How to Cite an Image or Figure in APA Format (7th Edition)

Q: How do you cite an image in APA 7th edition?

APA 7th edition format for an online image: Creator Last, F. (Year). Title or description of image [Photograph or Painting, etc.]. Source or Museum. URL. Example: Adams, A. (1941). Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico [Photograph]. Ansel Adams Gallery. Https://anseladams.com. In your paper, include a figure note below the image: Note. From 'Title,' by A. Adams, year, Source (URL).

Q: How do you cite a figure from a journal article in APA?

For a figure reproduced from a journal article, include the attribution in the figure note below the image, not just in the reference list: Note. From 'Title of article,' by A. Author, Year, Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page. (https://doi.org/xxxxx). The full citation for the article also appears in your reference list. In-text, refer to the figure as 'Figure 1' or 'see Figure 1' in the body of your paper.

Q: Do you need to cite images from Google Images in APA?

Yes, but don't cite Google Images itself — cite the original source where the image is hosted. Google Images is a search index, not the source of the image. Click through to the original website and cite that source. Include the creator, year, image title or description, type descriptor, and the direct URL to the original source page.

Q: What is the APA caption format for figures?

APA 7th edition figure format: Figure label and number on one line (bold): 'Figure 1', followed by the figure title on the next line (italics, title case): 'Response Rates by Condition', then a brief description (plain text), then a Note section: 'Note. From Title of work, by A. Author, Year, Source (URL). Copyright Year by Publisher. Reprinted with permission.' or 'In the public domain.' for public domain works.

Quick Answer APA 7th edition image format: Creator Last, F. (Year). Title or description [Photograph/Painting/etc.]. Museum or Website. URL. When you reproduce an image in your paper, add a figure note below it: Note. From "Title," by F. Creator, Year, Source (URL). For figures from journal articles, also include the article in your reference list. The APA Citation Generator extension generates citations from museum and image hosting pages.

📋 Table of Contents

Online Photograph or Image
Artwork in a Museum Collection
Stock Photo (Unsplash, Shutterstock, Getty)
Figure from a Journal Article (Reproduced in Your Paper)
APA Figure Format in Papers
Image from Google Images
Public Domain Images
Quick Reference: Image Descriptors
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions

📋 Table of Contents

Online Photograph or Image
Artwork in a Museum Collection
Stock Photo (Unsplash, Shutterstock, Getty)
Figure from a Journal Article (Reproduced in Your Paper)
APA Figure Format in Papers
Image from Google Images
Public Domain Images
Quick Reference: Image Descriptors
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions

Citing images in APA requires two levels of attribution. First, the reference list entry for the image source. Second, a figure note directly below any image you reproduce in your paper. This guide covers both levels for every common image type.

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Online Photograph or Image

APA 7th Edition Template — Online Image Creator Last, F. (Year). Title or description of image [Photograph]. Website or Source. URL

Photograph from a Photographer's Website Leibovitz, A. (2020). Portrait of a musician in concert [Photograph]. Annie Leibovitz Photography. Https://www.leibovitz.com/example

Image from a News Site Bourke-White, M. (1937). At the time of the Louisville flood [Photograph]. Time/Life. Https://www.time.com/example

Artwork in a Museum Collection

Museum Artwork Template Artist Last, F. (Year). Title of artwork [Medium]. Museum Name, City, Country.

Painting in Museum Vermeer, J. (1665). Girl with a pearl earring [Oil on canvas]. Mauritshuis, The Hague, Netherlands.

Museum Artwork with Online Image Hopper, E. (1942). Nighthawks [Oil on canvas]. Art Institute of Chicago. Https://www.artic.edu/artworks/111628

Stock Photo (Unsplash, Shutterstock, Getty)

Unsplash Free Photo Torres, C. (2023). Aerial view of city streets at night [Photograph]. Unsplash. Https://unsplash.com/photos/example

Getty Images Getty Images. (2023). Business team meeting in conference room [Photograph]. Getty Images. Https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/example

Figure from a Journal Article (Reproduced in Your Paper)

When you reproduce a chart, graph, or figure from someone else's article, the attribution goes in two places: a figure note below the image AND in your reference list.

Reference List Entry for the Article Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256–273. Https://doi.org/10.1037/example

Then, below the reproduced figure in your paper, include a figure note:

[Figure from article reproduced here]

Figure 1
Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: Belief Distributions by Age Group
Note. From "A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality," by C. S. Dweck & E. L. Leggett, 1988, Psychological Review, 95(2), p. 261 (https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.95.2.256). Copyright 1988 by American Psychological Association.

APA Figure Format in Papers

When you include any figure (including images) in an APA paper, the structure below the image is:

Figure label (bold): Figure 1
Figure title (italics, title case): Response Rates by Condition
Description if needed (plain text, one to two sentences)
Note (if the figure was reproduced from another source): Note. From "Title," by Author, Year, Source (URL).

Copyright notice: If you reproduce a figure from a copyrighted source and your paper will be published, you may need written permission from the copyright holder. For student papers and classroom use, educational fair use provisions typically apply. When in doubt, note "Reprinted with permission" in the figure note.

Image from Google Images

Google Images is a search engine — not the source of the image. Never cite "Google Images" as your source. Click through to the original website where the image is hosted and cite that source instead.

How to find the original source: In Google Images, click the image to open the panel, then click "Visit page" to go to the hosting website. That website (or the photographer/creator credited there) is your actual source to cite.

Public Domain Images

Images in the public domain (works where copyright has expired or was never asserted) don't require copyright permission, but still need a citation to credit the source.

Public Domain Image — Reference List Library of Congress. (1863). Gettysburg battlefield, July 1863 [Photograph]. Library of Congress. Https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/example

Figure Note for Public Domain Note. From Gettysburg battlefield, July 1863, by Library of Congress, 1863 (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/example). In the public domain.

Quick Reference: Image Descriptors

Image Type	Descriptor in Brackets
Photo taken with camera	[Photograph]
Oil, acrylic, watercolor painting	[Oil on canvas], [Acrylic on wood], etc.
Drawing, sketch	[Drawing] or [Ink on paper]
Digital illustration	[Digital illustration]
Map	[Map]
Chart, graph, infographic	[Infographic] or describe the chart type
AI-generated image	[AI-generated image] or [Digital art]

Generate Image Citations Automatically

Navigate to any image page — museum website, photo platform, news site — and the extension generates the APA citation.

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Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you cite an image in APA 7th edition?

Creator Last, F. (Year). Title or description [Photograph]. Source. URL. When you reproduce the image in your paper, also include a figure note below it: Note. From "Title," by F. Creator, Year, Source (URL).

How do you cite a figure from a journal article in APA?

Include the figure note below the reproduced image: Note. From "Article title," by A. Author, Year, Journal, Volume(Issue), p. X (https://doi.org/xxxxx). Also include the full article citation in your reference list.

Do you need to cite images from Google Images in APA?

Yes, but cite the original source, not Google Images. Click through to the hosting website and cite that source. Google Images is a search engine, not the publisher of the images it indexes.

What is the APA caption format for figures?

Figure label (bold), figure title (italics), description if needed, then Note section with attribution for reproduced figures. Format: Figure 1 / Title of Figure / Note. From "Source," by Author, Year, Publisher.

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