Images in Canvas

Overview

Images appear in many areas of Canvas. This guide explains how to add them, describe them for accessibility, position them, and prepare them for banners and course cards. It also outlines recommended dimensions and available tools for creating images.

Upload Images in Canvas

Canvas allows instructors to place images anywhere the Rich Content Editor appears. Refer to the Canvas guide in your course for detailed steps.

• How do I upload and embed an image in the Rich Content Editor?
• How do I add an image to a course card in the Dashboard?

Apply Accessibility and Design Principles

To maintain accessibility across devices:

• Provide meaningful alternative text or long descriptions for instructional content in images.
• Avoid placing essential text inside images.
• Check color contrast.
• Ensure banners do not push essential content downward.
• Limit decorative elements that do not support clarity.
• Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker.
• Use images consistently.
• Keep file sizes small to improve load times.
• Maintain a clear and uncluttered layout.

Add Alternative Text and/or Long Descriptions 

1. Use the Image Accessibility Creator to create long or alternate text.
2. Avoid using words like “image” or “photo.”  
3. Use the mark as decorative option sparingly.

Position Images and Wrap Text

• Use features in the Rich Content Editor to float text around the image. Click the image and select Left Align or Right Align.
  
• Text is automatically  positioned right next to the image, which is not always visually pleasing. If you are comfortable using the Canvas HTML editor </>, you can add space (padding) around the image by adding the following code to the image tag:
  
  style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;"
  
  style="float: right; padding-right: 10px;"
  
  EXAMPLE: <p><img style="float: left; padding-right: 10px;" src="/courses/####/files/#####/download?wrap=1" alt="ALT TEXT WILL VARY" /></p>

Create Banners and Course Cards

Banners and course cards help create a consistent visual structure in a course.

Tools for Image Creation

Instructors at UW–Eau Claire have access to Adobe Express, which offers templates and simple design tools for creating banners and other graphics. Other AI tools may be used when copyright, accessibility, and quality standards are met.

• Adobe Express: How to Access.
• Other Adobe Express guides.
• LTS Training offers training sessions and consultations.

Recommended Dimensions

These sizes are recommendations only. Canvas adjusts images responsively.

• Dashboard course cards: 262 × 146 pixels
• Course banners (option 1): 1200 × 200 pixels
• Course banners (option 2): 1200 × 100 pixels

Canvas Image File Types

Canvas supports several common image formats.

• JPEG - Joint Photographic Experts Group
• GIF - Graphics Interchange Format
• BMP - Windows Bitmap
• TIFF - Adobe Systems
• PNG - Portable Network Graphics

TIFF files upload correctly, but will not display in the document preview window.