It looks like that beta text editor Tumblr was teasing is with is no longer an option for now, so I wanted to show you guys how to add alt text to your roleplay icons (or any other images in your posts) with the current text editor.
For this example, I took the content from the main body of the answer to this ask on my main blog and stuck it in a new post to make things a bit cleaner. As with some of my previous posts, the images in this guide are all decorative, Tumblr just won’t let me make them properly invisible to screen readers. So if you’re a screen reader user, rest assured that everything meaningful about these images is described in the text of this post. And though it’s not that important, if you’re really curious about the content of the sample roleplay post I’m using, you can read it in the link I provided earlier in this paragraph.
Now the, when you make a post, most of us write it up and add images in the default setting of Tumblr’s text editor: Rich text. This just means that it displays your post as it will display on the dashboard once you post it, formatting, spacing, images, and all.
If this is the way you like to write your posts, I’d recommend getting everything ready before you delve into this alt text stuff. This is because switching the post back to “Rich text” editor mode after the edits I’m about to show you undoes pretty much all of your work.
So, once you think your post is ready for the world, go to that little gear at the top-right corner of the page. This is where can switch your text editor view from Rich text to HTML.
Once you select that from the dropdown and return to your post-in-progress, it will probably look something like this:
If you, like me, aren’t terribly code-savvy, this mess of black, purple, and blue text with all those numbers and letter strings is probably pretty daunting to look at. But don’t worry! You don’t need to understand all that. Just save the post as a draft, go to your Drafts folder, and open it again to edit.
At first glance, this might look exactly the same as that mess I just told you not to worry about. But take another look:
Each image now has an alt text attribute in the coding that Tumblr added automatically when you drafted the post. I’ve outlined all three here for ease of finding it. The “alt=” is in light blue, but the actual alt text attribute “image” (and the quotation marks around it) are purple. This color can help some users (like me) more easily differentiate different parts of the code.
The issue is, Tumblr giving each image the alt text “image” isn’t very helpful for screen reader users. Screen readers already know to tell users it is an image because of the file type, and “image” certainly doesn’t tell the user anything useful about the image. Unlike with normal HTML, removing the word “image” from between the quotation marks in the alt text attribute will not make a screen reader skip over the image entirely—it will still read “image” when a screen reader comes across it. So for the time being, the only way to prevent these images from being an annoying mystery to screen reader users is to add alt text to them, even if they’re arguably decorative (or put a disclaimer at the start like I did for this post, but that’s not something you’re probably keen on doing for every single post you make). If the images are simple enough that alt text is an option, it’s usually best to go with that.
Start by highlighting the word “image” between the two quotation marks after the “alt=” part of the code.
Replace it with some text that actually describes the first image in your post. For example, here I changed the “image” to “Pearl smiling with mild amusement” instead.
Make sure to put something meaningful for the other two alt text attributes as well! In this case, I used “Pearl smiling excitedly with eyes closed” for the second image and “Pearl smiling with eyes open and a gentle admiration” for the third. Once you’re done adding your alt text, you’re ready to post!
i felt like cinderella when her mouse friends sewed her dress to get her ready for the ball but it’s 50rats building my tumblr blog to get me ready for hell
First comic panel shows the main character holding a pencil larger than themself and using it to draw a line. The caption says “ADHD Bri’s How To.” The sub caption says “writing alt text”. A disclaimer at the bottom states “this is an example of how I write my alt text and is not perfect nor the only way to write it.”
The second comic panel shows an example comic. The caption states “1. List how many and types of images.” The sub caption says “This lets tour audience know what to expect. Example: “Two panel comic.”
The third comic panel shows the same example comic focusing on the first panel. The caption states: “2. Clarify which image you are describing.” The sub caption says “example: “comic panel one.”
The fourth comic panel shows the example comic. The caption says “3. explain the visual elements of your image.” The sub caption says “example: comic panel one shows the main character leaning back in their chair with their foot on the table in front of them.”
The fifth comic panel’s caption says “Tips”. The sub caption says “use only tangible descriptors. If there are multiple characters, make sure to label which one you’re referring to. Don’t go overboard describing everything. Pick and choose which best tells your story.”
The sixth comic panel’s caption shows the same comic example. The caption says “4. Write the caption or spoken text in image.” The sub caption says “example: the main character asks “how tough am I? Let’s just say I’m not afraid of anything.””
The seventh comic panel’s caption says “Tips”. The sub caption says “the punctuation and symbols are not always screen reader friendly. Be mindful how you use any. If you intentionally misspell or use alternative spelling of something in the image, write it so it can be readable in the alt caption and specify it was written originally in a particular fashion or tone.”
The eighth comic panel shows the same example comic. The caption says “5.) Repeat steps 2-4 for any other image.”
The ninth comic panel shows the example comic. The caption says “The results.” The sub caption says “Two Panel Comic. Comic Panel one shows the main character leaning back in their chair with their foot on the table in front of them. The main character asks “How tough am I? Let’s just say I’m not afraid of anything.” Comic panel two shows a large figure looming over the main character with “making phone calls” written on its chest. The figure asks “you were saying?””
Finally started a bullet journal again, which is honestly just an excuse to draw cute art.
Disclaimer: I know every single one of you is going to be bothered about my weekly layout, which is going against every single planner you’ve ever seen. Going from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock counter clockwise? Surely I must have lost all sense of reason. So, considering this bullet journal is for me, it turns out this is the most intuitive layout because it most closely matches the 3D shape I see in my mind’s eye when I imagine the days of the week (which is probably some vague form of Spatial Sequence Synethesia).
Manually Writing Image Descriptions with Alt Text on Tumblr (Desktop)
Just so people are aware, you can add image descriptions via the alt text, but only from creating your image as a “text post”, because you need access to the HTML view feature. To edit the HTML of your text post, you need to click on the Settings icon in the upper righthand corner and choose “HTML”.
I usually just locate the image path url and then add in: alt=“[put your image description here]”
You can double check to see if an image has alt text by right clicking page (not the image) > Inspect and viewing the HTML.
And in the Inspect view, you’ll can see if an image has a description after the “alt” tag.
[Image ID: A personalized holiday card with text and a drawing by Jack Kirby. The text is “Remembering you at Hanukkah and hoping you will find that your holiday leaves many special memories behind. Happy Hanukkah. The Kirbys.” Opposite the writing is an ink drawing of Ben Grimm, a k a The Thing, who is canonically Jewish. Ben is wearing a yamaka, prayer shawl, and formal attire while holding a book of prayers; a menorah with eight lit candles sits in the background. The phrase “אחולים לחנוכה”, which translates to “Happy Hanukkah” is printed on his collar, and Ben stares directly at the viewer with an expression that is both stoic and inviting. The tough, craggy design of the character blends surprisingly well with the softer elements of the drawing; a true testament to Jack Kirby’s skill.]
[Alt text: The figure presents a comic with 9 panels. In the comic, a red-faced, hard-scrabble old farmer with gnarled hands speaks to an unseen protagonist; speech bubbles appear above the images in every panel. Panel 1: “All right you transient cowpoke scum…” Image is the farmer. Panel 2: “Wages are $40 a week.” Image is a close-up on the farmer. Panel 3: “Room and board included.” Image is similar to panel 2. Panel 4: “No dickin around. No slackin off. No Tom Foolery, ya hear?” Image is a pull-away shot revealing the farmhouse and wind turbine. Panel 5: “There will be no interaction of any kind with any of my daughters. Y’understan?” Image pulls back to the farmer. Panel 6: “If I should find out that any of my girls have been exposed to any of your course deviant sexual behavior, I will kill you.” Image is an extreme close-up of the farmer’s increasingly reddening face and hands so gnarled as to almost be tentacles. Panel 7: “I don’t want you anywhere near my,” then in bold, “Ellie May.” The image presents a sexually mature woman holding a pail of fresh milk and wearing overalls that reveal ample cleavage and cut off at the top of the legs. Panel 8: “No where near my,” then in bold large print, “Suzie May.” The image presents a different sexually mature woman, facing away from the viewer, also in cut-off overalls, which hug tightly around her very large, round butt, and standing beside a rooster. Panel 9: “Not a single word to my girl,” then in bold large print, Anna May.” The image presents a sexually mature woman with pink hair, cat ears, large eyes, orange skin, perfunctory wings, and an elaborate, skimpy outfit, holding an over-sized sword.]
[Alt text: The figure presents a text conversation in which an uncaptioned photograph is given a two word response. In the photo, a man holds 10 young, squirming, multicolored tegu lizards - each about the size of a plantain - close to his chest; he is struggling to keep them all contained for the photo. The two word response is “OMG KITTENS.”]
[Alt text: The figure presents a comic in four panels titled “Warning Signs Your Cat is About to Strike.” Panel 1 presents a line-art cat with small, focused eyes and perked ears, and the caption “all movement stops.” Panel 2 presents the same cat, captioned with “eyes begin to dilate;” the cat’s eyes have greatly enlarged and its face is now sunken in shadow. Panel 3 presents the same cat, captioned “ears flatten” with an arrow pointing to the ears, which have flattened, and “incessant twitching” with an arrow pointing to movement lines on the side of the cat’s face. Panel 4 presents the same cat, captioned “Body crouches” with an arrow pointing to the cat’s head which has lowered down to the bottom of the frame, and “gun cocks slowly” with an arrow pointing to the pistol that the cat is now holding at a menacing, upward angle.
[Alt text: The figure presents an altered image of an Ant-Man movie poster. The image is the Marvel superhero Ant Man, posing boldly while standing at approximately 1 centimeter in height atop an overturned Mjolnir. The title has been altered to read “CAN’T-MAN: I HAVE ANXIETY”]
[Alt text: The figure presents an altered photograph. The purported photograph is taken in a street at night. In the picture, a mule is standing in the middle of a street, looking into the camera with a dog standing on its back, looking into the camera with a cat standing on its back, looking into the camera with a rooster standing on its back, looking into the camera.]
[Alt text: The figure presents a demotivational poster meme. The image is a still photo of two men standing knee-deep in a cranberry bog, taken from the Ocean Spray commercial series. The text reads, “ADMIT IT. Whenever you see this commercial you wish you could swim in that pool of cranberries”]
What amphibian secretes its own “sunblock” and walks instead of hops? Found in South America’s Chaco forest, the waxy monkey tree frog (Phyllomedusa sauvagii) lives in trees, where it spends much of its time resting on branches, soaking up the hot Sun. To protect itself from drying out, it secretes a waxy substance that acts like a self-made sunscreen. Flexible hind-legs help this frog spread the substance on its back, ensuring its whole body is coated with a protective layer. This amphibian is also equipped with opposable thumbs that aid it in holding onto and walking along branches in the treetop. Photo: Ianaré Sévi https://www.instagram.com/p/B1vE-fxANA0/?igshid=hxj6eoo7zf7r
[Alt text: The figure presents a photograph of a frog on a tree branch. The frog is green with waxy, dry skin instead of shiny, wet skin. The frog’s eye’s are half-open and its mouth curls very slightly at the edges, giving it the appearance of having a wry smile. This expression is further aided by the frog’s ears, which are shaped and situated very similarly to a teardrop tattoo. This frog would be easily anthropomorphized into a wry, pudgy frog-man, or Grippli, sitting at the bar in a tavern, ready to offer you a quest that will correct some wrong from his criminal past.]
They forgot the part where the ambulance actually stopped to let the cat in
oh good I was worried
What a good cat. What a kind cat. How can anyone not love cats they are so good and loving.
they also forgot the part where they only found the baby because masha was screaming her head off bc she knew this baby was in danger. she went around outside the alley the next morning and yelled at passerby until she got one to follow her to the baby. she kept him warm all night and then made sure someone found him. she was adopted after this bc she was a stray and is in a loving home and is a hero
Hero cat
Thank you, Masha, you’re such a good girl.
See.
Kittens can’t regulate their own body temperature. That’s why they pile up.
Cats see us as colony members.
Masha saw a kitten that was on its own, no mommy, no other kittens to cuddle with. She instinctively knew that was a cold kitten. She knew that a kitten alone on a cold night was very likely to die. Because a kitten would have died too.
So, all she was doing was what any good colony member does - protecting the abandoned kitten. Then when the abandoned kitten’s mommy didn’t come back, she called the rest of the colony for help.
People have this bizarre idea that housecats don’t have a social sense. They do, and it saved this kid’s life. And possibly Masha’s too, as life on the streets is dangerous for a kitty.
We say “good dog” all the time, but Masha was being a very, very good cat…not just by human moral standards but by feline ones.
[Alt text: The figure presents three sequential screencaps taken from a news broadcast. The source is Ruptly, a product of Russia Today. In the first image, a white baby is sleeping peacefully inside a hospital crib, and captioned text reads “This baby boy was found with a bag containing baby food and diapers on a cold winter night in Obninsk, Russia.” In the second image, a large, fluffy tabby cat is peering out from inside a cardboard box, and captioned text reads “Masha, the cat, saved the baby’s life by curling around him and shielding him from below freezing temperatures.” In the third image, the cat Masha is shown walking on pavement alongside a car, and captioned text reads “By the time paramedics responded to take the child to a hospital, Masha had grown protective of him, running after the baby and trying to jump into the ambulance after him.”]
[Alt text: The figure presents a meme with two images. The first image is a text conversation that goes as follows. A, “Oh, I love reading too! Do you have any favorite books?” B, “Yes. 1984.” A, “Wow, so many!” The second image is a screencap of Tony Stark holding up a hand, captioned “I’m gonna stop you right there.”]
[Alt Text: The figure presents search suggestions. Below the phrase “People also search for” are three recommended image search options. The option on the left, captioned “Tiefling,” contains an image of a D&D Tiefling. The option in the middle, captioned “Drow,” contains an image of a D&D Drow. The option on the right, captioned “Elf,” contains an image of The Elf on the Shelf.]
[Alt text: The figure presents a reward poster with the following content. A photograph of a crow with an orange plastic band on its left foot and a silvery metallic band on its right foot, is presented alongside text that reads, “$10,000 REWARD. (Canadian) Federally Protected Crow. Canuck the Vancouver crow has been missing since Friday, Aug 30th. A reward is offered for his SAFE return.” A second photograph features a close-up of Canuck’s metallic band, showing that it has a 1-800 number above a large I D number over small text. At the bottom of the poster is the following contact information: “[email protected] (for sighting info OR information).]
Commission of a human wizard this time! I was so worried I had messed up the face early on, but now I think it’s like … one of the nicest faces I’ve painted in a while.
[Alt text: The figure presents watercolor illustration of a human wizard. The subject is a white guy with red hair, wearing a fine cerulean cape over a purple tunic embroidered with a butterfly and a spider. He is clutching a comedy mask with matching cerulean cowl in his right hand and a leather-bound book in his left. He is hunched and looking sadly to his right, while a deep blue shadow forms to his left.]
[Alt text: The figure presents a painting of a female pirate on a ship, plus a close-up of just the person and a slight variation. The pirate is pointing a pistol at an unseen target to the right of the image, and a single tear falls down a face that is an unreadable mix of emotions. The other hand is resting on the ship’s wheel, and a cockatoo is perched on this shoulder. Her skin is olive in color with European features and green eyes. She is wearing a red coat over blue and white clothes that are fastened with two separately buckled belts, which are keeping second pistol and a pouch secured. A third buckled belt is slung shoulder to hip and is keeping a sheathed sword secured. In the background, the sky is dark and appears stormy. The variant image is identical in all respects except the cockatoo is perched atop the ship’s wheel.
[Alt text: The figure presents two images. The first image presents the text of the following brain teaser: “Math Break! 1, 3, 5, 7, … What number will be next?” The second image presents a response posted on an anonymized social media account whose avatar is a Shiba Inu. The dog’s response is as follows, “217341, because if, Equation 1: f of x equals the fraction 18111 over 2 times x raised to the 4 power, end fraction, minus 90555 times x cubed, plus the fraction 633885 over 2 times x squared, end fraction, minus 452773 x plus 217331, then: Equation 2: f of 1 equals 1. Equation 3: f of 2 equals 3. Equation 4: f of 3 equals 5. Equation 5: f of 4 equals 7. Equation 6: f of 5 equals 217341.”]
Fun fact: Atari illustrator Jim Kelly served as the model for the covers to both Othello and Night Driver. That’s right, by established visual cannon, Iago spends his spare time street racing.
[Alt text: The figure presents two images of box art for Atari games. Text on the first box reads “Othello*, video computer system ™, game program ™, 4 video games, Othello*, one player, two players.” Asterisks next to “Othello” are explained with a footnote that reads “Othello ® is a registered trademark of C B S, Inc. for its strategy game and disc equipment.” The image on the box is as follows. In the upper left of the image, a white guy holds his hand to his waxed goatee in contemplation; his curly hair, receding hairline, and wedding band are all visible, despite everything but his face being washed out by a powerful yellow light. Four smaller images of his face and hand appear in succession as the man reaches down to a digitized Othello game board where he makes his move. If one unfocuses their eyes, the five interconnected heads with bushy hair and beards coalesce into a large cartoon caterpillar. The second box is for a game titled “Night Driver ®” and the box contains much of the same superfluous text. The image on the box is as follows. Stock cars are moving on a track at sunset, tightly clustered together. Superimposed over this in the upper left of the image, the same white guy from the first image is wearing a driving helmet that hides any hair and beard except for his thick eyebrows. His face is screwed up in concentration as he tightly grips a steering wheel in front of an ephemeral checkered flag and a digital timer.]
[Alt text: The figure presents the image of a sector of a circle formed by an 89 degree angle. The interior angle is clearly very slightly acute. A caption above the image reads “Hey, perfectionists. This is an 89 degree angle. Have a good day!”]
