CMI Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CMI facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which drawing technique simulates 3D volume? → Shading
2. What minimum resolution (PPI) is typically required for medical illustrations submitted for offset printing in a journal or textbook? → 300 PPI
3. Which suture pattern illustration would be most appropriate for depicting an interrupted closure of the skin? → Individual U-shaped loops placed at equal intervals across the wound
4. What organ is responsible for filtering blood in the human body? → Kidneys
5. What is the primary function of the circulatory system? → Circulation of blood
6. Which color mode must medical illustrations be converted to before submitting to a publisher for CMYK offset printing? → CMYK
7. What is the term for the basic unit of life? → Cell
8. Which rendering pass in a 3D medical animation pipeline captures shadows separately for compositing flexibility? → Shadow pass (shadow catcher)
9. Which cell type forms the granuloma core in chronic granulomatous inflammation? → Epithelioid macrophages
10. When estimating fees for a complex 3D medical animation, which factor most significantly affects pricing beyond hourly rate? → Usage scope (broadcast, educational, promotional) and exclusivity
11. In a multi-panel figure, panels are conventionally labeled using which convention in biomedical publications? → Uppercase Roman letters (A, B, C)
12. Which software is most commonly used in medical illustration? → Adobe Illustrator
13. What is the primary purpose of using icons rather than detailed anatomical illustrations in a patient-facing discharge instruction sheet? → Icons communicate key actions or concepts rapidly without requiring reading literacy
14. Why should illustrators avoid exaggeration? → To maintain accuracy
15. Which approach is used in CT/MRI volume rendering to produce semi-transparent 3D medical images? → Transfer functions mapping voxel intensity to color and opacity
16. A medical illustrator is asked to supply 'line art' for a chapter. What characterizes a true line art figure in publishing terms? → A black-and-white image with no continuous tone values, only solid lines and fills
17. What tool would you use to measure anatomical accuracy? → Calipers
18. In illustrating atherosclerosis, which layer of the arterial wall does the fatty streak primarily involve? → Tunica intima
19. In illustrating cirrhosis, which fibrous change replaces normal hepatic architecture? → Bridging fibrosis forming regenerative nodules
20. Why should diversity be represented in illustrations? → To promote inclusivity
21. In medical illustration, 'exploded view' is a technique used primarily for what publication purpose? → Separating components to display internal assembly or spatial relationships
22. A cardiovascular surgeon needs an illustration of a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Which vessel's anatomy must be most precisely rendered? → Anastomosis site at the target coronary artery
23. What minimum image resolution is generally required for high-quality print reproduction in medical journals? → 300 dpi
24. When illustrating a step-by-step surgical procedure, what is the primary purpose of using ghost-line (phantom) rendering on surrounding tissues? → To show underlying structures without obscuring the focal surgical site
25. What feature distinguishes cross-sectional views? → Sliced anatomy view
26. What is the purpose of white space in illustration? → Improves readability
27. In medical AR/VR applications, what is the significance of 'frame rate' for surgical training simulations? → Rates below 60 fps can cause motion sickness and reduce training effectiveness
28. Which project management tool category is most commonly used by medical illustrators to track multi-deliverable projects with client review cycles? → Task/project management tools such as Asana, Trello, or Basecamp
29. When creating surgical illustrations for a textbook chapter on appendectomy, what is the standard convention for indicating tissue to be excised? → Dashed or dotted boundary lines indicating planned resection
30. When preparing medical illustrations for a slide deck intended for CME (Continuing Medical Education) presentations, which aspect ratio is the current standard? → 16:9