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Graphics and figures
Image file formats
Where there is no strong reason to choose another image file format, you should use SVG or PNG file formats in DITA topics.

Introduction
Information types and topics
Topics are the building blocks of modular documents, and organising topics by semantic information types is one of the architectural features of DITA.
DITA map files
Syntax and mark-up
Language and punctuation
Graphics and figures
- Figures and images
  Images are placed in topic content using the image element. The image element can stand alone, or can be contained within a figure (fig) element.
- Image file formats
  Where there is no strong reason to choose another image file format, you should use SVG or PNG file formats in DITA topics.
  - Image file management
    Image files should be stored separately from topic files. Images can be re-used by referencing the same file name, by conref to an image element, or by conref to a fig element.
  - Different graphics for different published media
    When a graphic needs to be presented differently for different output media, you should either include multiple versions of the graphics and use conditional processing to filter the required output, or use the keyref feature.
- Image alignment, placement, and sizing
  The align, placement, width, and height attributes of the image element are used to specify the placement and size of images when generated to an output delivery format.
- Images in titles
  Images in topic, figure, and other titles, while technically valid, should not be used.
- Callouts
  Callouts with keys, rather than text labels, should be used when identifying parts of an illustration.
- Localising graphics
  Where possible, graphics that include text should be managed in SVG format to simplify localisation.
- Multimedia in DITA topics
  The object element is used to embed multimedia in DITA topics.
- Figures containing tables
  Simple tables can be contained within figures instead of, or in addition to, images.
- Image maps
  The imagemap element is used to define image maps (hotspot graphics) in DITA topics.
- WAI compliance
  So that output from your DITA source meets accessibility responsibilities, you must include alternative text representations of all images in DITA content.
Cross-referencing
Cross-references are a means of binding individual topics into a coherent and navigable document.
Content re-use
Metadata, conditional processing, and indexing
The DITA documentation process
DITA authoring concepts
Moving from style-based authoring to a structured authoring methodology such as DITA requires a radically different approach to writing.

Image file formats

Where there is no strong reason to choose another image file format, you should use SVG or PNG file formats in DITA topics.

DITA supports a variety of image formats. A more accurate assertion is that you can place a reference to any sort of image file inside a DITA image element, and it will be up to the publishing processor as to whether this image can be handled and generated into a reading format.

Typical image file types supported by current DITA processors include:

GIF: Compuserve Graphics Interchange Format
JPG: Joint Photographic Experts Group format
BMP: Microsoft Bitmap Picture format
TIF (or TIFF): Tagged Image File Format
PNG: Portable Network Graphics format
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript format
SVG: Scaleable Vector Graphics XML format

Unless you have specific reasons for choosing other formats, you should use SVG for line drawings and diagrams. Likewise, for photographs, use JPG with zero or low compression, particularly if you will be publishing to print formats. For other purposes, you should prefer PNG. If your publishing process does not support SVG, you may have to use PNG instead. However, a better approach is to use a publishing process which supports SVG.

Note:

These recommendations on image file types may not apply for specific publishing scenarios. For example, if you are using DITA to publish to high quality print, the TIFF format may be the best choice.