Working in Pressbooks – Online Platform

Adding and Editing Images

How to Add an Image

To add an image to your textbook, open the Page where you want to place the image. Select the spot where the image will go with your cursor. Then click the Add Media button.

Figure 1
Figure 1

You will be taken to an Insert Media screen where you can choose a previously uploaded image or you can upload a new image.  To upload a new image, click on the Upload Files tab in the upper left corner and  then on Select Files in the middle of that page. This will allow you to search for image files to add from your computer (Figure 2).

Note: files must be JPG, PNG or GIF. Other file formats will produce an error message and will not be accepted.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.

If you already have image files in your Media Library, simply select that tab and the image you want to add or insert. The selected item will be encircled by a blue border and have a blue/white check mark in the top right corner.

InsertMedia
Figure 3. Step three: select image from Media Library.

Complete this task by clicking on the Insert into post button in the bottom right corner.

InsertPost
Figure 4. Step four: Insert image into post (web page).
Note: an image file must be uploaded into the Media Library for use. You cannot add an image by linking to an external source.

Finally, make sure that your image is centred correctly and the right size. For the Ryerson University Open Textbooks, we strongly recommend that:

  1. All images are centred
  2. The width does not exceed 500 pixels
  3. The length does not exceed 500 pixels

See “Editing an Image” below for details on how to adjust an image.

Images that do not follow the above guidelines often produce PDFs that are less readable. A PDF file is one of the many formats offered for most textbooks in our collection. It is also used to create print-on-demand copies.

How to Edit an Image

To change the placement or size of an image that has already been added to a page, simply click anywhere on the image. You will see a menu of options appear above the image.   Use the pencil to edit the image and the X to delete the image.


After you click on the pencil icon, the Image Details box will appear. Here you can:

  1. Add text for the image’s caption. (See Captions and Image Attributions for details.)
  2. Under DISPLAY SETTINGS, select “Center”. We recommend that you centre images.
  3. Using the “Size” dropdown list, determine if any of the sizes are the correct size for your image. If not, then select “Custom Size”…
image
Figure 6. Size and Placement of Image


3.    Using the Width OR Height boxes, enter the correct number of pixels. Note that changing one of these parameters, e.g. Width, will automatically adjust the other, e.g. Height.

4.  Ensure that “Media File” is selected by the “Link To” dropdown list.

Figure 7. Customize the size and make sure the image is linked to its media file
Figure 7. Customize the size and make sure the image is linked to its media file

5. Save changes by clicking the “Update” button in the lower right corner of the page.

Figure 8. Save by clicking the Update button
Figure 8. Save by clicking the Update button
This chapter is an adaptation of “Adding and Editing Images” from the BC Open Textbook Authoring Guide by Lauri Aesoph and Amanda Coolidge. Images have been modified.

License

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Ryerson Open Textbook Authoring Guide Copyright © 2017 by Ryerson University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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