Embedding an image in the Basic text component
- Jess Pietsch (Unlicensed)
- Jo Tayler
- Marcella Marino
This guide covers how to embed an image within the basic content component.
If your image is a graph, flowchart, map or includes a lengthy alternative text description, use the complex image component.
On this page:
Resize your image and save it to your computer
Check your image is the correct size and format: image ratios, sizes and component use.
Save the image to your computer using the following naming conventions and filename format:
descriptive title
no spaces
not a generic file name like IMG_001.jpg
hyphens between each word, for example, an image of the Bendigo talking tram should be saved as bendigo-tramways-talking-tram.jpg before uploading to the media library.
Give your image a useful name so it can be found in the media library
Our CMS contains thousands of images, so it's important to name your file so that you and your colleagues can find and reuse them.
Media item name
The name you give your image when you upload it to the CMS's Media Library must:
use spaces between words (not hyphens or underscores)
be meaningful and descriptive enough that you can search for it when required
if the image is of a specific person, include their name and position.
For example:
Hon Linda Dessau, Governor of Victoria
Alana Johnson, member of the Ministerial Council on Women's Equality
Example
In the above example, the image's filename is girl-laughing.jpg so the name you would give it for the media library is Girl laughing.Â
Keep in mind that what you put in the Name field doesn't appear unless it is part of an Image gallery component.
If you're uploading several images that belong together, such as members of a council or honour roll inductees, it's a good idea to put this consistently in the image names, for easier searching. For example: Stella Young – 2017 Women's Honour Roll.
How to upload and embed images
In the Basic text component, select the Media icon in the formatting ribbon.Â
Here you can either:
Search for an existing image in the Library tab using the Name, Media type or Site filters.
Upload an new image by selecting Add image, then Choose file. You’ll then be prompted to browse your computer for your image.Â
Name
Complete the Name field. Make the name of the file meaningful to the image, so it can be easily found when searching the Media library. If it’s a photo of a well-known person, you should include their name and position in the image title. Refer to the section about naming images for more tips, but as a general rule:
The filename of your image (what it's saved as on your computer) should use hyphens between words, not spaces.
The name you give your image when you upload it to the CMS should use spaces between words.Â
Alternative text
Complete the Alternative text field for your image (if required). Alternative text explains information in images for screen reader users. Captions describe images to help users relate them to surrounding text.
For more information, visit: using images in website content or the Australian Government Style Manual for tips on how to write alt text, captions and titles.
Images that don’t need an Alternative text description
Sensory images: if the image is intended to create a sensory experience – for example, an image of an artwork.
Decorative images: if the image is pure decoration, used for visual purposes only. For these types of images, you can leave the alt text field blank.Â
In the Alternative text field, add 2 double quotes (““), which tells the screen reader to skip it.Â
Title
The Title is used as a tool tip when the user hovers the mouse over the image.
License Type
You'll need to select one of the following license types in the drop down menu:
Copyright means that the image is protected and cannot be used without permission. Use Copyright if you're not confident the image can be shared with others.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 means the image can be shared or adapted. Visit:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
Metadata
Audience
Leave this blank
Department
Start typing the name of your department and select it from the drop-down list. This will help you to find the image in the Library.
Topic
Leave this blank.
Site
Tag this image to a site or site section so you can find the image in the Library.
Select Save image. You’ll see the Embed media item option pop-up. By default, the image will display as Embedded. This can be changed to Embedded with caption or Thumbnail.
Select Embed.
If you want to add multiple images to your page displayed in a carousel format, you can find instructions in our image gallery guide.Â