Refers to a printed illustration, diagram, or photographic plate in a book, magazine, or academic publication. Often used in contexts like 図版を参照 (see the plate/figure).
This plate is taken from a 19th-century anatomy book.
I plan to include several figures in the paper.
Please refer to the plate at the end of the book for details.
This paper includes many plates and figures.
This textbook contains many plates and illustrations.
Adding a plate to the explanation makes it easier to understand.
イラスト is a casual, general word for any illustration, while 図版 is formal and specifically used for plates in books or journals.
counter for thin, flat objects; sheet; plate; coin · serving of soba; portion of gyōza · sumo rank position; wrestler at a given rank · field; rice paddy plot · palanquin bearer
Compound of 図 (drawing, diagram) and 版 (printing block, edition). The word originally referred to a printing plate with an image, and by extension came to mean the printed illustration itself.