LabCanvas tutorials
Short, step-by-step guides for the things scientists do most: journal figures, DNA and protein visuals, zoom callouts, talks, 3D renders and statistics.
Make a journal figure at the right size
- Open the dashboard and start a new figure.
- Build panels with shapes, objects (Shift+O), equations and images; group each panel.
- Add panel letters with the Text tool (T) and align them with Arrange.
- Download: choose TIFF or PDF, the journal column width (for example 85 or 174 mm) and 300–600 dpi.
Draw DNA along a path
- Pick the Brush tool (B) and choose DNA double helix.
- Draw the path; it is smoothed into Bézier curves.
- In the Line settings set the form (B, A or Z), base-pair style, colours and an optional sequence.
- Use Expand to turn the brush into ordinary paths if you need to edit pieces.
Add a zoom lens callout
- Click Lens in the left toolbar: a magnifier appears with a ring on the area it enlarges.
- Drag the lens where you want it; the ring stays on the source.
- Double-click the lens and drag its small ring to magnify another spot.
- In the Design panel set the zoom, round or square shape, frame style and callout lines.
Present a talk with Slides
- Open Slides from the dashboard or the editor’s top bar.
- Add slides with Ctrl+M and pick a layout; paste figures from the editor with Ctrl+V.
- Set transitions and speaker notes in the slide panel.
- Press F5 to present, or export the deck as one vector PDF.
Make a conference poster
- Open Research Poster from the dashboard and pick a template (A0 classic, 48 × 36 in landscape, billboard…).
- Double-click any text to write; blocks grow with their text and the columns re-stack.
- Drag blocks from the Blocks panel onto the poster, between two blocks or into another column; drop images onto figure frames.
- Pick a theme and block style, then Export a vector PDF at the printed size.
Render a ray-traced nanoparticle
- Open the 3D Studio and choose Add › Nanomaterials.
- Drag a nanoparticle into the view and adjust its shape, lattice and ligands in the panel.
- Switch on Ray traced and wait for the image to refine.
- Export a PNG at 2× or 4×, or Add render to figure.
Draw freehand in 3D
- Press B (or Draw in the toolbar) to start drawing.
- Choose where strokes go (on objects, on the floor or in the air), the width, colour, profile and taper.
- Drag in the view to draw; right-drag orbits the camera between strokes.
- Select a stroke and switch on Edit points to drag its control points; move it like any object.
Show a protein and highlight residues
- Enter a PDB ID such as 4HHB.
- Pick a style and colouring (for example cartoon by chain).
- Drag across residues on the sequence bar to select them and give them their own style.
- Download a transparent PNG or add it to your figure.
Run a one-way ANOVA with post-hoc tests
- Create a column table with example data or paste yours from Excel.
- Pick a graph such as Bars with points.
- In the Stats tab choose one-way ANOVA and Tukey or Dunnett comparisons.
- Significance brackets are drawn on the graph; Add to figure keeps it linked to the data.
In-depth guides
ImageJ vs LabCanvas Image Analysis: an honest comparison
ImageJ/Fiji or LabCanvas Image Analysis? Six everyday jobs done in both, six newer ones (macros, vendor files, 3D, StarDist, big images) and which to use.
Read the guideLabCanvas Image Analysis: measure microscopy images, western blots and gels in your browser
How to measure images in LabCanvas Image Analysis: guided assays (nuclear translocation, spots per cell, wound healing, FRAP, calcium, tracking, branching), western blots with a ladder and total-protein normalisation, cell counting with a trainable classifier, ROIs with ImageJ definitions, on the raw pixel values, with results sent to Graphs.
Read the guideImage Analysis in LabCanvas: a complete guide to every tool and setting, with examples
Every tool in LabCanvas Image Analysis, tab by tab, with its settings and a real example: image check, display and scale, stacks and Z projection, background subtraction, filters, thresholds and binary operations, ROIs and Set measurements, Analyze Particles, a pixel classifier, spots, cell counter, western blot densitometry, colocalisation, colour deconvolution and eleven guided assays.
Read the guideHow to use ImageJ: a beginner's tutorial for the 10 everyday jobs (2026)
How to use ImageJ and Fiji: get started, open an image, then 10 everyday jobs (scale, measure, threshold, count, background, blots) with exact menu paths.
Read the guideHow to set the scale and add a scale bar in ImageJ (with a calibration image to practise on)
Set the scale in ImageJ (Analyze › Set Scale) from a micrometer, scale bar or pixel size, add a scale bar, and practise on a free calibration image.
Read the guideWestern blot quantification in ImageJ, step by step (and the 3-click way)
Quantify a western blot in ImageJ with Analyze › Gels, normalise to a loading control or total protein, and get fold change. Plus a 3-click way.
Read the guideHow to count cells in ImageJ (automatic and manual)
Count cells in ImageJ: automatic (threshold, Watershed, Analyze Particles) or manual (Cell Counter, Multi-point), plus cells per mm² and % positive.
Read the guideHow to measure length and area in ImageJ (with the right units)
Measure length and area in ImageJ: set the scale, draw lines or area selections (polygon, wand, threshold), press Measure, and get µm and µm², not pixels.
Read the guideGrain size analysis in ImageJ (SEM, ASTM E112) + grain size number calculator
Measure grain size from SEM images in ImageJ: closed boundaries, Analyze Particles, then ASTM E112 G from mean area or intercept, with a worked example.
Read the guideHow to measure leaf area with ImageJ (or from a phone photo, in the browser)
Measure leaf area in ImageJ from a photo or scan: set the scale from a ruler, threshold the leaf, run Analyze Particles in cm², with or without holes.
Read the guideImageJ online: can you run it in a browser? (ImageJ.JS, and a faster way)
Yes: ImageJ.JS runs ImageJ 1.x in your browser via CheerpJ (WebAssembly). What works, what doesn't, Fiji online, iPad and Android, and a faster option.
Read the guideBest ImageJ alternatives in 2026 (free, online and desktop)
The best ImageJ alternatives compared: browser tools, Fiji, CellProfiler, QuPath, ilastik, napari, Icy, MIPAR, and Image Lab and Empiria for blots.
Read the guideLateral size of 2D flakes (graphene, MoS₂) from SEM or TEM in ImageJ
Measure graphene or MoS₂ flake lateral size in ImageJ: scale, threshold, Analyze Particles with Feret diameter, edge flakes, overlaps and a size histogram.
Read the guideAnalyze Particles in ImageJ, explained (every option, with examples)
Every Analyze Particles option in ImageJ, shown on a TEM image: size, circularity, Show, Exclude on edges, Include holes, and why it finds 0 or 1 particle.
Read the guideCalcium imaging analysis in ImageJ: ΔF/F₀ traces step by step
Calcium imaging in ImageJ: ROIs on cells, Multi Measure, background, F₀ (first frames or a percentile), ΔF/F₀ = (F − F₀)/F₀, traces and peak counting.
Read the guideCellProfiler vs QuPath vs ImageJ: which image analysis software should you use?
CellProfiler, QuPath or ImageJ/Fiji? A fair comparison by job (batch cell measurements, whole slides, general analysis), with a nuclei count step by step.
Read the guideColocalization analysis in ImageJ: Pearson vs Manders and Costes thresholds
Colocalization in ImageJ and Fiji: what Pearson’s r and Manders’ M1/M2 each answer, Costes thresholds, Coloc 2 vs JACoP, a worked example and pitfalls.
Read the guideCount bacterial colonies in ImageJ (or from a plate photo, free online)
Count colonies in ImageJ: oval on the dish, threshold, Watershed, Analyze Particles. Then CFU/mL from the count and dilution, with a worked example.
Read the guideMeasure contact angle from a drop photo in ImageJ
Measure contact angle in ImageJ with the Angle tool along the tangent, or from drop height and base width: θ = 2·arctan(2h/d). Worked example, plugins.
Read the guideCount γH2AX or 53BP1 foci per nucleus in ImageJ (Find Maxima, step by step)
Count γH2AX or 53BP1 foci per nucleus in ImageJ: nuclei as ROIs, Find Maxima with the right prominence, counts per nucleus and % of cells with ≥5 foci.
Read the guideHow to measure d-spacing from HRTEM lattice fringes in ImageJ (profile and FFT)
Measure d-spacing in ImageJ: a wide line across 10 fringes and Plot Profile (d = L ÷ N), or FFT spots read with Measure. Worked on Au (111), 0.235 nm.
Read the guideIHC DAB quantification in ImageJ with colour deconvolution
Quantify DAB IHC in ImageJ/Fiji: colour deconvolution with H-DAB vectors, % positive area, optical density, and why DAB intensity is not linear.
Read the guideFeret diameter, circularity, aspect ratio and solidity in ImageJ, explained
What ImageJ shape descriptors mean: Feret and MinFeret, circularity, AR, roundness and solidity, with formulas, drawn shapes and real TEM and SEM numbers.
Read the guideDeep-learning cell segmentation in Fiji: StarDist, Cellpose and Weka (step by step)
When a threshold fails, segment cells in Fiji with StarDist, Cellpose or Trainable Weka: install, settings, then label image to ROIs and measurements.
Read the guideStitch microscope tiles in Fiji (Grid/Collection stitching, step by step)
Stitch overlapping microscope tiles in Fiji with Grid/Collection stitching: grid type, overlap, file names, fusion, and why an ImageJ montage is wrong.
Read the guideFiji vs ImageJ: what's the difference, and which should you download?
Fiji is ImageJ with plugins, Bio-Formats, an updater and scripting built in; ImageJ2 is the rewrite underneath. A comparison table and which to download.
Read the guideFRAP analysis in ImageJ: mobile fraction and half-time, step by step
FRAP in ImageJ: bleach, reference and background ROIs, Multi Measure, double normalisation, an exponential recovery fit, then the mobile fraction and t½.
Read the guideFree western blot quantification software (now that Image Studio Lite is gone)
Image Studio Lite is discontinued. Quantify western blots free in ImageJ (Analyze › Gels), step by step, with Image Lab and IOCBIO Gel compared.
Read the guideHow to cite ImageJ and Fiji (with a methods sentence to copy)
Cite ImageJ (Schneider et al. 2012), Fiji (Schindelin et al. 2012) or ImageJ2 (Rueden et al. 2017): DOIs, APA, Vancouver, BibTeX and methods sentences.
Read the guide3D projection and 3D viewing in ImageJ (Image › Stacks › 3D Project)
Make a rotating 3D view of a Z-stack with Image › Stacks › 3D Project in ImageJ, set the slice spacing, use Orthogonal Views, or Fiji's 3D Viewer.
Read the guideCrop, rotate, resize and convert images in ImageJ (without changing your data by accident)
How to crop, rotate, resize, zoom and convert to 8-bit or grayscale in ImageJ, and what each command does to pixel values and the scale, measured.
Read the guideDeconvolution in ImageJ and Fiji: what it does and how to run it
What deconvolution does (the PSF, Richardson–Lucy), why FD Math Deconvolve fails on real images, and how to run Richardson–Lucy in ImageJ and Fiji.
Read the guideFFT bandpass filter and edge detection in ImageJ (with before/after examples)
FFT in ImageJ step by step: Process › FFT, Bandpass Filter settings, stripe removal and Find Edges, with before/after pictures and when filtering is safe.
Read the guideCheck for saturated pixels in ImageJ: histogram, HiLo LUT and the numbers
Check saturation in ImageJ with Analyze › Histogram, the HiLo LUT and Min/Max, on a clipped example with its spike at 65535 and what it does to data.
Read the guideLUTs in ImageJ: which lookup table to use (and colour-blind-safe choices)
ImageJ lookup tables compared on one image: Grays, Fire, viridis, HiLo and the rest, how to add a calibration bar, and colour-blind-safe channel colours.
Read the guideImageJ and Fiji on a Mac: install, Apple Silicon and "can't be opened" fixes
Download ImageJ or Fiji for Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel), fix "can't be opened" and "damaged" errors, set the memory, and the no-install option.
Read the guideImageJ macros for beginners: record a macro and batch-process a folder
Record an ImageJ macro with Plugins › Macros › Record, run it from the editor, then batch-process a folder with Process › Batch › Macro. Step by step.
Read the guideMake a movie from an image stack or time-lapse in ImageJ (AVI, GIF, MP4)
Turn a folder of frames or a time-lapse stack into an AVI, GIF or MP4 in ImageJ: Image Sequence, a time stamp, a scale bar, frame rate, and saving.
Read the guidePlot Profile in ImageJ: line scans, wide lines and intensity profiles
Plot Profile in ImageJ: draw a line, press Ctrl K, set the line width to average noise, copy the values, plot two channels and profile a rectangle.
Read the guideROI Manager in ImageJ: measure many regions, save them and open them anywhere
Open the ROI Manager in ImageJ (Analyze › Tools › ROI Manager), add ROIs with T, measure them on every channel, save RoiSet.zip and reopen it later.
Read the guideImageJ threshold methods compared, with pictures
All 16 ImageJ auto threshold methods on one image, with the threshold and % area each gives, which method suits which image, and how to apply it.
Read the guideInstall ImageJ or Fiji on Windows 10 and 11
Download and install Fiji or ImageJ on Windows 10 and 11: the right zip, where to unzip it (not Program Files), Java, memory, and where files go.
Read the guideHow to make a kymograph in ImageJ and measure velocities
Make a kymograph in ImageJ: a line along the track, Image › Stacks › Reslice, then a line on each streak gives velocity = Δx ÷ Δt, with a worked example.
Read the guideZ Project in ImageJ: maximum, average and sum projections compared
Image › Stacks › Z Project in ImageJ: what Max Intensity, Average, Sum Slices, SD, Min and Median give, when Sum beats Max, and how to check depth.
Read the guideHow to measure fluorescence intensity in ImageJ (Mean, IntDen, RawIntDen and CTCF)
Measure fluorescence in ImageJ: Mean, IntDen and RawIntDen explained, CTCF = IntDen − Area × background worked through, and the 8-bit and saturation traps.
Read the guideMerge, split and overlay channels in ImageJ (and make a composite figure)
Merge channels in ImageJ with Image › Color › Merge Channels, split them with Split Channels, overlay with Add Image, and build a colour-blind-safe figure.
Read the guideImage integrity: what you may and may not do to microscopy and blot images
What journals allow when you adjust microscopy and blot images: linear whole-image changes, gamma disclosed, no cloning or selective edits, in ImageJ.
Read the guideNanoparticle size distribution from TEM images in ImageJ (step by step)
Nanoparticle size from TEM in ImageJ: scale, threshold, watershed, Analyze Particles with Feret, then the size histogram and mean ± SD, worked through.
Read the guideNanorod and nanowire length, width and aspect ratio from SEM images in ImageJ
Measure nanorod and nanowire length, width and aspect ratio from SEM images in ImageJ: Feret, MinFeret, fit ellipse, edge rods, and why not to watershed.
Read the guideNeurite length and branching in ImageJ: Skeletonize and Analyze Skeleton
Neurite length and branching in ImageJ: threshold, Process › Binary › Skeletonize, then Analyze Skeleton (Fiji) or a macro. Why diagonal steps matter.
Read the guideNuclear/cytoplasmic ratio in ImageJ: quantify NF-κB, YAP or TFEB translocation
Measure the nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio in ImageJ step by step: nuclei from DAPI, a cytoplasm ring with Enlarge and Make Band, and an N/C table per cell.
Read the guideHow to open .czi, .nd2, .lif and other microscope files in ImageJ (Bio-Formats)
Open Zeiss .czi, Nikon .nd2 and Leica .lif files in ImageJ with Bio-Formats (built into Fiji), keep the pixel size, and fix "Unsupported format".
Read the guideOpen DICOM files in ImageJ (and a series as a stack)
Open DICOM files in ImageJ with File › Open, a whole series as a stack with Import › Image Sequence, read the tags, measure HU, and open compressed DICOM.
Read the guideParticle tracking in ImageJ (TrackMate) and MSD: a practical guide
Track particles in ImageJ with TrackMate (Fiji) or Find Maxima, then get the diffusion coefficient from the MSD: MSD = 4Dt in 2D, with a worked example.
Read the guidePorosity and pore size from SEM images in ImageJ (AAO, membranes, coatings)
Porosity and pore size from an SEM image in ImageJ: threshold the pores, read %Area as porosity, then Analyze Particles for pore areas and diameters.
Read the guideUse ImageJ from Python with PyImageJ (a gentle start)
Install PyImageJ, start ImageJ from Python with imagej.init, run your ImageJ macro, and get the image as NumPy and the Results table as pandas.
Read the guideRolling-ball background subtraction in ImageJ: how to choose the radius
Subtract background in ImageJ: Process › Subtract Background, a rolling ball radius at least the largest object's, Light background off for fluorescence.
Read the guideWound healing (scratch) assay analysis in ImageJ: % closure step by step
Measure a scratch wound in ImageJ: variance filter, threshold and Analyze Particles per frame, then % closure and closure rate, with a worked example.
Read the guideSholl analysis in ImageJ/Fiji and online (step by step)
Sholl analysis step by step: circles around the cell body, crossings per radius, the Sholl plot, critical radius and ramification index, in Fiji (SNT) or with an ImageJ macro.
Read the guideTube formation assay quantification in ImageJ (and the Angiogenesis Analyzer)
Quantify a tube formation assay in ImageJ step by step: total tube length, junctions, segments and meshes, plus the Angiogenesis Analyzer and AngioTool.
Read the guideWatershed in ImageJ: separate touching particles (and when not to)
Split touching nuclei and nanoparticles with Process › Binary › Watershed in ImageJ, with before and after counts, and why it cuts nanorods to pieces.
Read the guideCrystal structure and 2D-material figures: VESTA, Mercury, CrystalMaker, Avogadro, OVITO and LabCanvas compared
Which tool for crystal structure and 2D-material figures? VESTA, CrystalMaker, Mercury, Avogadro, Jmol, OVITO, the Materials Project viewer and LabCanvas compared: licence, platforms, file formats, rendering and how to cite each.
Read the guideFree tools for scientific figures in 2026: BioRender, Inkscape, Affinity, Canva, PowerPoint and more
An honest comparison of tools for scientific figures: BioRender, Mind the Graph, Inkscape, Affinity, Canva, PowerPoint, Adobe Illustrator and LabCanvas. What each free plan includes, publication rights, file formats and who each one suits.
Read the guideJournal figure size guide: column widths, DPI and fonts for 38 journals
Figure requirements for 38 journals in one table: single, 1.5 and double column widths in mm, maximum height, DPI for photos and line art, fonts and file types, each linked to the journal’s author guidelines.
Read the guideA free GraphPad Prism alternative: graphs and statistics in your browser
Looking for a free GraphPad Prism alternative? What LabCanvas Graphs does (data tables, t tests, ANOVA, curve fits, survival, cluster analysis, 70 graph types checked against SciPy), what it does not, and when Prism is still the better choice.
Read the guideThe LabCanvas Figure editor: vector scientific illustration in your browser
How to make journal figures and graphical abstracts in the LabCanvas Figure editor: vector tools, 700+ adjustable science objects, lab glassware that connects, LaTeX equations, and export at the width and DPI your journal asks for.
Read the guideLabCanvas Slides: scientific presentations built from editable figures
How to build lab meetings, conference talks and lectures in LabCanvas Slides: a slide strip, layouts and themes, transitions and motion paths, speaker notes, full-screen presenting and a vector PDF of the deck.
Read the guideLabCanvas Research Poster: conference posters that arrange themselves
How to make an A0, A1 or 48 × 36 in research poster in LabCanvas Research Poster: blocks that stack in columns and re-flow their text, themes and block styles, QR codes, and a print-ready vector PDF.
Read the guideMolDraw online: free chemical structure drawing in your browser
Draw molecules and reaction schemes online, free, with nothing to install. LabCanvas MolDraw: atoms, bonds, rings and charges, reaction arrows, structures from PubChem, SMILES, a 3D view of the same molecule, and placing structures in figures.
Read the guideThe LabCanvas 3D Studio: adjustable 3D models of cells, nanomaterials and devices
How to make 3D scientific renders in the LabCanvas 3D Studio: adjustable models of cells, viruses, nanoparticles, 2D materials, MOFs and devices, molecules from PubChem, proteins from the PDB, crystals from CIF files, and renders placed in figures.
Read the guideThe LabCanvas Protein viewer: PDB structures styled for figures
How to show a protein structure in the LabCanvas Protein viewer: load any PDB ID or your own PDB and mmCIF file, choose cartoon, surface or ball-and-stick, colour by chain or secondary structure, select residues on the sequence and snapshot a transparent PNG for your figure.
Read the guideLabCanvas Graphs & statistics: 70 scientific graph types with checked statistics
A visual guide to LabCanvas Graphs & statistics: Prism-style data tables, 70 graph types from scatter dot plots to Kaplan–Meier, volcano and PAE plots, t tests, ANOVA, curve fits and survival tests checked against SciPy, and graphs that stay linked to their figure.
Read the guideLabCanvas Optics: draw optical setups with the beam path simulated live
How to build optical setup diagrams in LabCanvas Optics: lasers, lenses, mirrors, beam splitters, gratings and detectors on a breadboard, rays and beams traced as you move parts, interference, ready-made setups and clean schematics for figures.
Read the guideThe LabCanvas Pixel editor: edit micrographs and photos inside your figure
How to adjust microscopy images and photos in the LabCanvas Pixel editor: crop, levels, curves and exposure, false-colour lookup tables, healing and clone stamp, selections and masks, with an edit log for your methods section.
Read the guideWhat is LabCanvas? One workspace for scientific illustration, data and presentation
A guide to LabCanvas: ten connected apps for figures, molecules, 3D crystals, graphs, slides and posters, the workflows between them, ready-made templates, and why one editable canvas makes scientific illustration faster to learn and easier to change.
Read the guideA BioRender alternative for scientific figures: what LabCanvas does differently
Looking for a BioRender alternative? An honest comparison with LabCanvas: adjustable objects, vector tools, 3D and graphs, and when BioRender fits better.
Read the guideStart making better figures
Every app is free to start in your browser. LabCanvas Pro adds downloads, unlimited designs and the AI assistant.
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