Referencing figures in Supplementary Information

Question

I am hyperlinking with

\usepackage{hyperref}

and using the following command to start a Supplementary Information section:

\begin\newcommand{\beginsupplement}{
    \setcounter{section}{0}
    \renewcommand{\thesection}{S\arabic{section}}
    \setcounter{equation}{0}
    \renewcommand{\theequation}{S\arabic{equation}}
    \setcounter{figure}{0}
    \renewcommand{\thefigure}{S\arabic{figure}}}

Before I call \usepackage{hyperref}, the equations, figures, and sections are all numbered 1, 2, ... and link properly to the equations, figures, and sections that they refer to.

After I call \usepackage{hyperref}, the equations, figures, and sections are all numbered S1, S2, ... and the equations and sections link properly. However, the figures inexplicably do not.

My figures are labeled as

\begin{figure*}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig1.png}
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig2.png}

    \vspace{0.5cm}

    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig3.png}
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig4.png}
    \caption{Caption text here.}
    \label{fig:spresults1}
\end{figure*}

The number S3 appears properly when I reference Fig. S3 in the Supplementary Information, but when I click the link, it takes me to Fig. 3 in the main text. However, equations and sections work properly - Eq. S14 links to Eq. S14 not Eq. 14.

\ref itself is working fine, but I think there is an issue in the hyperref package. Does anyone know a way around this?

Answer 1

After some experimentation, I found a solution in creating a new counter. I put it in the last two lines the following block which I use to begin my Supplementary Information.

\newcommand{\beginsupplement}{
    \setcounter{section}{0}
    \renewcommand{\thesection}{S\arabic{section}}
    \setcounter{equation}{0}
    \renewcommand{\theequation}{S\arabic{equation}}
    \setcounter{table}{0}
    \renewcommand{\thetable}{S\arabic{table}}
    \setcounter{figure}{0}
    \renewcommand{\thefigure}{S\arabic{figure}}
    \newcounter{SIfig}
    \renewcommand{\theSIfig}{S\arabic{SIfig}}}

Then I use the new counter in the new figure as

\begin{figure*}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig1.png}
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig2.png}

    \vspace{0.5cm}

    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig3.png}
    \includegraphics[width=8cm]{subfig4.png}

    \refstepcounter{SIfig}\label{fig:spresults1}

    \caption{Caption text here.}
\end{figure*}

so that the label is applied to the SIfig counter rather than the caption. Since the target of the label is completely distinct from the figure counter, the references to SI figures properly link back to SI figures.