Instructions for Creating a Paper Quality Figure

This document is also available for download in pdf or word format.

Starting from a *.ps file that is ready for Illustrator^[1]

1. Launch Adobe Illustrator
2. Select File, Open (Ctrl-O) and find the *.ps file that one wants to make into a figure
3. Left click anywhere on the image to highlight everything
4. Right click anywhere on the highlighted image and select Ungroup
5. Left click anywhere off the highlighted image to de-select (un-highlight) it
6. Drag the mouse to enclose the font
   1. Select Type, Font and change the font to Times New Roman, Bold^[2]
   2. Select Type, Size and change the size to 10 pt^[3]
7. Move and align the font to a desired position
8. Left click on a cluster branch (all nodes should become highlighted)
9. Select Window and make sure the attributes line has a check (if it does not, scroll down to this line and select it to make the window appear)
10. Select the Stroke tab from the Attributes Window
11. Change the Weight on the Attributes Window to 1 pt
12. Right click anywhere on the highlighted image and Release Compound Path
13. Left click anywhere off the highlighted image to de-select (un-highlight) it
14. Drag the mouse to enclose the sample cluster branch (all nodes in this branch should become highlighted)
15. Right click anywhere on the highlighted nodes of the cluster branch and select Group
16. Move and align the sample cluster branch near the sample list (the end of each node in this branch should align with the corresponding sample)
17. Repeat steps 14 – 16 for the antigen cluster branch
18. Move the antigen cluster branch should be on the right side next to the antigen list
19. Left click on the antigen cluster branch to highlight everything
20. Right click anywhere on the highlighted image and select Transform > Reflect…
21. Choose 90 degrees along the vertical axis
22. Move and align the antigen cluster branch near the antigen list (the end of each node in this branch should align with the corresponding antigen)
23. Left click anywhere off the highlighted image to de-select (un-highlight) it
24. Add a color scale (make sure the color contrast matches the image contrast)^[4]

[1] See Howto Use TreeView for the instructions to generate a *.ps file.

[2] This font is only a suggestion.  Other fonts may be more appropriate for the figure and will depend on the journal or personal preference.  I've found that Arial Narrow, Bold works well too!

[3] This size is only a suggestion.  Other sizes may be more appropriate for the figure and will depend on the journal or personal preference.

[4] See Howto Create a Color Scale for the instructions to make a color scale for the figure.