HTML Images

Images can improve the design and the appearance of a web page.

<img src="pic_trulli.jpg" alt="Italian Trulli">
<img src="img_girl.jpg" alt="Girl in a jacket">

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> tagĀ 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
<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.

<img src="img_chania.jpg" alt="Flowers in Chania">

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).

Image Size – Width and Height

You can use the style attribute to specify the width and height of an image.

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

Images in Another Folder

If you have your images in a sub-folder, you must include the folder name in the src attribute

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:

<img src="https://iampsp.com/images/iampsp.jpg" alt="iampsp.com">

Animated Images

HTML allows animated GIFs.

Image as a Link

To use an image as a link, put the <img> tag inside the <a> tag.

Image Floating

Use the CSS float property to let the image float to the right or to the left of a text.