---
icon: material/image-frame
---
# Images
While images are first-class citizens of Markdown and part of the core syntax,
it can be difficult to work with them. Material for MkDocs makes working with
images more comfortable, providing styles for image alignment and image
captions.
## Configuration
This configuration adds the ability to align images, add captions to images
(rendering them as figures), and mark large images for lazy-loading. Add the
following lines to `mkdocs.yml`:
``` yaml
markdown_extensions:
- attr_list
- md_in_html
- pymdownx.blocks.caption
```
See additional configuration options:
- [Attribute Lists]
- [Markdown in HTML]
- [Caption]
[Attribute Lists]: ../setup/extensions/python-markdown.md#attribute-lists
[Markdown in HTML]: ../setup/extensions/python-markdown.md#markdown-in-html
[Caption]: ../setup/extensions/python-markdown-extensions.md#caption
### Lightbox
If you want to add image zoom functionality to your documentation, the
[glightbox] plugin is an excellent choice, as it integrates perfectly
with Material for MkDocs. Install it with `pip`:
```
pip install mkdocs-glightbox
```
Then, add the following lines to `mkdocs.yml`:
``` yaml
plugins:
- glightbox
```
We recommend checking out the available
[configuration options][glightbox options].
[glightbox]: https://github.com/blueswen/mkdocs-glightbox
[glightbox options]: https://github.com/blueswen/mkdocs-glightbox#usage
## Usage
### Image alignment
When [Attribute Lists] is enabled, images can be aligned by adding the
respective alignment directions via the `align` attribute, i.e. `align=left` or
`align=right`:
=== "Left"
``` markdown title="Image, aligned to left"
{ align=left }
```
{ align=left width=300 }
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla et euismod
nulla. Curabitur feugiat, tortor non consequat finibus, justo purus auctor
massa, nec semper lorem quam in massa.
{ align=right width=300 }
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla et euismod
nulla. Curabitur feugiat, tortor non consequat finibus, justo purus auctor
massa, nec semper lorem quam in massa.
If there's insufficient space to render the text next to the image, the image
will stretch to the full width of the viewport, e.g. on mobile viewports.
??? question "Why is there no centered alignment?"
The [`align`][align] attribute doesn't allow for centered alignment, which
is why this option is not supported by Material for MkDocs.[^1] Instead,
the [image captions] syntax can be used, as captions are optional.
[^1]:
You might also realize that the [`align`][align] attribute has been
deprecated as of HTML5, so why use it anyways? The main reason is
portability – it's still supported by all browsers and clients, and is very
unlikely to be completely removed, as many older websites still use it. This
ensures a consistent appearance when a Markdown file with these attributes
is viewed outside of a website generated by Material for MkDocs.
[align]: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/img#deprecated_attributes
[image captions]: #image-captions
### Image captions
Sadly, the Markdown syntax doesn't provide native support for image captions,
but it's always possible to use the [Markdown in HTML] extension with literal
`figure` and `figcaption` tags:
``` html title="Image with caption"
{ width="300" }
Image caption
```
Image caption
However, [Caption] provides an alternative syntax to add captions
to any Markdown block element, including images:
``` markdown title="Image with caption"
{ width="300" }
/// caption
Image caption
///
```
### Image lazy-loading
Modern browsers provide [native support for lazy-loading images][lazy-loading]
through the `loading=lazy` directive, which degrades to eager-loading in
browsers without support:
``` markdown title="Image, lazy-loaded"
{ loading=lazy }
```
[lazy-loading]: https://caniuse.com/#feat=loading-lazy-attr
### Light and dark mode
If you added a [color palette toggle] and want to show different images for
light and dark color schemes, you can append a `#only-light` or `#only-dark`
hash fragment to the image URL:
``` markdown title="Image, different for light and dark mode"
```
![Zelda light world]{ width="300" }
![Zelda dark world]{ width="300" }
!!! warning "Requirements when using [custom color schemes]"
The built-in [color schemes] define the aforementioned hash fragments, but
if you're using [custom color schemes], you'll also have to add the
following selectors to your scheme, depending on whether it's a light or
dark scheme:
=== "Custom light scheme"
``` css
[data-md-color-scheme="custom-light"] img[src$="#only-dark"],
[data-md-color-scheme="custom-light"] img[src$="#gh-dark-mode-only"] {
display: none; /* Hide dark images in light mode */
}
```
=== "Custom dark scheme"
``` css
[data-md-color-scheme="custom-dark"] img[src$="#only-light"],
[data-md-color-scheme="custom-dark"] img[src$="#gh-light-mode-only"] {
display: none; /* Hide light images in dark mode */
}
```
Remember to change `#!css "custom-light"` and `#!css "custom-dark"` to the
name of your scheme.
[color palette toggle]: ../setup/changing-the-colors.md#color-palette-toggle
[Zelda light world]: ../assets/images/zelda-light-world.png#only-light
[Zelda dark world]: ../assets/images/zelda-dark-world.png#only-dark
[color schemes]: ../setup/changing-the-colors.md#color-scheme
[custom color schemes]: ../setup/changing-the-colors.md#custom-color-schemes