Delving into HTML image maps doesn't require advanced programming skills. This step-by-step guide is crafted to help even beginners create their first HTML image map with ease.
TL;DR: To create an HTML image map:
- Choose your image and determine the hotspots.
- Use the
<map>and<area>tags to define these hotspots. - Link each area to the desired destination or action.
- Embed the image and map in your HTML code.
All of this can be easily achieved with our free HTML image map generator tool!
Step 1: Choose Your Image
Select an image for your HTML image map. This could be a diagram, photograph, or any other image that would benefit from interactive areas. Once selected, use the <img> tag to embed the image in your HTML and add the usemap attribute.
The usemap attribute is crucial as it links your image to the map element you will create. It specifies the name of the image map to use with this particular image. For instance:
<img src="path/to/your-image.jpg" alt="Descriptive Alt Text" usemap="#image-map-name">
In this example, #image-map-name refers to the name attribute of the associated <map> element that will define your clickable areas.
Step 2: Define Your Hotspots
Identify the areas on your image that you want to make clickable. These areas are your hotspots.
To define a hotspot, you need to specify its coordinates on the image. Coordinates are based on the top-left corner of the image, which is considered the origin (0,0).
Each coordinate value represents the distance from this origin – horizontally for the x-coordinate and vertically for the y-coordinate.
For example, if a hotspot is 100 pixels from the left and 200 pixels from the top, its coordinate would be (100, 200).
Remember, the coordinates will vary based on the shape of the area (rectangle, circle, polygon) you are defining.
- For rectangles, you'll specify the coordinates for the top-left and bottom-right corners.
- For circles, you'll provide the center coordinates and radius, and
- For polygons, you'll list the coordinates for each vertex in order
Step 3: Create the Map and Areas
Create a <map> element with a unique name. Within this map, define clickable regions using <area> tags.
Specify the shape (rect, circle, poly), coordinates, and the href for each hotspot.
Additionally, you can use attributes like target to control how the linked document opens and rel for specifying the relationship between the current document and the linked one.
For example:
<map name="image-map-name">
<area shape="rect" coords="34,44,270,350" href="/link1" alt="Link 1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
<area shape="circle" coords="460,300,60" href="/link2" alt="Link 2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">
</map>
Here, target="_blank" opens the link in a new tab or window, and rel="noopener noreferrer" enhances security and performance when opening new tabs.
Step 4: Embed the Image Map in HTML
Link your image to the map using the usemap attribute in the <img> tag. The value should match the name of your <map> element. For example:
<img src="path/to/your-image.jpg" alt="Descriptive Alt Text" usemap="#image-map-name">
This connects the image to the defined clickable areas, making your image map functional.
Bonus: Making Your Image Map Responsive
Responsive image maps require dynamic adjustment of coordinates to maintain hotspot accuracy across different screen sizes. This is where JavaScript libraries like 'Image Map Resizer' come into play. They achieve this through several steps:
- Calculating Ratios: The library first calculates the ratio of the current image size to its original size. This involves comparing the image's current width and height to its natural (original) width and height.
- Adjusting Coordinates: Each coordinate of the image map's hotspots is then adjusted according to this ratio. For example, if a hotspot's original coordinate is (100, 200) and the image is scaled down by half, the new coordinate becomes (50, 100).
- Updating Areas: These new coordinates are applied to the
<area>elements of the image map, ensuring that the clickable regions align correctly with the resized image. - Event Listening: The library listens for window resize events to re-calculate and update the coordinates dynamically, ensuring the image map remains responsive in real-time as the browser window changes size.
This process ensures that the image map hotspots are accurately positioned regardless of the screen size, providing a seamless user experience across all devices.
Conclusion
Creating an HTML image map is simpler than you think, especially with our HTML image map generator tool. It streamlines the entire process, allowing you to focus on the creative part of web design. Try it out and enhance your website's interactivity today!