List of Figures vs List of Tables: Does Your Book Need Both?
Figures and tables both present information outside ordinary prose, but readers use them differently. A figure may show a photograph, diagram, map, chart or other visual explanation. A table arranges comparable information in rows and columns. When a nonfiction book contains many of either, dedicated lists can help readers locate useful material without searching chapter by chapter.
The design decision is not simply whether the manuscript contains visuals. It is whether those visuals form a meaningful reference layer. A short memoir with several photographs may need neither list. A research-based guide with maps, process diagrams and comparative tables may need two. The best choice reflects quantity, reader intent and the precision of the production workflow.
The short answer
Use a list of figures when readers may want to find numbered illustrations independently of the surrounding chapters. Use a list of tables when tabular data has enough reference value to deserve its own route. Use both when each category is substantial. Combine them only when the book has relatively few entries and the labels make the distinction immediately clear.
Do not add either list merely because a template offers one. Every front-matter page creates another system that must stay synchronized with captions, titles, numbering and pagination. The navigation value should justify that maintenance.
What counts as a figure
In publishing, a figure is broader than a photograph. It may be a map, diagram, line drawing, chart, workflow, screenshot or other visual item that the text identifies and the reader can reference. A chart may display numerical relationships, yet it is still normally treated as a figure because the information is encoded visually rather than organized as a table.
The important feature is editorial identity. A figure has a label or number, a caption and a deliberate relationship to the text. Decorative icons, chapter-opening ornaments and background textures usually do not belong in a list because readers are unlikely to search for them. Including non-reference material makes the list longer without making the book easier to use.
What counts as a table
A table organizes information into rows and columns so readers can compare values, categories or attributes. It may contain numbers, words or both. Unlike a chart, it asks the reader to inspect exact entries rather than interpret shapes, scales or visual patterns.
Tables deserve listing when they are numbered, carry meaningful titles and can be useful outside the sentence that introduces them. A small callout arranged in two columns is not automatically a table for navigation purposes. The classification should follow the book's editorial system, not merely its appearance.
When separate lists are more useful
Separate lists work well when figures and tables are numerous, distributed across several chapters or consulted for different purposes. Someone looking for a process diagram can scan figure titles without moving through rows of statistical tables. Someone checking a comparison can go directly to the table list.
Separation also reveals production errors. Missing numbers, duplicate labels and inconsistent wording are easier to spot when similar objects are grouped together. For technical, academic, policy and professional books, that quality-control benefit can be as important as reader navigation.
The threshold is not a universal number. Consider how dense the list looks, whether the entries can fit on a clear page or spread, and how likely readers are to return to the visual material. Six essential maps may justify a list more strongly than twenty decorative photographs.
When one combined list can work
A combined list of illustrations and tables may suit a book with only a handful of each. The combined approach saves front-matter space and offers one visual index. It works best when every entry begins with an explicit label such as Figure or Table followed by a unique number.
Combination becomes less useful when readers must continually distinguish long categories or when numbering systems are complex. If the list grows beyond quick scanning, split it. The small gain in page economy is not worth a navigation page that feels cluttered.
Numbering choices affect the lists
A simple book may number figures and tables consecutively from beginning to end. A longer technical book may use chapter-based numbers such as Figure 4.2 or Table 7.1. Either system can work, but the list, caption and in-text reference must use exactly the same form.
Chapter-based numbering makes additions easier because inserting a new item in chapter two does not renumber every later figure. Global numbering can feel simpler in a short book. Choose before copyediting and layout, document the rule in the style sheet and apply it to every object.
What each entry should contain
A functional entry normally includes the object label and number, a title or concise description, and the final page number. The list is a finding tool, so the language should be specific enough to identify the content without reproducing a long caption.
Chicago's public Turabian guidance notes that figure or table titles may be shortened in the list. If you shorten them, adopt a consistent rule. Keep the distinctive subject, remove secondary detail carefully and avoid inventing a new title that no longer matches what the reader sees on the page.
Page numbers should align consistently for easy scanning. Long entries need deliberate wrapping, not squeezed type. A book designer should test the longest realistic title early so the final page does not fail after pagination.
Placement in the front matter
Lists of figures and tables generally appear in the front matter after the contents page. Chicago's public guidance describes this conventional placement, and its current book structure treats lists of illustrations or tables as navigation elements. The precise order can still vary by house style and project.
If both lists appear, choose an order and keep it consistent. Many books place figures before tables, but the dominant content or publisher preference may guide the sequence. Include the lists themselves in the table of contents so readers can find them quickly.
Build the lists from structured data
Do not type final lists manually from memory. Use paragraph styles, caption styles, cross-references or the layout application's automatic list functions wherever possible. Structured generation reduces transcription errors and makes pagination updates repeatable.
Automation does not remove editorial responsibility. The software will faithfully reproduce inconsistent labels, vague titles and duplicate numbers. Editors still need to examine the generated list, compare it with every visual object and confirm that the wording helps a reader identify the item.
A production checklist
Classify every visual object as a figure, table or non-listed decorative element.
Choose global or chapter-based numbering and record the rule.
Match every list entry to its caption or table title.
Verify that all in-text references point to an existing object.
Generate page numbers after pagination is stable.
Recheck the lists after image, caption or layout corrections.
Test hyperlinks and accessibility labels in the digital edition.
The last check should run in both directions: every listed item must exist, and every numbered figure or table that should be discoverable must appear in the correct list. This catches omissions that a one-way comparison misses.
Frequently asked questions
Does every nonfiction book need a list of figures?
No. A list of figures is useful when a book contains enough numbered illustrations, charts, maps, photographs or diagrams that readers may want to locate them independently. A book with only a few visuals may not need a separate navigation page.
Does every nonfiction book need a list of tables?
No. Add a list of tables when tables are numerous, substantial or likely to be revisited as reference material. A small number of simple tables can usually be found through the contents, chapter structure or nearby text.
Can figures and tables appear in one combined list?
Yes. A combined list can work when the book contains only a modest number of visual elements and the labels remain unmistakable. Separate lists are usually easier to scan when figures and tables are numerous or serve different reader needs.
What information should each list entry include?
Each entry should normally include the figure or table number, its title or a carefully shortened version, and the page on which it begins. The wording and numbering must match the caption or title in the book.
Where should lists of figures and tables appear?
They usually belong in the front matter after the table of contents, although the precise order should follow the publisher's house style and the needs of the book. Keep the order consistent between print and digital editions where practical.
Should unnumbered decorative images appear in a list of figures?
Usually not. Decorative ornaments, background textures and purely atmospheric images do not normally function as referenceable figures. Include visual material that carries information and is identified consistently in the text or captions.
Can figure and table titles be shortened in the lists?
Yes, if the shortened wording remains accurate and recognizable. Apply one consistent rule, preserve the identifying subject, and avoid changing terminology in a way that makes the list entry seem unrelated to the caption or table title.
When should page numbers be updated?
Generate or verify page numbers only after pagination is stable, then check them again after final corrections. Reflow, image replacement and caption edits can move visual elements even when the chapter text appears unchanged.
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