |
Referencing a Figure in the Text
Always mention every figure in the text before it appears:
«Figure 1 shows the distribution of scores across all four conditions.»
«As illustrated in Figure 3, response times decreased significantly with practice.»
Figure Formatting Details
| Element | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Font within the figure | Sans serif (Arial, Calibri) at 8–14 pt for readability |
| Color vs. grayscale | Design for grayscale if the paper will be printed or submitted to a print journal |
| Image resolution | Minimum 300 DPI for photographs; 600–1200 DPI for line art |
| Width | Column width (3.25 in), between columns (4.5 in), or full page width (6.5 in) |
Common Figure Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Label and title above the figure | All components go below the figure in APA 7 |
| Title not italicized | The figure title must be in italics |
| Missing figure note for adapted content | Any figure taken or adapted from another source requires a copyright note |
| «Fig.» abbreviation in the label | APA uses «Figure» spelled out, not «Fig.» |
| Figure mentioned after it appears in the text | Always reference a figure in the text before placing it |
For APA table formatting rules — which differ significantly from figure rules — see the APA Format Guide.