Weâre excited to share the new BioRender canvas-built to make scientific figure creation faster, ...
Publishing BioRender figures in a journal: What you need to know
Looking to publish your BioRender figure? This guide will walk you through how to export your figure properly, cite it correctly, understand the license terms, and know who has publishing rights.
Can I publish my figure in a journal?
Your Situation
Can You Publish?
Youâre on a Premium plan, exported the figure while the subscription was active
â Yes
You exported on a Premium plan then downgraded
â Yes
You downgraded before exporting
â No
Youâre on a free trial or Undergrad plan
â No
How to export a figure for publication
Only users on a Premium plan (except for the Undergrad Plan) can generate a publication license.
Step-by-Step:
Open your figure in the BioRender Editor or Gallery
Click âExportâ
Check âïž âI would like a publication license with this exportâ
Enter your figure title and manuscript info
Select âYesâ if publishing open-access or âNoâ if closed-access.
Click âDownload Licenseâ. Youâll get a PDF document of the license and a Unique Citation + URL for your figure.
If you forget to download the license, simply re-export the same figure (as long as you still have Premium access) to generate a license.
Citation Guidelines
When you export with a publication license, BioRender will generate an Unique Citation + URL. You can include the citation in the figure legend, references section, or acknowledgments. Check which aligns with your journalâs preferences.
Your citation will look like this:
Created in BioRender. Smith, J. (2025). BioRender.com/c248457
Which citation do I use?
Scenario
Do You Need a Publication License?
Citation Style
You made your own original figure
â Yes
Created in BioRender. Smith, J. (2025). BioRender.com/c248457
You modified a BioRender template
â Yes
Created in BioRender. Smith, J. (2025). BioRender.com/c248457
You reused a BioRender template without changes
â Yes
Created in BioRender. Smith, J. (2025). BioRender.com/c248457
You're NOT publishing
â No
Created with BioRender.com
â ïž If youâre using a free trial or undergrad account, you do not have publishing rights.
Do I need to be the first author to publish my figure?
If you're on an Individual plan:
You must appear as one of the following author positions:
First author,
Co-first author, or
Last author
If youâre a middle author, or not listed as an author, you cannot publish the figure.
If you're on a Team, Lab, Institutional, or Enterprise plan: You can publish BioRender figuresregardless of your author order(even if you're not listed as an author at all).
Publishing Checklist
Before submitting your manuscript, make sure youâve completed all the steps below:
â Youâre on a Premium BioRender plan (Individual, Team, Lab, or Institutional)
â You exported your figure with a publication license
â You selected the correct journal type:
"Yes" for open-access journals (CC-BY 4.0 license)
"No" for closed-access journals
â You included your unique citation + URL in your manuscript
Generally, you do not need a publishing license at the submission stage of a journal article. While a publication license is required for allowing a journal to publish your work, it is typically requested after your manuscript has been accepted for publication. We recommend keeping a copy of your publication license for your records if you are exporting it during the submission stage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to export a separate CC-BY license and publication license?
No. Selecting "Yes" for open-access in the export flow gives you a combined CC-BY 4.0 publication license.
Can I change a figure from closed to open-access later?
Yes. Simply generate a new publication license with updated settings.
What if I edit my figure after exporting it?
Re-export it to generate an updated license and citation link.
I submitted my paper but forgot to include a BioRender citation or license. What should I do?
If your figure was exported properly, you still have rights to publish it. Reach out to your journal to see if the license PDF or citation can be included during revisions or proofs.
Do I need a publication license at the submission stage of my article?
Generally, you do not need a publishing license at the submission stage. While a publication license is required for allowing a journal to publish your work, it is typically requested after your manuscript has been accepted for publication. We recommend keeping a copy of your publication license for your records if you are exporting it during the submission stage.
Add 2D chemical structures to your illustrations with ChemRender
With ChemRender Beta, you can generate accurate 2D chemical structures directly in BioRender using either a molecule name or a SMILES string (a common chemistry format). You can then fine-tune the look (like atom colors and line thickness), plus resize, rotate, and adjust transparency.
Ways to add a molecule
You can import a molecule in two ways:
Search by molecule name (best for common, known compounds)
Paste a SMILES string (best for novel or non-public compounds)
đĄ Tip: For reaction schemes, import each reactant/product molecule individually, then build the scheme in BioRender using arrows and labels.
1. Importing by molecule name
BioRender searches for named molecules in NIHâs PubChem repository.
Steps to import by name:
Open BioRender Editor
Select ChemRender from the side panel.
Search by name
Type a common name (for best results) or other synonym.
Visually inspect the matched molecule
Check the corresponding 2D structure and the matched name that appears below.
Add to the canvas
Translate, resize and rotate the molecule to fit your illustration
Use the edit panel to adjust style
Adjust styling like atom colors, thickness (bold/heavy lines), and transparency
đĄ Tip: If your first search doesnât work, try another common synonym. Some identifiers (like CAS numbers or manufacturer IDs) can work, but are not as reliable as more common names.
2. Importing by SMILES
SMILES is a common chemistry format and encodes a moleculeâs structure in a text string (for example, aspirinâs SMILES string is : CC(=O)OC1=CC=CC=C1C(=O)O).
Steps to import by SMILES:
Open BioRender Editor
Select ChemRender from the side panel.
Render your SMILES string
Paste in your SMILES string.
Visually inspect the resulting molecule
Check the corresponding 2D structure
Note: Structures from SMILES will not have a name associated with it.
Add to the canvas
Translate, resize and rotate the molecule to fit your illustration
Use the edit panel to adjust style
Adjust styling like atom colors, thickness (bold/heavy lines), and transparency
đĄ Tip: If youâre importing with SMILES, make sure stereochemistry is included in the string (for example using @ / @@). If itâs missing, the imported structure wonât specify stereochemistry.
Frequently asked questions
What file formats does âChemRenderâ support?
Currently, amoleculeâs name and SMILES are supported.
Does âChemRenderâ support stereochemistry?
ChemRender supports stereochemistry. If you add a molecule by its name, it will visualize the known stereochemistry in the retrieved structure. If you import by SMILES, stereochemistry must be encoded in the SMILES; otherwise it wonât be specified.
Can âChemRenderâ support reaction schemes?
Full reaction scheme import isnât supported, but you can import the individual small molecules and build schemes using BioRender arrows/textboxes.
How do I get a SMILES string?
Export/copy SMILES from tools like ChemDraw or ChemSketch.
Many computational chemistry workflows output SMILES.
You can also look up examples on PubChem by searching a molecule of interest
Why does my molecule look different?
A SMILES string doesnât include 2D coordinates, so the chemical structure is generated algorithmically. As a result, the same SMILES can generate structures that look different across tools while maintaining the exact same information. Also, related molecules may render with different orientations.
What kinds of molecules can I import?
Best suited for single small molecules.
Complex ring systems/stereocenters can produce artifacts in automated 2D rendering.
Multi-component molecules may work, but results arenât guaranteed (e.g., multiple APIs/salts).
Large macromolecules (peptides/DNA/RNA) can be encoded in SMILES, but 2D structures arenât the preferred representation (other formats like HELM are better suited).
Can âChemRenderâ support ChemDraw files?
Not at this time - proprietary formats like ChemDraw .cdx arenât supported. You will need to export from ChemDraw (or similar) as SMILES, then use that to draw your novel molecule. Or you can use a moleculeâs name if available.
How does âChemRenderâ compare to ChemDraw?
ChemRender focuses on generating an accurate 2D structure from SMILES with limited styling edits; it does not support full atom-level editing and other features available on ChemDraw. We see ChemRender as a first step to building additional tools to help visualize chemistry.
Need help or have feedback?
Email: support@biorender.com
Live Chat: Available by clicking on the "Help" bubble in the web app on the bottom right-hand corner.
Weâre excited to share the new BioRender canvas-built to make scientific figure creation faster, simpler, and more intuitive. The new canvas features a refreshed layout, smarter search powered by AI, and streamlined editing tools that help you move from idea to finished figure.
To learn how to opt in and start using the new canvas, please refer to this article.
Whether you're starting from a blank canvas or customizing a ready-made template, everythingâs been rethought to save you time and help you stay focused on your science.
Explore the key updates below, and check out the related articles at the end for guides on using specific features.
When you create a new illustration, the editor now suggests relevant templates based on your field of research. This allows you to start with a pre-made template that closely matches your research needs.
2. Smart search
The new search bar supports natural language processing (NLP), allowing you to quickly search for multiple items at once. For example, typing "glycine, proline, serine" will return results for all three in a single search.
3. Context bar for quick actions
A Quick Edit menu provides easy access to relevant actions like:
Color adjustments via presets
Layer reordering
Flip and crop tools
If you need more advanced options, an Edit Panel is available at the click of a button.
4. Multi-selection and alignment
Selecting multiple items is now simpler than ever with 'Shift + Click'. Once multiple elements are selected, the context bar updates dynamically to display alignment and arrangement options, making it easier to organize your illustration neatly.
5. Unified export and sharing
The 'Share menu' now consolidates export and collaboration options in one place.
You can:
Export figures just like before
Invite collaborators via email
Generate and copy shareable links
Copy your figure directly to Microsoft PowerPoint
6. Clean canvas editing
The canvas stays visually minimal to support a clean and uncluttered layout. To edit the canvas, simply click on it and the editing options will appear.