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Images#

Blog Image Size Requirements#

Always start with high-quality pictures. You should only ever size images down. Don’t take a small image and enlarge it because it will appear blurry or pixelated.

Thumbnail Image#

If you upload an image larger than 450x450, the image will automatically be scaled down and cropped to 450x450. Cropping happens at the edges so that the center of an image is preserved.

If you want to control how the thumbnail image looks, create a 450x450 image and it will be shown without scaling or cropping.

Image size requirements:

  • Width: 450px
  • Height: 450px
  • Allowed file types: png gif jpg jpeg
  • Max file size: 50 MB
  • Resolution: 72 dpi

Images in Blog Post Content#

Images should fill the width of the page or come close. Do not wrap text around images. This results in a full-width image and ensures that posts will look their best on any device or screen size.

Image size requirements:

  • Width: 600px to 800px
  • Height: not prescribed
  • Allowed file types: png gif jpg jpeg
  • Max file size: 50 MB
  • Resolution: 72 dpi

Editing images#

For step-by-step help editing images, see Media (Resizing, Cropping, and Layering Images)

Find an Image for a Post#

Find a Book Cover Image#

Find the largest cover image you can so you can size the image down. For the blog, look for images that are at least 450px wide. Marketing and Communications follows this rule of thumb: look for a larger version of whatever cover image displays on the catalog entry for the item, since we pay to use those catalog images.

Find large images in Google.

  1. Go to internet search engine and search for the book cover. For example, type “Glennon Doyle book cover” to look for Doyle’s book covers.
  2. Click Images to view only image results.
  3. Under Tools (right under the search bar), select Size and choose Large or Medium.
  4. When you mouse over an image, you’ll see the image size in the lower left corner (circled in red below so you can see it).
  5. Save the image to your desktop.
  6. Resize if needed, then upload the image to the blog.

Images Owned by Nashville Public Library (NPL)#

If you don’t find an image that fits your needs using the sources below, please email Marketing-Communications (MarCom).

Stock Images

MarCom provides a library of stock images on INK with clear usage rights. If you do not find an appropriate image for your needs in the stock photo library, reach out to any MarCom member for help.

Nashville Public Library Flickr

  • High-resolution event photos are saved to the library’s Flickr account.
  • If you use a photo that credits a photographer, include that photo credit in your post and link back to the photo on NPL’s Flickr.

Nashville Public Library Digital Collections

  • Historic photos are housed online in Nashville Public Library’s contentDM site.
  • If you use an image in a blog post, link back to the page in contentDM.

Templates for Common Print Jobs

  • Templates are on INK (Library Intranet) at Resources > Knowledge Base > Templates for Common Print Jobs

Stock Photos

  • Photos are on INK (NPL intranet) at Resources > Knowledge Base > MarCom > Stock Photo Library

Images from Other Websites (Not Owned by NPL)#

Do not use images from non-library websites.

If you find an image you’d like to use that is free of copyright, ask MarCom to evaluate the image.

If MarCom okays the use of the image, you need to give credit to the site whose images you’re borrowing. Cite your source by adding a link to the image that points back to the page where the image came from. You can also add a caption with a link back to the source.

When using an image from a non-library source, DO NOT use the “Add Media from URL” option. After properly resizing the image, save it and upload it to the library’s website.

Add Alt Text#

Alt Text is a brief description of the image.

Why Add Alt Text?#

  • Alt Text is read aloud by screen readers used by visually impaired users.
  • Helps people with low or impaired vision understand the entire web page.
  • Provides context to search engines and robotic scans.
  • Alt Text is required on government-owned websites by federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Write Good Alt Text#

  • Be descriptive and concise.
  • Limit to 125 characters.
  • Focus on what the image conveys to the user, rather than listing attributes.
  • Include any words that are in the image, such as text on the cover of a book.

Example#

img "a dog with a ball in its mouth"

  • ✅ The Alt Text for this image is “golden retriever puppy plays with a red ball on grass in the evening.”

  • ❌ A bad examples of an alt text would be “Dog.” “Picture of a cute dog.” or "Roger hops."

Color and Contrast#

Make sure image has enough color contrast between text and its background to be easily readable. When using text over images, add a solid background behind the text, or a dark overlay. Beware of color blindness combinations, ornate typeface fonts, or busy visuals that can reduce visibility.