caption and subcaption in Scissor LaTeX

The caption and subcaption packages work partly in Scissor LaTeX: \caption in figure and table works, \captionsetup is ignored, \captionof prints its text without a number, \caption* still gets a number, and subfigure/subtable count as separate figures, so numbers go wrong; put all parts in one figure with one caption instead.

What the packages do

caption changes how captions look (\captionsetup{font=small, labelfont=bf}), adds \caption* for a caption without a number, and \captionof{figure}{...} for a caption outside a float. subcaption adds the subfigure and subtable environments, which hold the parts of one figure, each with its own caption labelled (a), (b) and so on.

What works here

Command	In Scissor LaTeX	Notes
`\caption{...}` in `figure` and `table`	Works	"Figure 1: ...", "Table 1: ...". Table captions are always placed above the table.
`\caption[short]{long}`	Partly	The long text is shown; the short one is ignored.
`\label` after `\caption`	Works
`\captionsetup{...}`	Left out	Ignored without a message.
`\caption*{...}`	Partly	The caption is shown, but with a number.
`\captionof{type}{...}`	Partly	The text is shown without "Figure" or a number; a `\label` after it gives ?? in references.
`subfigure`, `subtable`	Not supported well	Each part counts as a figure of its own. Later figure numbers are off, and `\ref` and the printed caption number disagree.
`\subcaption{...}`	Partly	The text is printed as a line of its own.

Examples

A figure and a table with captions and references:

\caption in a figure and a table

LaTeXPreamble: \usepackage{caption}Open in editor

\begin{figure}[h]
  \centering
  \fbox{A sketch of the setup}
  \caption{The test setup of Erika Mustermann.}\label{fig:setup}
\end{figure}
\begin{table}[h]
  \centering
  \caption{Results of the 44 runs.}\label{tab:runs}
  \begin{tabular}{lr} Mean & 12.5 \\ Best & 9.1 \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Figure~\ref{fig:setup} shows the setup and Table~\ref{tab:runs} the results.

Rendered by Scissor LaTeX: \caption in a figure and a table

Instead of subfigure, put the parts in one figure and name them in the caption. Each image is placed on its own line here, so the parts appear one under the other. The numbers are correct, and the code works in a TeX installation too:

Two parts in one figure

LaTeXPreamble: \usepackage{graphicx}Open in editor

\begin{figure}[h]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{graphicx-photo.png}
  \includegraphics[width=0.4\linewidth]{graphicx-diagram.svg}
  \caption{Weekly orders: (a) first quarter, top; (b) second quarter, bottom.}
  \label{fig:orders}
\end{figure}
Figure~\ref{fig:orders}(a) shows the first quarter.

Rendered by Scissor LaTeX: Two parts in one figure

\captionsetup is accepted but changes nothing, so the label here is not bold and the font not smaller:

\captionsetup is ignored

LaTeXOpen in editor

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{caption}
\captionsetup{font=small, labelfont=bf}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[h]
  \centering
  \fbox{Plot}
  \caption{The caption keeps the normal style.}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

Compatibility

From a TeX installation to here: figures and tables with plain \caption look right. Documents with subfigure typeset, but figure numbers are wrong from the first sub-figure on; caption styles from \captionsetup are not applied.
From here to a TeX installation: documents compile there unchanged. Captions then follow your \captionsetup settings.

The full manuals are on CTAN: ctan.org/pkg/caption and ctan.org/pkg/subcaption. See also Figures and images and Floats: placing figures and tables.

Questions and answers

How do I put two figures side by side?

Not directly yet: images are placed on their own lines. Combine the parts into one image file, or keep them stacked in one figure and describe them as (a) and (b) in one caption.

Why is my table caption above the table?

Table captions are always placed above the table here, wherever you write \caption. That is the usual style for tables.

Every example on this page is typeset by Scissor LaTeX when the site is built. Last updated 2026-11-06.