How to Insert a JPG Image in LaTeX (graphicx, figure, wrapfig)

A JPG is inserted by graphicx at the size stored in the file, not at a size that fits the page. Most image problems in LaTeX come from that, or from figures floating.

What you’ll learn:

• Insert a JPG with graphicx
• Set the image size
• Rotate, trim and crop
• Position the image with figure
• Align, caption and label
• Wrap text around an image
• Put images side by side

Insert a JPG image with graphicx

Use this for any JPG, PNG or PDF image. graphicx ships with every TeX distribution and Overleaf.

1. Load the package in the preamble:

   \documentclass{article}
   \usepackage{graphicx}
   \begin{document}

2. Insert the image in the body with \includegraphics:

   \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{example.jpg}

3. Keep the JPG in the same folder as your .tex file, or give a relative path such as images/example.jpg.

Result: the image appears inline at 80% of the text width.

If all your images live in one subfolder, set the search path once and drop the folder from every call:

\graphicspath{{images/}}   % in the preamble; note the double braces

You can also omit the extension (\includegraphics{example}), and graphicx looks for a supported file with that name.

Note: \includegraphics with no options does not shrink the image to fit. It uses the size implied by the file’s resolution metadata, so a large photo can run past the margin. Always set a width.

PDF pages use the same command; to insert a PDF page as a figure, add page=2 to the options.

Which compiler can read JPG?

pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX all read JPG and PNG directly and embed the file unchanged. Plain latex (DVI output) can’t, and stops with “Cannot determine size of graphic … (no BoundingBox)”.

In Overleaf, make sure the project’s compiler setting is pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX, not LaTeX.

Set the image size

Use this whenever the image is larger or smaller than you want. Set one dimension and graphicx scales the other to keep the aspect ratio.

\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{image.jpg}   % full text width
\includegraphics[height=5cm]{image.jpg}         % 5 cm tall, width follows

If you set both width and height, the image is stretched to that box. Add keepaspectratio to fit inside the box instead:

\includegraphics[width=0.5\textwidth, height=5cm, keepaspectratio]{image.jpg}

For sharp print output, start from an image of at least 300 DPI at its printed size. Scaling down a large image keeps quality; scaling up a small one doesn’t.

Rotate, trim and crop an image

Use this when the photo is sideways or has unwanted borders. All three are \includegraphics options:

\includegraphics[width=0.4\textwidth, angle=90]{photo.jpg}             % rotate 90° anticlockwise
\includegraphics[trim=2cm 1cm 2cm 1cm, clip, width=0.5\textwidth]{photo.jpg}  % crop

• angle= rotates anticlockwise by the given degrees.
• trim=left bottom right top removes that much from each edge.
• clip hides the trimmed parts. Without it, trim only changes the space LaTeX reserves.

Position the image with the figure environment

Use this when the image needs a caption, a number, or a sensible place on the page. A figure is a float: LaTeX moves it to avoid half-empty pages.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{example.jpg}
    \caption{An example image.}
    \label{fig:example}
\end{figure}

The letters in square brackets say where LaTeX may place the figure:

[htbp] is a good default because it gives LaTeX every option. For fine-tuning, see Overleaf’s guide to positioning images and tables.

Align an image left, right or centre

Use this to change horizontal alignment inside a figure. Put the command at the start of the figure:

• \centering centres the image and caption.
• \raggedright aligns them left.
• \raggedleft aligns them right.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{example.jpg}
    \caption{A centred image.}
    \label{fig:centered}
\end{figure}

Outside a figure, use \begin{center}…\end{center} around the \includegraphics call. Avoid center inside a figure; it adds extra vertical space.

Add captions and labels

Use this when you’ll refer to the image from the text. \caption numbers the figure, and \label gives it a name you can reference.

1. Put \caption{…} below the image for a caption underneath, or above it for a caption on top.
2. Put \label{fig:name} directly after \caption. A label placed before the caption picks up the section number instead.
3. Refer to it with Figure~\ref{fig:name}, and compile twice.

\begin{figure}[htbp]
    \centering
    \caption{This caption appears above the image.}
    \label{fig:example2}
    \includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth]{example.jpg}
\end{figure}

As shown in Figure~\ref{fig:example2}, the results indicate...

Tables work the same way; see how to reference figures and tables with \ref, including \autoref and \cref.

Wrap text around an image with wrapfig

Use this when a small image should sit beside a paragraph with text flowing around it. Load \usepackage{wrapfig}, then put the image in a wrapfigure placed just before the paragraph.

\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\textwidth}
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.38\textwidth]{example.jpg}
    \caption{Example image with wrapped text.}
    \label{fig:wrapexample}
\end{wrapfigure}

• {r} puts the image on the right; {l} puts it on the left.
• {0.4\textwidth} is the width reserved for the image. Make the image slightly narrower.

The optional first argument is the number of text lines to wrap, which helps when wrapfig guesses wrong. It must be a number:

\begin{wrapfigure}[12]{r}{0.4\textwidth}
    \vspace{-10pt} % pull the image up slightly
    \centering
    \includegraphics[width=0.38\textwidth]{example.jpg}
    \caption{Adjusted spacing example.}
    \label{fig:wrapspacing}
\end{wrapfigure}

Warning: wrapfig doesn’t work inside lists, and wrapping goes wrong if a heading or very short paragraph follows. Start the wrapfigure just before a long plain paragraph.

Wrapping text inside table cells is a different job; see how to wrap text inside table cells. The wrapfig documentation on CTAN lists every option.

Put images side by side with subcaption

Use this for two or more related images, each with its own (a), (b) caption. The subcaption package is the current standard.

\usepackage{subcaption} % in the preamble

\begin{figure}[htbp]
    \centering
    \begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{image1.jpg}
        \caption{First image.}
        \label{fig:sub1}
    \end{subfigure}
    \hfill
    \begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{image2.jpg}
        \caption{Second image.}
        \label{fig:sub2}
    \end{subfigure}
    \caption{Overall caption for the figure with subfigures.}
    \label{fig:multi}
\end{figure}

Result: two images on one row, captioned (a) and (b), with one overall figure caption.

Older tutorials use the subfig package’s \subfloat. It still works, but don’t load subfig and subcaption together; they conflict.

If you don’t need sub-captions, two minipage environments do the same job:

\begin{figure}[htbp]
    \begin{minipage}{0.45\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{example1.jpg}
        \caption{First image.}
        \label{fig:first}
    \end{minipage}
    \hfill
    \begin{minipage}{0.45\textwidth}
        \centering
        \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{example2.jpg}
        \caption{Second image.}
        \label{fig:second}
    \end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Which method should you use?

Using images in Overleaf

The commands are identical in Overleaf. The only extra step is getting the file into the project:

1. Upload the JPG with the upload button in the file tree, or drag it onto the file tree.
2. If you put it in a folder, add \graphicspath{{folder/}} or include the folder in the path.
3. Recompile.

Common errors

• “File ‘photo.jpg’ not found”: check the spelling, the letter case (Overleaf and Linux are case-sensitive) and the folder. Spaces in file names can also cause trouble; rename the file.
• “Cannot determine size of graphic … (no BoundingBox)”: you’re compiling with plain latex. Switch to pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.
• The image runs past the margin: add width=\linewidth or a fraction of it.
• The figure jumps to another page: use [htbp], shrink the image, or use [H] with the float package.
• “Missing number, treated as zero” at a wrapfigure: the optional argument must be a number of lines, such as [12], not text.
• \ref prints the section number: move \label after \caption.

The graphicx package page on CTAN has the full option list. For more figure, table and code tutorials, browse the LaTeX guides.

Working in Word instead? See how to place an image beside text in Word. And if a collaborator needs an editable copy, you can convert your LaTeX file to Word once the figures are in place.