Teaching and Learning Resource Center

Working with Images

There are two places from which you can upload your images to the Media Library:

Uploading an image from a post or page attaches the image to that page or post. Alternatively, you can attach images to posts or pages from the Media Library.

The first post or page to which the image is attach is known as the image's original post.

Best practice for organization within the Media Library is a unique and descriptive naming convention for images. Media cannot be organized into folders or categories.

Useful Things to Know About Image Attachments

  • Images uploaded using the Add Media button in the post editor are attached to that post as soon as the post is saved or published.
  • Images uploaded using the Media Library are unattached until they are added to a post.
  • The first post or page to which the image is attach is known as the image's original post.
  • An unattached image added to a post will then be attached to that post.
  • Images remain attached to the post to which they were first uploaded even if they are removed from that post and/or added to another post.
  • To unattach an image, the image must to be deleted from the Media Library and then uploaded again.
  • If the image's original post is deleted, the image will again be unattached. However, images in this state are "orphaned" images; they will not attach to another post and may behave in unexpected ways. Orphaned images need to be deleted and re-uploaded if you want to attach them to another post.
  • You can use an image in as many posts as you want, but it is always attached to its original post.
  • Adding an unattached image to a gallery only attaches the image to the post if the image is added using the Add Media button. Adding an unattached image to a gallery from the Media Library will not attach the image. Images already unattached within the Media Library remain unattached in the gallery.

Best Practices

Preview Images Before Publishing

The content field where you enter your text and other media may not give an accurate depiction of what your posts will look like once they are published. Once you've finished filling in all of your content, click on the Preview button inside of the publish widget on the right side of the screen. A preview of your post opens in a new tab within the browser. If you're satisfied, go back and click Publish.

To make changes to your image, see step #9 of Adding an Image to a Post or Page. Here you can adjust image placement, size, alternative text, and captioning.

Note: format adjustments will vary based on the size and scale of the content you are posting.

Provide Alternative Text for Images

In compliance with the Ohio State Digital Accessibility Policy and Minimum Web Accessibility Standards, all non-text elements should provide a text equivalent.

Include alternative text (alt text) to your images in one of two ways:

  1. Include alt text using the Attachment Details panel when you insert the image into your Post or Page. See step #8 of Adding an Image to a Post or Page.
  2. Include alt text from within the Media section of U.OSU. Scroll over your image and click Edit. Type the Alternative Text and click Update.

Learn About Copyright Information

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