APA Figure Format: How to Label Figures and Write Captions (2026)

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.