Leonardo Submission Guidelines: Preparing Materials

Getting Started

Before preparing a manuscript for submission, authors should review the guidelines outlined in this document to ensure that their manuscript adheres to Leonardo’s formatting, length, and content requirements. Submissions that do not meet these criteria may be returned prior to review, resulting in delays.

To support a streamlined editorial and peer-review process, all submissions must be prepared using the Leonardo Manuscript Template, which reflects the journal’s required structure, formatting conventions, and file organization.

Only original work that has not been previously published or submitted elsewhere will be considered.

 

---

Quick Navigation

• Aims and Scope
• Proposals
• Article Categories
• Manuscript Preparation
• Figures & Illustrations
• References and Notes
• Supplementary Materials
• Submission File Requirements
• Best Practices

---

Aims and Scope

Leonardo is interested in work that crosses the artificial boundaries separating contemporary arts and sciences. Featuring illustrated articles written by artists about their work as well as articles by historians, theoreticians, philosophers, and other researchers, the journal is particularly concerned with issues related to the interaction of the arts, sciences, and technology. Leonardo focuses on the visual arts, also addressing music and sound art, video, performance, language, environmental, and conceptual arts—especially as they relate to the visual arts or utilize the tools, materials, and ideas of contemporary science and technology. New concepts, materials, techniques, and other subjects of general artistic interest are covered, as are legal, economic, and political aspects of art.

 

---

Proposals

Leonardo accepts both solicited and unsolicited texts for review. Authors are encouraged to submit a preliminary outline before drafting a manuscript, which editors will assess for relevance and provide guidance. See Understanding the Review Process.

Article Categories

Each article type has specific parameters with respect to word count, content, and figure limits. Choosing the right type helps ensure a smooth review and acceptance process.

Manuscripts must fall within the listed word and figure limits. Articles exceeding the word count by more than 5% will be returned prior to peer review. Authors may wish to include text, images, etc., that are too long or impractical to include in the printed version of the article as online supplemental materials (see Supplemental Materials). 

 

---

Manuscript Preparation

Submissions must be complete and correctly formatted before being submitted. Authors who are not fluent in English are encouraged to write in their native language and have the text professionally translated before submitting it.

Required Elements

Refer to the manuscript template for full explanations of each required element.

• Article type
• Title
• Author list (inform the journal of shared lead authorship)
• Author information (bio, affiliation, ORCID, contact info)
• Abstract (max 120 words, third-person, present tense)
• Keywords (5–7 terms for indexing)
• Body text
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• References and notes
• Images, captions, and alt text
• Glossary (if applicable)
• Appendices (if applicable)
• Tables and charts
• Biographical information (2–3 sentences)
• Supplemental materials (if included)

Style Guidelines at a Glance

Text

• Use academic, American English
• Refer to people by full name at first mention, then by last name only
• Avoid jargon, passive voice, and unexplained acronyms
• Italicize artwork and installation titles; software in roman font
• Be specific about countries or concepts mentioned (avoid “the West” and “the East”)
• Discussion of images should reflect that the printed article is in black and white

Punctuation & Style

• Use serial commas
• Use space + period + space for ellipses ( . . . ) 
• Use international date formats (e.g., "1 January 2024")
• Text internal lists use (1), (2), (3)

Formatting

• Keep formatting minimal; over-designing complicates production
• Divide text with clear, unnumbered section headings (no "Introduction" as a heading)
• Indicate headings levels (e.g., <1>,<2>,<3>) 
• Indent extracts/block quotes .5 inches

 

---

Figures & Illustrations

Illustrations must be relevant, original, and reproducible. They should be varied in content, each offering new information. Pictures of people must be in the context of the work, research, performance, etc. Authors are encouraged to develop visual material like charts, diagrams, or maps designed explicitly for their manuscript. Multipart (a, b, c, etc.) images are often helpful in showing steps in a process or illustrating various facets of a subject.

Note that print versions of articles (including the illustrations) are reproduced in black and white, while online versions are in full color.

Initial Submission

• Embed low-res (72 dpi) figures in the manuscript at the point of mention
• Caption and number each figure (e.g., Fig. 1, Fig. 2a)
• Use "Fig." or "Figs" in-text; spell out "Figure" if starting a sentence
• Include artist, title, medium, dimensions, year, and credit

Final Image Submission

Final images will be requested with any manuscript revisions. Authors are responsible for securing the highest-quality visual images illustrating or documenting text material in accordance with the following:

Continuous-Tone Images

• Format: .tiff (preferred), .jpg optional
• Resolution: 300 dpi or higher
• Width: 8 inches (2100 pixels wide minimum)
• Color mode: CMYK
• File size: under 40MB preferred

Line Art Figures

• Format: .eps, .ai, or .pdf with editable layers
• Resolution: 1200 ppi preferred
• Width: 7 inches
• Color mode: CMYK
• Fonts: Use the same typeface for all figures. Provide a version with text and one without text if applicable
• Design for print: Ensure clarity and readability in black-and-white print reproduction

Tables and Charts

• Each table/chart must be numbered and discussed sequentially in the text.
• A comprehensive table legend (like a figure caption) must be provided for each table/chart.
• Insert each table and legend in a sequentially ordered list at the end of the manuscript, after the “References and Notes” section.
• If a chart includes graphics and/or text, save it as an .eps file and supply a duplicate file of the chart without the text and a file with the text in place.

Captions

Each figure must have a caption with appropriate descriptive details, such as process, subject, or data context, and one or two sentences summarizing the figure’s relevance to the manuscript’s argument or subject matter. Captions must also contain the following elements:

• Figure number (e.g., Fig. 1, Fig. 2a)
• Descriptive text that explains the visual material's content and purpose in the context of the manuscript
• Credits to the copyright holder and/or photographer

For art objects, the caption must also include:

• Artist/creator name (if not the submitting author)
• Title of the work (italicized)
• Date of execution
• Medium
• Dimensions

Fig. 2. László Moholy-Nagy, AXL II, 1927, oil, graphite, and ink on canvas, 94.1 x 74.1 cm. Detail showing areas of unpainted, primed canvas in the two diagonal shafts. (© Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Photo: Kristopher McKay)

Accessibility and Alternative Text

Authors must provide alternative text descriptions (alt text) for each figure to ensure accessibility for all readers. Alt text should briefly describe the essential content and function of the image, particularly what it conveys in the context of a manuscript.

Refer to https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images for guidance on how to write effective alternative text.

Permissions

Authors are legally responsible for complying with copyright laws and the laws of privacy and libel. Copyrights to illustrations published in the journal remain with their current copyright holders. Upon an article's acceptance, authors must submit signed permissions to publish both text and images (see Forms and Templates).

In cases where an image is copyrighted by a third party, authors are responsible for obtaining copyright permissions, including online reproduction rights. This includes any illustration used with permission from another copyright holder, such as a photographer, museum, or library. Any fees or journal issue copies required to obtain illustrations or to secure copyright permissions are the author’s responsibility.

See the MIT Press illustration policy for additional guidance.

 

---

References and Notes

All sources cited in the text must be referenced and compiled into one numbered list at the end of the manuscript. Leonardo uses the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, note style—not author-date. All citations should follow this format consistently. See the manuscript template for reference examples.

• Do not use auto-numbering, footnotes, or superscripts
• Cite sources with bracketed numbers in-text: [1], [2], [1–3]
• List each source once; re-cite with new number (see example reference 2)
• Notes should be formatted like references
• Use consistent formatting for books, journals, online, unpublished works, and performances

Text:

The early twentieth century marked a shift in artistic practice, as the visual and plastic arts increasingly overlapped in form and conceptual approach [1].

Reference:

1. Jonathan Smith, Visual and Plastic Arts (John Doe Press, 1976), 5.
2. Smith, Visual and Plastic Arts, p. 21.

 

---

Supplemental Materials

Authors may submit up to three files (max 1GB each) of supplementary material: audio, video, code, data, and extended content.

 

• Files must include title, 50-word description, caption, credits, signed agreements, and image releases when appropriate (see Forms and Templates).
• Peer review not required; posted as-is with the final article on MIT Press website
• Not included on JSTOR or Project MUSE

 

 

---

Submission File Requirements

Initial Submission

• Manuscript: MS Word (.doc or .docx); filename: Smith_ms.docx

  Figures: Embedded low-res images with captions

Revision

• Manuscript: Revised Word file with same image placement

  High-res Images: Separate files; see naming format and specs above

 

---

Best Practices

To support a smooth editorial and production process, authors are advised to observe the following best practices:

• Review recent issues of Leonardo (2020–present) to become familiar with the journal’s style, scope, and tone.
• Submit a preliminary outline for editorial feedback before drafting a complete manuscript (see Proposals).
• Situate the contribution within relevant literature, practices, or discourse in art, science, and technology.
• Include illustrative material that directly supports and clarifies the manuscript’s content.
• Prepare the manuscript using the official Leonardo Manuscript Template.
• Use minimal formatting to avoid complications during typesetting and production.

 

---

Questions?

For clarification on article types, proposal development, or illustration requirements, consult the [Opportunities Hub] or contact the editorial office at editor@leonardo.info.

See Making Your Submission for guidance on posting a submission.

Submit a book proposal or graduate abstract.