About Image Insertion
Reading Forest allows you to insert images into your notes. Record book covers, diagrams, photos of handwritten notes, and other visual information that's difficult to convey with text alone.
How to Insert Images
Image insertion is only available during inline note editing. Make sure your cursor is in the note input field.
Method 1: Insert from Menu
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Start inline note editing
Open a book and click the note input field to place your cursor -
Open the "Edit" menu
Click "Edit" in the menu bar -
Select "Insert" → "Image"
Click "Image" from the submenu -
Select an image file
Choose an image in the file selection dialog
Method 2: Drag and Drop
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Start inline note editing
Open a book and click the note input field -
Drag the image file
Drag an image file from your computer's file explorer and drop it into the note input field
Method 3: Paste from Clipboard
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Copy an image
Copy an image from another app or web page () -
Paste into notes
Place your cursor in the note input field and paste ()
Supported Image Formats
The following image formats are supported:
- JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) - Best for photos
- PNG (.png) - Best for transparent images and screenshots
- GIF (.gif) - Simple illustrations and animations
- WebP (.webp) - High compression, high quality
- SVG (.svg) - Vector images
Inserting many large image files will increase your reading log file size. Consider resizing images beforehand if necessary.
How Images are Saved
The storage method automatically switches depending on your Google Drive connection status.
With Google Drive
Images are uploaded to Google Drive and only a reference link is stored in your reading log. This keeps file size small.
Without Google Drive
Images are automatically converted to WebP format, resized, and embedded directly in your reading log file. No Google account required.
Without Google Drive, even high-resolution smartphone photos are automatically resized to max 1600px on the longest side and efficiently compressed in WebP format. Heavy use of images will increase file size, so connecting to Google Drive is recommended.
Working with Inserted Images
Deleting Images
During inline note editing, select the image and press Delete or Backspace to delete it.
Resizing Images
You can specify image size using Markdown syntax:
{width=300}
Setting alt text for images is helpful when images can't be displayed or when searching.
FAQ
Q: The "Insert" menu is grayed out
The "Insert" menu is only available during inline note editing. Click the note input field to place your cursor, then try again.
Q: Can I insert images without a Google account?
Yes, you can. Without Google Drive, images are automatically converted to WebP format, resized, and embedded directly in your reading log file.
Q: Can I insert photos taken with my smartphone?
Yes, you can. Open Reading Forest in your smartphone's browser and insert images directly via camera capture or file selection. High-resolution photos are automatically resized to an appropriate size.
Q: Will image quality be degraded?
With Google Drive, images are saved at their original quality. Without Google Drive, images are converted to WebP format and resized to max 1600px on the longest side, but there is virtually no noticeable difference in display quality.