Which image formats does LaTeX support?

pdfLaTeX supports PNG, JPG, and PDF. EPS works with the classic latex+dvips route or by converting to PDF. On LetX, PNG/JPG/PDF work out of the box.

How do I resize an image in LaTeX?

Use the width or height option: \includegraphics[width=0.5\linewidth]{file} scales to half the text width. You can also use scale=0.5 to scale by a factor.

Why does my image not show up?

Check that the file is uploaded to the project, the filename matches exactly (case-sensitive), and graphicx is loaded. On LetX, the file browser shows what is available to include.

How do I center an image in LaTeX?

Put \centering inside the figure environment, right before \includegraphics. Outside a figure, wrap the image in \begin{center}...\end{center}.

How do I put two images side by side?

Load the subcaption package and place two subfigure blocks of width 0.48\linewidth inside one figure, separated by \hfill. Each subfigure gets its own caption.

How do I force a figure to stay where I put it?

Load \usepackage{float} and use \begin{figure}[H]. The capital H pins the figure exactly at that point instead of letting it float.

How do I wrap text around a figure?

Use the wrapfig package: \begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\linewidth} floats the image right with text flowing around it. Avoid it near page breaks and headings.

How to Add Images in LaTeX

To add an image in LaTeX, load the graphicx package with \usepackage{graphicx} in your preamble, then use \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{filename} where you want the image. Wrap it in a figure environment to add a caption and label. On LetX you can upload the image file and compile instantly in the browser — no local TeX install needed.

Example

\usepackage{graphicx}
% ...
\begin{figure}[h]
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.8\linewidth]{diagram.png}
  \caption{System architecture.}
  \label{fig:arch}
\end{figure}

Refer to the figure in text with Figure~\ref{fig:arch}. The [h] placement hint asks LaTeX to put the figure “here”; use [ht] or [H] (with thefloat package) for stricter control.

Float placement options

LaTeX treats figures as floats — it moves them to wherever the page breaks best. The bracket option tells LaTeX where you would prefer the figure to go:

Option	Meaning	When to use
[h]	“Here”, if it fits	Small figures inside running text
[t]	Top of a page	Default look of most journals
[b]	Bottom of a page	Rarely needed alone
[p]	A separate floats-only page	Full-page figures
[ht]	Here, else top	Good general default
[H]	Exactly here (needs \usepackage{float})	Theses, lab reports — when position must not move

Two images side by side

Use the subcaption package, with one subfigure per image:

\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{subcaption}
% ...
\begin{figure}[ht]
  \centering
  \begin{subfigure}{0.48\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{before.png}
    \caption{Before}
  \end{subfigure}
  \hfill
  \begin{subfigure}{0.48\linewidth}
    \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{after.png}
    \caption{After}
  \end{subfigure}
  \caption{Comparison of results.}
  \label{fig:compare}
\end{figure}

Wrap text around an image

\usepackage{wrapfig}
% ...
\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.4\linewidth}  % r = right side
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{portrait.jpg}
  \caption{A wrapped figure.}
\end{wrapfigure}

{r} floats the image on the right with text flowing around it; use {l} for the left. Avoid wrapfig near page breaks, lists, or section headings — it does not break across pages.

Rotate, crop, and scale

\includegraphics[angle=90]{wide-chart.pdf}          % rotate 90°
\includegraphics[scale=0.5]{photo.jpg}              % half size
\includegraphics[trim=10 20 10 20, clip]{plot.pdf}  % crop l b r t (pt)
\includegraphics[height=5cm, keepaspectratio]{logo.png}

Images in a folder

Keep figures organized in a subfolder and point graphicx at it once in the preamble:

\graphicspath{{figures/}{plots/}}
% then simply:
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{result1}  % finds figures/result1.png

Omitting the file extension lets the engine pick the best available format automatically.

Common image errors

Error	Cause	Fix
File `x.png' not found	Wrong name/path; case-sensitive	Match the exact filename; check it is uploaded
Undefined control sequence \includegraphics	graphicx not loaded	Add \usepackage{graphicx} to the preamble
Unknown graphics extension .eps	pdfLaTeX cannot read EPS directly	Convert to PDF, or add \usepackage{epstopdf}
Figure appears on the wrong page	Float placement	Use [ht], or [H] with the float package

How to Add Images in LaTeX

Step by step

Load graphicx

Upload the image

Insert the image

Add a caption

Compile