graphics - Should Figures and Tables follow a certain order or be at a specific location in a document?

This is a topic I constantly think about when writing a document.

Often after I complete a document in LaTex I would go through the document to make sure that the figures are where I want them to be (I want you here, not there!) and this is a very frustrating procedure.

My question is: How important are figure locations in a document, e.g. if the figure you refer to is not on the page where you are referring to it, perhaps even two pages after.

I have noticed that textbook publishers rarely give any thought to it and I cannot decide whether it bothers me or not. It would certainly make my life easier if I don't have to worry about floats jumping around in a LaTex document.

Any thoughts?

Answer

There are many policies that publishers imply considering figures. The most common ones are:

1. All figures or tables (so-called floats) have to be numbered and get a caption.


2. All floats have to be placed at the top of the page, or at a page solely made of figures and tables.


3. All floats have to be referred in the text by their number.


4. Every float has to appear no sooner than on the page where it is first mentioned (i.e. if it's first mentioned on page 5, it shouldn't be placed on page 4, but it can be placed on page 6).


5. Numbering should be consecutive (i.e., no 1 then 3 then 2).


6. The first reference to the floats should be consecutive (with the exception where you basically only "confer it" (with "cf." or alike).

Some journals want you to provide figures and tables separately, some don't care, some have typesetters that do it themselves, some don't force captions, some allow in-text placement, etc. Just check what you have to do. If nothing is said, I recommend complying with the rules above.