Remarks

The external file associated with a <graphic> holds a picture, illustration, etc., and is usually some form of binary object. The “content” of the <graphic> element (if any) is not the object itself, but merely information about the object. The external file that contains the object is named by the @xlink:href attribute.

Related Essay: For a discussion on the use of <graphic>, see Figures and Graphics.

Position: Although the @position attribute of this element may be used to indicate whether this element must be anchored at its exact location within the text or it may float, it is good practice to anchor graphics. All the graphics inside figures, tables, etc., should be anchored as well, although the outer structure (figure, boxed text) may be allowed to float.

Usage: Display component elements, such as <caption>, should always be used at the highest possible level; in other words, if a <graphic> element is inside a <fig> element, the <caption>, <long-desc>, etc., should be part of the <fig>, not part of the <graphic> element. Use a <caption> element (and similar display component elements) on a <graphic> only when the graphical object is not enclosed in any other structure or when a figure contains multiple graphical objects, each of which must have its own <caption>. For similar reasons, the @position attribute should be set to “anchor” for a <graphic> element contained inside a larger display container such as a <fig>.