Crystals on the cover 2012.

We begin our eighth year of publication with the now traditional crystals cover, which features pictures of crystals from articles published in Acta Cryst. F in the year just passed. It serves as a testament of our continuing commitment to the community of scientists who work on crystallization of macromolecules.

The crystals featured this year are from the following articles: Gómez García et al. (2011 ▶), Kish et al. (2011 ▶), Liu et al. (2011 ▶), Wang et al. (2011 ▶), Oyenarte et al. (2011 ▶), Park & Crane (2011 ▶), Kang et al. (2011 ▶), Alsarraf et al. (2011 ▶), Scott et al. (2010 ▶), Kubota et al. (2010 ▶), Tzarum et al. (2011 ▶), Kovalevsky et al. (2011 ▶), Horita et al. (2011 ▶), Zhang et al. (2011 ▶), Tan et al. (2011 ▶), Rustiguel et al. (2011 ▶), Pernot et al. (2010 ▶), Pavšič & Lenarčič (2011 ▶), Rocha et al. (2011 ▶), Cruz-Migoni et al. (2011 ▶), Yasuhira et al. (2011 ▶), Kaljunen et al. (2011 ▶), Okazaki et al. (2011 ▶), Niefind et al. (2011 ▶) and Schuman et al. (2011 ▶).

We have been pleasantly surprised at the popularity of these annual photomontages. The cover illustrations have been used to make postcards and posters that are given away at IUCr Journals displays and booths at meetings and workshops around the world throughout the year. Having served as helpers at these displays and booths from time to time, we have discovered that these postcards and posters are the most popular promotional materials offered and produce a constant flow of visitors during breaks and exhibit periods. That pleases us greatly and we gratefully thank all those who have contributed photographs of their crystals. We also encourage all our authors in 2012 to submit their crystal photographs for inclusion in next year’s montage.