Understanding what makes a custom icon complex

When submitting a custom icon request in BioRender, the complexity of your request can impact whether the icon can be completed, as well as how long it takes to fulfill. 

Who can request custom icons?

Custom icon requests are available to users on:

• Industry Team plans
• Enterprise plans

To compare available plans, visit our Plans & Pricing page.

Why icon complexity matters

If your icon is considered highly complex:

• We may not be able to complete it within the guaranteed delivery timeline
• In some cases, we may not be able to fulfill the request at all

To help us deliver your icons faster and more reliably:

• Please submit the simplest version needed to communicate your science clearly
• Simpler icons lead to faster turnaround and greater visual clarity

What makes an icon complex?

We use a combination of five factors to evaluate complexity:

1. Level of detail: The more fine or intricate the elements, the more complex the icon.
2. Number of individual parts: Icons with many separate components (e.g., organelles, cells, labels) take longer to render.
3. Patterns, segments, and textures: Highly patterned or textured visuals increase production time.
4. Transparency: Visual effects like translucent layers or shading add to rendering complexity.
5. Level of realism: Icons meant to mimic photorealistic appearances are more resource-intensive to create.

Visual examples

Here is an example that shows varying levels of complexity:

Related articles

To improve your request quality and experience:

• How to name your custom icon request
• How to provide reference images for custom icon requests
• How to include key features in your custom icon request

Need help?

If you have any questions or concerns:

1. Email Support: support@biorender.com
2. Live Chat: Available by clicking on the "Help" bubble in the app on the bottom right-hand corner.