We typically use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop to make scientific figures. To get an Adobe license, you will need to submit a request for Adobe Creative Cloud to IT; see this FAQ section.

• Licenses run within a fixed period, from August to August, regardless of when you register for one.
• Students at the Yale School of Medicine receive Adobe CC for free, and students from other departments should request it through their school directly.
• Other staff (like postdocs, postgrads, technicians, etc.) at YSM can request an upgrade using this form. The $15/year charge listed will be covered by the department.
• For non YSM-staff, Yale provides the license to staff via Software Library.
• IT will want you to provide justification for the upgrade; explaining that you need Illustrator/Photoshop to edit scientific figures for posters or publications should be sufficient.