[Tex/LaTex] Suppressed figure numbers in \subcaptionbox still increase figure counter

numberingsubcaption

I want to suppress numbering in some figures. In single figures, the use of \caption* works fine – see first two pictures in MWE below. However, when I have two subfigures in a figure-environment (set with \subcaptionbox), the use of \caption* and \subcaptionbox* does suppress the figure numbering, yet the figure counter is updated, resulting in a 'missing' figure number. In the MWE below I would expect the last figure to be number two – as it is the second numbered figure, but it is numbered as three. Can anyone help me solve this issue?

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}
\begin{document}

\begin{figure}[h] %first figure - nonnumbered
\centering
\includegraphics[width=4cm]{chick}
\caption*{Non-numbered single chick}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[h] %second figure, but first numbered figure - counter should be 1
\centering
\includegraphics[width=4cm]{chick}
\caption{Numbered single chick}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[h] %third figure, nonnumbered
\centering
\subcaptionbox*{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}\hspace{1cm}
\subcaptionbox*{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}
\caption*{Two non-numbered chicks}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[h] %fourth figure, numbered, counter should be 2, but is 3
\centering
\subcaptionbox{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}\hspace{1cm}
\subcaptionbox{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}
\caption{Two numbered chicks}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

Best Answer

The \subcaption* command unconditionally increases the parent counter. As John Kormylo suggests, a work around is to add 

\addtocounter{figure}{-1}

just before the \caption*:

Sample output

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{subcaption}

\begin{document}

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=4cm]{chick}
\caption*{Non-numbered single chick}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\includegraphics[width=4cm]{chick}
\caption{Numbered single chick}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\subcaptionbox*{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}\hspace{1cm}
\subcaptionbox*{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}
\addtocounter{figure}{-1}
\caption*{Two non-numbered chicks}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\subcaptionbox{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}\hspace{1cm}
\subcaptionbox{chick}[4cm]{\includegraphics{chick}}
\caption{Two numbered chicks}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Correcting this in the subcaption package does not seem to be easy.

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