HTML Images
Images can improve the design and the appearance of a web page.
Example
<img src="pic_trulli.jpg"
alt="Italian Trulli">
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Example
<img src="img_girl.jpg"
alt="Girl in a jacket">
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Example
<img src="img_chania.jpg"
alt="Flowers in Chania">
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HTML Images Syntax
The HTML <img> tag is used to embed an
image in a web page.
Images are not technically inserted into a web page; images are linked to web
pages. The <img> tag creates a holding
space for the referenced image.
The <img> tag is empty, it contains attributes only, and does not
have a closing tag.
The <img> tag has two required
attributes:
src - Specifies the path to the image
alt - Specifies an alternate text for the image
Syntax
<img src="url" alt="alternatetext">
The src Attribute
The required src attribute specifies the path (URL) to the image.
Note: When a web page loads, it is the browser, at that
moment, that gets the image from a web server and inserts it into the page.
Therefore, make sure that the image actually stays in the same spot in relation
to the web page, otherwise your visitors will get a broken link icon. The broken
link icon and the alt text are shown if the browser cannot find the image.
Example
<img src="img_chania.jpg" alt="Flowers
in Chania">
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The alt Attribute
The required alt attribute provides an alternate text for an image, if the user for
some reason cannot view it (because of slow connection, an error in the src
attribute, or if the user uses a screen reader).
The value of the alt attribute should describe the image:
Example
<img src="img_chania.jpg" alt="Flowers
in Chania">
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If a browser cannot find an image, it will display the value of the alt
attribute:
Example
<img src="wrongname.gif" alt="Flowers
in Chania">
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Tip: A screen reader is a software program that reads the HTML code, and allows the user to "listen" to the content. Screen readers are useful
for people who are visually impaired or learning disabled.
Image Size - Width and Height
You can use the style attribute to specify the width and
height of an image.
Example
<img src="img_girl.jpg" alt="Girl in a jacket" style="width:500px;height:600px;">
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Alternatively, you can use the width and height attributes:
Example
<img src="img_girl.jpg" alt="Girl in a jacket" width="500" height="600">
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The width and height attributes always define the width and height of the
image in pixels.
Note: Always specify the width and height of an image. If width and height are not specified, the
web page
might flicker while the image loads.
Width and Height, or Style?
The width, height, and style attributes are
all valid in HTML.
However, we suggest using the style attribute. It prevents styles sheets from changing
the size of images:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html><html><head><style>img { width: 100%; }
</style></head><body><img src="html5.gif" alt="HTML5 Icon" width="128" height="128"><img src="html5.gif" alt="HTML5 Icon" style="width:128px;height:128px;"></body></html>
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Images in Another Folder
If you have your images in a sub-folder, you must include the folder
name in the src attribute:
Example
<img src="/images/html5.gif"
alt="HTML5 Icon" style="width:128px;height:128px;">
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Images on Another Server/Website
Some web sites point to an image on another server.
To point to an image on another server, you must specify an absolute (full)
URL in the src attribute:
Example
<img src="https://www.w3schools.com/images/w3schools_green.jpg" alt="W3Schools.com">
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Notes on external images: External images might be under
copyright. If you do not get permission to use it, you may be in violation of
copyright laws. In addition, you cannot control external images; they can suddenly
be removed or changed.
Animated Images
HTML allows animated GIFs:
Example
<img src="programming.gif" alt="Computer Man" style="width:48px;height:48px;">
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Image as a Link
To use an image as a link, put the <img> tag inside the <a>
tag:
Example
<a href="default.asp"> <img src="smiley.gif" alt="HTML tutorial"
style="width:42px;height:42px;"></a>
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Image Floating
Use the CSS float property to let the image float to the right or to the left of a text:
Example
<p><img src="smiley.gif" alt="Smiley face"
style="float:right;width:42px;height:42px;">
The image will float to the right of
the text.</p><p><img src="smiley.gif" alt="Smiley face"
style="float:left;width:42px;height:42px;">
The image will float to the left of
the text.</p>
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Tip: To learn more about CSS Float, read our CSS Float Tutorial.
Common Image Formats
Here are the most common image file types, which are supported in all browsers
(Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Opera):
Abbreviation
File Format
File Extension
APNG
Animated Portable Network Graphics
.apng
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format
.gif
ICO
Microsoft Icon
.ico, .cur
JPEG
Joint Photographic Expert Group image
.jpg, .jpeg, .jfif, .pjpeg, .pjp
PNG
Portable Network Graphics
.png
SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
.svg
Chapter Summary
Use the HTML <img> element to define an image
Use the HTML src attribute to define the URL of the image
Use the HTML alt attribute to define an alternate text for an image, if it cannot be displayed
Use the HTML width and height attributes
or the CSS width and height
properties to define the size of the image
Use the CSS float property to let the image float
to the left or to the right
Note: Loading large images takes time, and can slow down your
web page. Use images carefully.
HTML Exercises
Test Yourself With Exercises
Exercise:
Use the HTML image attributes to set the size of the image to 250 pixels wide and 400 pixels tall.
<img src="scream.png" ="250" ="400">
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Start the Exercise
HTML Image Tags
Tag
Description
<img>
Defines an image
<map>
Defines an image map
<area>
Defines a clickable area inside an image map
<picture>
Defines a container for multiple image resources
For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference.
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Reference: https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_images.asp
