MLA 9th Edition · Image
How to Cite An Image in MLA 9th Edition
MLA 9th Edition treats an image as a containerized work: artist or creator, italicized title, date, and the website or museum that hosts it. Humanities courses usually want an Accessed date for online images. Even a “generic” image citation fails if you credit a search engine instead of the page that actually hosts the file.
Image Citation Generator
MLA Style
9th Edition (Section 5.34)💡 "Copy Formatted" copies with HTML styling so pasting into Microsoft Word or Google Docs retains italicized titles and indentation automatically.
MLA 9th formula for an image
Creator Last Name, First Name. Title of Work in Title Case. Year. Website or Museum, URL. Accessed Day Mon. Year.
Italics: Italicize artwork and photograph titles in title case; website names are also italicized as containers. Year position: After the title, as its own element (not in parentheses).
Worked example
In-text citation
(Adams)
Template: (Creator) or (Creator, fig. X)
Figure caption
Fig. 1. Ansel Adams, The Tetons and the Snake River, 1942, National Archives, catalog.archives.gov/id/519885.
Special rules for images
- Name the creator if credited; otherwise move the title or a bracketed description to the author slot.
- Include a format description that matches what you actually used (digital image, JPEG, online illustration).
- Cite the permanent page URL, never a Google Images or Pinterest search URL.
Source of truth: The hosting webpage or repository that publishes the file—not a search results page.
Common mistakes
- Listing Google Images as the publisher.
- Omitting a format tag when the style requires one (especially APA).
- Copying a CDN asset URL that expires instead of the stable landing page.
FAQ
How do you cite an image in MLA 9th?
Build one MLA 9th reference from creator → date → title → “Digital image” → host. Then paste the finished string into your reference list; do not leave the format field blank or point to a search-results URL.
What is the in-text citation for an image in MLA 9th?
Match the creator spelling used in the reference entry and apply (Creator) or (Creator, fig. X). If the image is labeled as a numbered figure in the paper, add that figure number only where your instructor’s MLA 9th handout allows.
Do I need a figure caption when I include an image in my paper (MLA 9th)?
Only if you reprint the visual. A mention in prose needs in-text + reference list; a reproduced image also needs a numbered caption so readers can connect the picture on the page to the bibliography entry.
Where should I look for source details for an image?
Start on the object or article page that displays the image, then read the credit line, about panel, or download metadata. Skip aggregator cards and thumbnail feeds—they rarely carry a citable creator or permanent link.
What is a common mistake when citing images in MLA 9th?
Students often listing Google Images as the publisher. Another frequent miss: treating a cropped social share as the publisher of record.
How is citing an image different from citing a generic online photo in MLA 9th?
A generic photo citation can stop at photographer + site + URL. For images, you also have to capture name the creator if credited; otherwise move the title or a bracketed description to the author slot. That extra field is what keeps the entry recoverable.