Titles and Table of Contents Images: The Candy Store Analogy

The Chemistry of Materials Author Guidelines tries to provide the very basic premises of how to conceive of a good ToC (table of content) image. The TOC/abstract graphic should capture the reader's attention and, in conjunction with the manuscript title, should give the reader a quick visual impression of the essence of the paper without providing specific results. Authors must ensure that the ToC image resonates with their title so that it enthuses the potential readers to want to look further. When considering the design of their ToC, authors must remember that their graphic should fit within a horizontal rectangle; the width is 8.47 cm (3.33 in. or 240 points) and height is 4.76 cm (1.875 in. or 135 points). While simplicity and clarity with respect to writing a good title and designing a compelling ToC image are important, it is very difficult to describe a step-by-step how-to process to be successful.