70 Media: Images & Best Practices
Pressbooks allows you to add interactive elements to your book, which are referred to collectively as “media.” Pressbooks enables you to include three types of media in your book: images, audio and video. All media file uploads must be under 10 MB, but we recommend keeping them under 2 MB.
This chapter focuses on images. You will learn:
- How to upload image files into the Media Library
- How to insert an image file into your post
- How to add images from URL
- How to control the placement and appearance of your image file
- How to create a gallery
- Best practices for handling images in Pressbooks
- How to link to an image from a text hyperlink
- How to link to a larger image from a thumbnail image in a webbook
1. How to Upload Image Media Files
There are two ways to upload images files: 1) from the left-side dashboard menu, you can access your media library and add or delete files or 2) as you’re writing, you can insert media in a chapter, front matter, back matter or part.
To upload media files using the media library:
- Go to your dashboard.
- Click on Media.
- Your library will appear.
- Click Add New either in the left menu or at the top of the main panel.
- A screen will appear where you can upload your images.
- You can drag files from your computer onto this screen.
- Or, click on Select Files to browse for the correct media files on your computer. Click on the file names and the files will upload.
- To edit files you have uploaded, click on Media Library.
- Hover over a file to see the options, then click Edit.
2. Uploading Image Files from Within a Post
- Go to the post in which you would like to add an image.
- Put your cursor where you would like the image to appear.
- Click on Add Media.
- The Insert Media screen will appear.
- An interface will appear with the option to drag and drop or select files.
- You can also find and select a file that you have already uploaded previously by clicking on Media Library.
3. Upload Image from URL
When you are uploading media from within a post, you can also click on Insert from URL to pull in a link to a photo on the Internet. This image will not be added to your media library.
4. Controlling the Appearance and Placement of an Image
Once you’ve uploaded your image and inserted it where you want it, for best results, you’ll want to give it some styling.
- Once your image uploads, click on it.
- The Attachment Details menu will appear to the right.
- Critical: Give your photo a caption. Photos without captions will not render properly in all e-readers.
- It’s best practice to write Alt Text, which will be read to visually impaired readers by a screen reader or accessibility device.
- Add a Title and Description for your image here.
- Scroll down.
- Select the preferred alignment for your image.
- Have your image link to itself, or somewhere offsite.
- Choose the size at which your image will display. (You’ll want to know your publisher or bookstore’s specs.)
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