View source for Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Images

{{For2|help on how to insert images into articles|[[Help:Pictures]]|wider information about images on Wikipedia|[[Wikipedia:Images]]}} 
{{pp-protected|reason=Persistent [[WP:Disruptive editing|disruptive editing]]|small=yes}}
{{MoS-guideline|MOS:IMAGES}}
{{style}} 
This page gives an overview of how images are used in Wikipedia; for more information, see [[Wikipedia:Image use policy|Image use policy]] and see [[Help:Files]] on how to upload and include an image.

==Choosing images==
===Pertinence and encyclopedic nature===
{{Shortcut|MOS:IMAGERELEVANCE|MOS:PERTINENCE|MOS:IRELEV}}
[[File:APEC Police Helicopter, Opera House, 2 Sept 2007.JPG|thumb|alt=Top of an unrecognizable curvy building under blue sky with a helicopter so far in the distance that it resembles a sparrow|This image of a [[helicopter]] over the [[Sydney Opera House]] shows neither adequately.|upright=0.8]]

Images must be significant and relevant in the topic's context, not primarily decorative. They are often an important [[multimedia learning|illustrative aid]] to understanding. When possible, find better images and improve captions instead of simply removing poor or inappropriate ones, especially on pages with few visuals. However, not every article needs images, and too many can be distracting.

{{Crossref|printworthy=y|See also {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Icons#Encyclopedic purpose}} ([[MOS:DECOR]]) on misuse of icons and other elements for decorative intent.}}

Images should {{em|look like}} what they are meant to illustrate, whether or not they are provably authentic. For example, a photograph of a {{lang|fr|[[trompe-l'œil]]}} painting of a cupcake may be an acceptable image for [[Cupcake]], but a real cupcake that has been decorated to look like something else entirely is less appropriate. Similarly, an image of a generic-looking cell under a [[light microscope]] might be useful on multiple articles, as long as there are no {{em|visible}} differences between the cell in the image and the typical appearance of the cell being illustrated.

Strive for variety. For example, in an article with numerous images of persons (e.g. [[Running]]), seek to depict a variety of ages, genders, and ethnicities. If an article on a military officer already shows its subject in uniform, then two more formal in-uniform portraits would add little interest or information, but a map of an important battle and an image of its aftermath would be more informative. Resist the temptation to overwhelm an article with images of marginal value simply because many images are available.

{{anchor|NOETHNICGALLERIES}}{{shortcut|MOS:NOETHNICGALLERIES|MOS:PEOPLEGALLERY}}Articles about ethnic groups or similarly large human populations should not be illustrated by a [[photomontage]] or [[Wikipedia:Picture tutorial#Galleries|gallery of images]] of group members; see [[Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style/Images/Archive 6|this]] and [[Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Archive278#RfC close review please?|this]] thread for the most recent consensus discussion on the topic.

=== Image quality ===
{{Shortcut|MOS:IMAGEQUALITY}}
Use the best quality images available.  Poor-quality images—dark or blurry; showing the subject too small, hidden in clutter, or ambiguous; and so on—should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Think carefully about which images best illustrate the subject matter. For example:
* An image of a [[white-tailed eagle]] is useless if the bird appears as a speck in the sky.
* A biography should lead with a portrait photograph of the subject alone, not with other people.
* A suitable picture of a [[hammerhead shark]] would show its distinctive hammer-like head, to distinguish it from other sharks.
* A map of [[Moldova]] should show its frontiers with [[Romania]] and [[Ukraine]], so people may know where the country is located in relation to its neighbors.
* [[Rice]] is best represented with an image of plain [[rice]], not [[fried rice]].
* Intangible concepts can be illustrated; for example, a cat with its claws out portrays [[aggression]].

Pages using seals, flags, banners, logos, or other symbols to represent governments, organizations, and institutions should use the version prescribed by that entity when available. These are preferable to amateur creations of similar quality, including photographs of physical representations of emblems.

===Avoid presenting textual information as images===
{{main|Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Avoid entering textual information as images}}

===Scale references===
{{shortcut|WP:FIDUCIAL}}
An image sometimes includes a familiar object to communicate scale. Such ''[[fiducial marker]]s'' should be as culturally universal and standardized as possible: [[ruler]]s, [[match]]es, [[Battery (electricity)|batteries]], [[pen]]s/[[pencil]]s, [[CD]]s/[[DVD]]s, [[soda can]]s, [[Football (ball)|footballs]] (soccer balls), people and their body parts, vehicles, and famous structures such as the [[Eiffel Tower]] are good choices, but many others are possible. Such objects as coins, banknotes, and sheets of paper are less satisfactory because they are specific to given locales, but may be better than none at all since at least the general scale is still communicated.

Quantitative data, if available, should still be given in the caption or the article.

{{gallery
|width=160 | height=170
|align=center
|File:Tick_male_size_comparison_(aka).jpg
|A [[tick]] (with a [[match]]stick for scale)
|File:7.62x51_5.56x45.JPG
|Ammunition (with an [[AA battery]])
|File:Emu_size.png
|[[Emu]]s (with a human silhouette and scale in meters)
}}
{{-}}

===Offensive images===
{{Shortcuts|MOS:OMIMG}}
{{Main|Wikipedia:Offensive material}}
{{See also|Wikipedia:Image blacklist}}
[[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#Wikipedia is not censored|Wikipedia is not censored]]: its mission is to present information, including information which some may find offensive. However, a potentially offensive image—one that would be considered vulgar or obscene by typical Wikipedia readers<ref group=nb name=typical />—should be included only if it is treated in an encyclopedic manner i.e. only if its omission would cause the article to be less informative, relevant, or accurate, and no equally suitable alternative is available. Per [[wmf:Resolution:Controversial content|the Foundation]], controversial images should follow the "principle of least astonishment": images should respect conventional expectations of readers for a given topic as much as is possible without sacrificing the quality of the article. Avoid images that contain irrelevant or extraneous elements that might seem offensive or harassing to readers; for example, photographs taken in a pornographic context would normally be inappropriate for articles about [[human anatomy]].

===Images for the lead===
{{shortcut|MOS:LEADIMAGE|MOS:IMAGELEAD}}

It is common for an article's lead or infobox to carry a representative image—such as of a person or place, a book or album cover—to give readers visual confirmation that they've arrived at the right page.

For some topics, selecting the lead image can be difficult. While Wikipedia is not censored, lead images should be selected with care {{See above|{{section link||Offensive images}}, above}}. The lead image is perhaps the first thing to catch the reader's eye, so avoid lead images that readers would not expect to see there. Unlike other content beyond the lead, the lead image should be chosen with these considerations in mind.

Advice on selecting a lead image includes:
*Lead images should be natural and appropriate representations of the topic; they should not only illustrate the topic specifically, but also be the type of image used for similar purposes in high-quality reference works, and therefore what our readers will expect to see. Lead images are not required, and not having a lead image may be the best solution if there is no easy representation of the topic.
{{shortcut|MOS:SHOCK|MOS:SHOCKVALUE}}

*{{anchor|SHOCK}}Lead images should be of least shock value; an alternative image that accurately represents the topic without shock value should always be preferred. For example, using an image of deportees being subjected to selection as the lead image at [[Special:PermanentLink/460749801|this version]] of [[Holocaust]] is far preferable to the appropriate images that appear later in the article that show the treatment of the prisoners or corpses from the camps.
*Sometimes it is impossible to avoid using a lead image with perceived shock value, for example in articles on human genitalia. Editors may assume, per [[Wikipedia:Content disclaimer]], that readers are aware that such articles may contain such images.

*Per [[#NOETHNICGALLERIES|MOS:NOETHNICGALLERIES]], using photomontages or a gallery of images of group members should be avoided in articles about ethnic groups or similarly large human populations. This does not apply to articles about things such as body parts or haircuts.

*On some mobile platforms an article's first image may be displayed at the top of the article, even if it appears well into the article in the desktop view. When placing images consider whether this phenomenon may mislead or confuse readers using mobile devices.

==How to place an image==
{{shortcut|MOS:IMGSYN|MOS:IMAGESYNTAX}}<!--this shortcut box somewhat earlier than normal to avoid collision of floating boxes, images, etc. -->
{{See|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility#Images}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Picture tutorial}}

==={{Anchor|Image syntax}}Syntax===
<!-- This Anchor tag serves to provide a permanent target for incoming section links. Please do not move it out of the section heading, even though it disrupts edit summary generation (you can manually fix the edit summary before you save your changes). Please do not modify it, even if you modify the section title. It is always best to anchor an old section header that has been changed so that links to it won't be broken. See [[Template:Anchor]] for details. (This text: [[Template:Anchor comment]]) -->
[[File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg|thumb|alt=A white dog in a harness playfully nuzzles a young boy |A [[Siberian Husky]] used as a pack animal]]
''Basic example (producing the image at right):''
{{xt2|<code><nowiki>[[File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg|thumb|alt=A white dog in a harness playfully nuzzles a young boy |A [[Siberian Husky]] used as a pack animal]]</nowiki></code>}}
*<code>File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg</code> The file (image) name must be exact (including capitalization, punctuation and spacing) and must include <code>.jpg</code>, <code>.png</code> or other extension. (<code>Image:</code> and <code>File:</code> work the same.) If Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons both have an image with the specified name, the Wikipedia version is the one that will appear in the article.
*<code>thumb</code> is required in most cases
*<code>alt=A white dog in a harness playfully nuzzles a young boy</code> Alt text is meant for those who cannot see the image; unlike the caption, it summarizes the image's {{em|appearance}}. It should comport with [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Accessibility/Alternative text for images]] and should name famous events, people and things.
*<code>A [[Siberian Husky]] used as a pack animal</code> The [[WP:Manual of Style/Captions|caption]] comes last, and gives the meaning or significance of the image.

See [[WP:Extended image syntax]] for further features and options. If the image does not display after you have carefully checked the syntax, it may have been [[MediaWiki:Bad image list|blacklisted]].

====VR photographs====
{{shortcut|MOS:360}}
To display [[VR photograph]]s ({{abbr|aka|also known as}} 360-degree panoramas or photospheres), use {{tl|PanoViewer}}.

===Size===
{{Shortcuts|MOS:IMGSIZE|MOS:UPRIGHT}}
{{see also|Wikipedia:Image use policy#Displayed image size}}
*An image's size is controlled by changing its width{{snd}}after which software automatically adjusts height in proportion. (Most references to an image's "size" really mean its width.)
*{{anchor|Image preferences}}Each user has a "base" width, which applies to <code>|thumb</code> and <code>|frameless</code> images; for {{em|unregistered}} users (the vast majority of readers) this is always 220 pixels; for {{em|registered}} (logged-in) users, the base width is 220px when the user's account is created, but can be changed via [[Help:Preferences#Files|Preferences]].<ref group=nb name=leave_pref/> The Siberian Husky image above is displayed at whatever {{em|your}} base width is.

[[File:William Powell Frith - The Derby Day - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|upright=1.8|Image using width <code>upright=1.8</code>, so that it is 80% wider than the Siberian Husky image above (which is at the default <code>upright=1</code> width)]]
[[File:Phineas gage - 1868 skull diagram.jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Image using <code>upright=0.5</code>; a scaling factor less than 1 contracts the image width.]]
*Where a smaller or larger image is appropriate, use {{para|upright|{{var|scaling factor}}}}, which expands or contracts the image by a factor {{em|relative to the user's base width}}. 
**For example:
***<code>upright=1.3</code> might be used for an image with fine detail (e.g. a map or diagram) to render it "30% larger than this user generally wants". (For a reader with the usual base width setting of 220px, this is 285px.) 
***<code>upright=0.6</code> might be used for an image with little detail (e.g. a simple drawing or flag) which can be adequately displayed "40% smaller than this user generally wants". (For a reader with the usual base width setting of 220px, this is 130px.) 
**Short, wide images often call for <code>upright</code> of 1 or greater; tall, narrow images may look best with <code>upright</code> of 1 or less.
**When specifying <code>upright=</code> values greater than 1, take care to balance the need to reveal detail against the danger of overwhelming surrounding article text.
***Images in which a small region of detail is important (but cropping to that region is unacceptable) may need to be larger than normal, but <code>upright=1.8</code> should usually be the largest value for images floated beside text.
***Lead images should usually use <code>upright=1.35</code> at most.
**Images within an article, especially those near one another and on the same side, may be more appealing if presented at the same width.
**{{Warnsign}} If <code>upright</code> is completely absent, that's equivalent to <code>upright=1</code>. But <code>upright</code> <u>alone</u>, with no {{nobr|1=<code>={{var|scaling factor}}</code>}} (e.g. {{nobr|<code><nowiki>[[File:Dog.jpg|thumb|upright|A big dog]]</nowiki></code>)}} is equivalent to <code>upright=0.75</code>; this usage is confusing and therefore deprecated.
*To present images larger than the guidelines above (e.g. panoramas), use <code>|thumb|[[WP:PIC#center|center]]</code> or <code>|thumb|[[WP:PIC#none|none]]</code>, so that the image stands alone; or use {{tl|wide image}} or {{tl|tall image}} to present a very large image in a scrollable box.
[[File:Qian Xuan - Early Autumn.jpg|thumb|upright=2.5|center| This image uses <code><nowiki>|thumb|center|upright=2.5</nowiki></code> to expand the image, center it, and clear the area on either side.]]
*Except with very good reason, a fixed width in pixels (e.g. <code>17px</code>) should not be specified.  This ignores the user's base width setting, so {{strong|{{nobr|1=<code>upright={{var|scaling factor}}</code>}} is preferred whenever possible}}.<ref group=nb name=corresp/> As a general rule, images should not be set to a larger fixed width than 220px (the initial base width), and if an exception to this general rule is warranted, the resulting image should usually be no more than 400px wide<!--this is 1.8*220--> (300px for lead images<!--This is 1.35*220-->) and 500px tall, for comfortable display on the smallest devices "in common use" (though this may still cause viewing difficulties on some unusual displays).
** Cases where fixed sizes may be used include for standardization of size via templates (such as [[MOS:INFOBOX|within infobox templates]] or the [[MOS:FLAGS|display of country flag icons]]), for displaying reduced images sizes where space is constrained (such as images used in the [[WP:ITN|In the News]] and [[WP:DYK|Did You Know]] sections on the [[WP:Main Page]], or within larger tables such as [[List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates]]), or if it is necessary to align images in columns or rows. Templates like {{tl|multiple image}} can automatically match the height or width of images with different aspect ratios, though this height or width must be hard coded to a set number of pixels because it cannot scale images to respect users' preferences.

{{anchor|sizetable}}
*To convert a <code>px</code> value to <code>upright</code>, divide it by 220 and round the result as desired. For example, {{para||150px}} is roughly equivalent to {{para|upright|0.7}} because {{nobr|150 / 220 ≃ 0.682{{thinsp}}.}}

===Location===
{{see|Wikipedia:Image use policy#Placement}}
{{Shortcut|MOS:IMAGELOCATION}}
[[File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|left|alt=A white dog in a harness playfully nuzzles a young boy |A [[Siberian Husky]] used as a pack animal]]
Most images should be on the right side of the page, which is the default placement. Left-aligned images may disturb the layout of bulleted lists and similar structures that depend on visual uniformity, e.g. by pushing some items on such lists further inward. Hence, avoid left-aligned images near such structures. If an exception to the general rule is warranted, specify <code>|left</code> in the image link: <code><nowiki>[[File:Siberian Husky pho.jpg|thumb</nowiki>{{Stronggood|{{!}}left}}<nowiki>|alt=A white dog in a harness playfully nuzzles a young boy |A [[Siberian Husky]] used as a pack animal]]</nowiki></code>.
{{anchor|Section}}
{{Shortcuts|MOS:SECTIONLOC}}
An image should generally be placed in the [[MOS:ACCESS#FLOAT|most relevant article section]]; if this is not possible, try not to place an image "too early" i.e. far ahead of the text discussing what the image illustrates, if this could puzzle the reader. The first image of a section should be placed below the [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Layout#Section templates and summary style|"''Main article''"]] link usually displayed by using {{tlx|Main}}, {{tlx|Further}} and {{tlx|See also}} templates. Do not place an image at the end of the previous section as this will not be visible in the appropriate section on [[Help:Mobile access| mobile devices]]. An image causes a paragraph break (i.e. the current paragraph ends and a new one begins) so it is not possible to place an image {{em|within}} a paragraph. (This applies to <code>thumb</code> images; small inline images are an exception {{see below|mid=y|[[#Inline images|Inline images]]}}.)
{{anchor|Sandwich}}{{Shortcuts|MOS:SANDWICH}}{{-}}
[[File:The suicide of Cleopatra; the asp is wriggling up the left a Wellcome V0041560.jpg|thumb|330px<!--fixed width to guarantee "sandwiching" effect (in small- to moderate-sized windows) regardless of user preference settings; this is a bit tricky because if screen is too narrow, then text will be squeezed out completely from between images and the effect is nullified-->|... can create a distasteful text sandwich (depending on platform and window size).]]
[[File:Harvard Theatre Collection - Sarah Bernhardt TCS 2 (Cleopatra) (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|330px<!--see note to prior image re size-->|Wide images opposite one another{{nbsp}}...]]
{{shy<!--extreme hyphenation to enhance sandwiching effect-->|Mul|ti|ple im|ages can be stag|gered right and left. How|ever, a|void sand|wich|ing text be|tween two im|ages that face each oth|er; or be|tween an im|age and in|fo|box, nav|i|ga|tion tem|plate, or sim|i|lar. As an al|ter|na|tive, con|sid|er us|ing the {{tl|multiple image}} tem|plate, which pla|ces two im|ag|es to|geth|er on the right (but which, how|ev|er, ig|nores}} [[WP:IMGSIZE|{{shy|logged-in us|ers' se|lect|ed im|age siz|es}}]]).{{-}}

====Portrait ====
{{anchor|Portrait}}
{{Shortcuts|MOS:PORTRAIT}}
It is often preferable to place a portrait {{small|(image or representation of a person)}} so that they "look" toward the text, but do not achieve this by reversing the image, which creates a false presentation. (Faces are never truly symmetric even in the absence of scars or other features.)

====<span id="References from article"></span>References from article text====
{{Shortcuts|MOS:SEEIMAGE}}
Don't refer to image orientation such as left, right, above, or below. Image placement varies with platform and screen size, especially mobile platforms, and is meaningless to screen readers. Instead, use captions to identify images.

===Inline images===
{{see also|Help:Visual file markup#Border}}
{{Shortcuts|MOS:BORDERIMAGE}}

*Substituting <code>frameless</code> for <code>thumb</code> produces an "inline" image. For example,
::<code><nowiki>This [[File:Flag of Japan.svg|frameless|x20px]] is an inline image.</nowiki></code>
:produces
::This [[File:Flag of Japan.svg|frameless|x20px]] is an inline image.

*A one-pixel border may be added via {{para||border}}. For example,
::<code><nowiki>This [[File:Flag of Japan.svg|frameless|x20px|border]] is an inline image with a border.</nowiki></code>
:produces
::This [[File:Flag of Japan.svg|frameless|x20px|border]] is an inline image with a border.

*Inline images do not have captions
*Note the syntax <code>x20px</code>: whereas <code>20px</code> specifies a 20-pixel {{em|width}}, <code>x20px</code> specifies a 20-pixel {{em|height}}. Heights between <code>x18px</code> and <code>x22px</code> will usually match surrounding text well. (<code>upright</code> is not usually used with inline images.)

==Making images available==
{{shortcut|MOS:HOTLINK}}
{{anchor|Inline linking}}{{selfref|For further information, see: [[Wikipedia:Extended image syntax|Extended image syntax]], [[Wikipedia:Wikimedia Commons#Embedding Commons' media in Wikipedia articles|Embedding Commons' media in Wikipedia articles]] as well as [[Wikipedia:Uploading images|Uploading images]]}}

All images used on Wikipedia must be uploaded to Wikipedia itself or [[Wikimedia Commons]]. That is, [[hotlinking]] is not supported.

Images uploaded to Wikipedia are automatically placed into the {{strong|[[Wikipedia:Namespace#File|File namespace]]}} (formerly known as the {{strong|Image namespace}}), i.e., the names of [[Help:Image page|image pages]] start with the prefix <code>File:</code>. 

===Obtaining images===
All images must comply with  [[Wikipedia:Image use policy|Wikipedia's image use policy]]: in general, they must be free for reuse, including commercial use and use after alteration, though some "[[fair use]]" of non-free content is allowed in limited circumstances—see [[Wikipedia:Non-free content]].

==== Finding images already uploaded ====
Search for existing files through:

* [[Special:Search]]&nbsp;– Use the [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Search&search=&fulltext=Search&profile=images&redirs=1 "Multimedia" setting] to search for images and other files uploaded to the English Wikipedia by keyword or title.  Most fair-use images are located here.
* [[commons:Special:Search]]&nbsp;– Go to [[Wikimedia Commons]] to search for images and other media files by description, title, or category.
* If the article has [[Help:Interlanguage links|interlanguage links]] to other Wikipedias, then click through to the non-English articles to see which images they are using.

====Making images yourself {{anchor|Annotated image}}====
{{selfref|For further information, see: [[Commons:Commons:How to take pictures for Wikimedia Commons|Commons:How to take pictures]] and [[Wikipedia:Graphics tutorials|Graphics tutorials]]}}
You may upload photographs, drawings, or other graphics created with a camera, scanner, graphics software, and so on. When photographing or scanning potentially copyrighted works, or creating depictions of persons other than yourself, be sure to respect copyright and privacy restrictions.{{explain}} 

In order to maximize images' usefulness in all languages, avoid including text within them. Instead, add text, links, references, etc., to images using [[Template:Annotated image]] or [[Template:Annotated image 4]], which can also be used to expand the area around an image or crop and enlarge part of an image—all without the need for uploading a new, modified image.

==== Finding images on the Internet ====
{{selfref|For further information, see: [[Wikipedia:Finding images tutorial|Finding images tutorial]]}}
An extensive list of free image resources by topic can be found at: [[Wikipedia:Public domain image resources|Public domain image resources]]. In addition to [[Wikimedia Commons]], the [[:m:Toolserver|Wikimedia Toolserver]] has a [[tools:~magnus/fist.php|Free Image Search Tool]] (FIST), which automatically culls free images from the [[Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects|Wikimedia sister projects]], [[Flickr]] and a few other sites. Several other useful, general purpose [[image search]] engines include: [[Google Image Search]], [[Picsearch]] and [[Pixsta]]. [[Creative Commons]] licensed images with ''Attribution'' and ''Attribution-ShareAlike'' as their license may be used on Wikipedia. {{strong|Images with any license restricting commercial use or the creation of derivative works may not be used on Wikipedia.}}

The Creative Commons site has a [https://search.creativecommons.org/ search page] that can be used as a starting point to find suitably licensed images; make sure you check both the checkboxes "use for commercial purposes" and "modify, adapt, or build upon".

If you find an image on the Internet that is not available freely, you can email the copyright owner and ask for their permission to release it under a suitable license, adapting the [[Wikipedia:boilerplate request for permission|boilerplate request for permission]]. If you cannot find a suitable image, you may also list your request at [[Wikipedia:Requested pictures]], so that another contributor may find or create a suitable image.

====Requesting images from others====
See
{{columns-list|colwidth=25em|
* [[Wikipedia:Requesting copyright permission]]
* [[Wikipedia:Donating copyrighted materials]]
* [[Wikipedia:Declaration of consent for all enquiries]]
* [[Wikipedia:Requested pictures]] (for requesting Wikipedians to take photos etc.)
}}

==={{anchor|retouching}} Editing images===
<!-- This Anchor tag serves to provide a permanent target for incoming section links. Please do not move it out of the section heading, even though it disrupts edit summary generation (you can manually fix the edit summary before you save your changes). Please do not modify it, even if you modify the section title. It is always best to anchor an old section header that has been changed so that links to it won't be broken. See [[Template:Anchor]] for details. (This text: [[Template:Anchor comment]]) -->
[[File:Moon worldwind.jpg|thumb|In this [[pseudocolor]] image of the Moon, red tints represent the highest elevations, purple the lowest; lest the reader be misled, the caption should make clear that this is not the coloring a viewer of the Moon would actually see.]]

An  image's utility or quality may be improved by cropping (to focus on the relevant portion), cleaning up scanning artifacts, correcting color balance, removing [[red-eye effect]], or other adjustments.

The caption of an image should mention such edits (e.g. introduction of [[false color|false color or pseudocolor]]) if a reader needs to know about them to properly interpret the image.

Edits that improve the presentation without materially altering the content need not be mentioned in the caption e.g. rotation to correct a slightly crooked image, improvement to the contrast of a scan, or blurring a background to make the main subject more prominent. (However, all changes to images taken from outside sources should be noted on the [[#Image description pages|image's description page]]. For images created by editors themselves, changes which could have been part of the image's original composition—such as rotation or minor cropping—need not be mentioned on the description page.)

Images should not be changed in ways that materially mislead the viewer. For example, images showing artworks, faces, identifiable places or buildings, or text should not be reversed (although those showing soap bubbles or bacteria might be). Do not change color integral to the subject, such as in images of animals. It is usually appropriate to de-speckle or remove scratches from images, though that might be inappropriate for historical photographs.

For assistance in editing images, try [[WP:Graphics Lab]].

===Uploading images===
{{selfref|For further information, see: [[Wikipedia:Uploading images|Uploading images]], and [[Wikipedia:File names|File names]]}}
[[Special:userlogin|Logged in]] users with [[Wikipedia:Autoconfirmed users|autoconfirmed accounts]] (meaning at least four days old and at least ten edits at the English Wikipedia) can upload media to the English Wikipedia. {{strong|Only}} [[Wikipedia:File copyright tags/Free licenses|free licensed]] media, {{strong|not}} [[Wikipedia:Non-free content|fair use]] media, may be uploaded to [[Wikimedia Commons]]. Media on Wikimedia Commons can be linked to in the same way as media of the same name on Wikipedia. To upload media to the English Wikipedia, go to [[special:upload]] and for Wikimedia Commons, go to [[commons:special:upload]]. For preferred file formats, see: [[Wikipedia:Preparing images for upload|Preparing images for upload]].

====Image description pages====
{{see|Wikipedia:Categorization#Files/images}}
Each image has a corresponding [[Help:Image page|description page]], which documents the image's source, author and [[Wikipedia:Copyrights|copyright status]]; descriptive (who, what, when, where, why) information; and technical (equipment, software, etc.) data useful to readers and later editors.

To maximize the utility and educational value of an image, please describe its contents as fully as possible on the image's description page. For example, photographs of artwork benefit from documentation of the artist, title, location, dates, museum identification numbers, and so on. Images that are described only in vague terms (for example, "a cuneiform tablet" or "a medieval manuscript") are often less useful for Wikipedia and less informative to our readers.

Reliable sources, if any, may be listed on the image's description page. Generally, Wikipedia assumes in good faith that image creators are correctly identifying the contents of photographs they have taken. If such sources are available, it is helpful to provide them. This is particularly important for technical drawings, as someone may want to verify that the image is accurate.

Description pages for images are rediscovered by editors using the [[H:S|search engine]] and the [[Help:Categories|categories]]. To help editors find precise images, please remember to document the image description page accordingly.  Well-categorized and well-described images are more likely to be used.

===Consideration of image download size===
Images can greatly increase the [[bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] cost of viewing an article{{snd}}a consideration for readers on slow or expensive connections. Articles carry reduced-size [[thumbnail]]s instead of full images (which the user can view by "clicking through" the thumbnail) but in some file types a thumbnail's reduced dimensions doesn't translate into a concomitant reduction in file size. (In most browsers you can see a thumbnail's size by right-clicking for its "Properties".)

If one image's file size is disproportionate to those of others in the same article, you may want to reduce it by selecting a different file format:
* [[GIF]] images with a frame size larger than 12.5 million pixels (measured as pixel height × pixel width × number of frames in the animation) cannot currently be displayed in thumbnail form in Wikipedia articles. A thumbnail of a GIF image can be considerably larger in kilobytes than the original image file.
* Animated [[GIF]] images have a few additional restrictions. Images larger than 100 million pixels (measured as pixel height × pixel width × number of frames in the animation) currently will only show the first frame of the animation in a thumbnail. When not using a GIF animation at its original frame size, consider creating an Ogg [[Theora]] movie of the animation.
* The [[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]] format is useful for storing graphics that contain text, line art, or other images with sharp transitions. It can achieve the same graphical results as a GIF file, and in many cases do so with a higher rate of [[file compression]]. For this reason, PNG format files are usually preferred to the GIF format.  For images with substantial editing, or for which further editing may be warranted, uploading a PNG as well as a JPEG is common (PNG is lossless compression, so repeatedly saving edits on a PNG will not result in loss of quality.)
* A [[JPEG]] or other compressed image format can be much smaller than a comparable GIF or PNG format file. When there is no apparent difference in quality, such as with a photograph that has no sharp graphical transitions, a compressed image format such as JPEG may be preferable for reasons of download performance. Wikipedia is often able to achieve much better compression of JPEG photograph thumbnails than comparable PNG images, and with little perceptible loss of quality. Repeatedly loading and resaving an image as JPEG will result in loss of quality, however, as will using low settings for the JPEG; as such, if you've made edits, it can be helpful to save a PNG or TIFF copy before closing the image editor and upload that as well; this copy can then be used to generate a new JPEG after further editing. 
* Where an image consists solely of line art, charts text and simple graphics, an [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] file can be significantly smaller than other graphics formats. This is because the data is encoded as a series of drawing commands, rather than as [[raster graphics]]. There are [[open source]] applications available for rendering graphics in SVG format. However, SVG thumbnails are rendered as PNGs.
* Rather than including an image gallery on an article, which could add significantly to the download size, consider creating a gallery/category on the Wikimedia Commons instead.

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
* [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Captions]]
* [[Wikipedia:Image dos and don'ts]] (information page summarizing the key points of this guideline)
* [[Exchangeable image file format]]
* [[Image editing]]
* [[:mw:Extension:ImageMap]]
* [[:c:Commons:File types]]
* [[Wikipedia:Extended image syntax]]
* [[Wikipedia:Finding images tutorial]]
* [[Wikipedia:Guide to image deletion]]
* [[Wikipedia:How to create charts for Wikipedia articles]]
* [[Wikipedia:How to improve image quality]]
* [[Wikipedia:Image quality requirements]] (historical proposal)
* [[Wikipedia:Image use policy]]
* [[Wikipedia:No 3D illustrations]]
* [[Wikipedia:Picture tutorial]]
* [[Wikipedia:Public domain image resources]]
* [[Wikipedia:Ten things you may not know about images on Wikipedia]]
* [[Wikipedia:Requested pictures]]
* [[Wikipedia:Uploading images]]
* [[Wikipedia:Graphics Lab]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Sexology and sexuality/WIP-image-guidelines]] (historical reference)
}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=nb|refs=

<ref name="typical">
Here a "typical Wikipedia reader" is defined by the cultural beliefs of the majority of the website {{em|readers}} (not active editors) that are literate in an article's language. Clarifying this viewpoint may require a broad spectrum of input and discussion, as cultural views can differ widely.
</ref>

<ref name="leave_pref">
If you do much work with image layouts, consider leaving your preference at 220px to match the "reader experience" of most readers.</ref>

<ref name=corresp>
<code>px</code> works the same as <code>upright</code> for users with the usual base width setting of 220px, but works counterintuitively for readers whose base width is set to a different value (see [[Help:Preferences#Files]]). For example, an image coded <code>275px</code>—presumably to make it wider than most images on a particular page—is actually rendered {{em|smaller}} than most images if the user has changed his base width to 300px. In contrast, <code>upright</code> responds gracefully to changes in the user's base width, maintaining the relative size of images in any given article by enlarging or reducing all of them proportionately.
{{paragraph break}}
However, a thumbnail cannot be displayed larger than the original uploaded image. For example, if an image is coded <code>|thumb|330px</code> or <code>|thumb|upright=1.5</code> (for a reader with the usual base width of 220px), but the original uploaded file was only 200px wide, then the article thumbnail will still be displayed at only 200px.
</ref>
}}

{{Style wide}}
{{Wikipedia policies and guidelines}}

[[Category:Wikipedia image help]]
[[Category:Wikipedia Manual of Style (images)| ]]

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