Images must be tagged as figures

PDF/UA check IMAGE_OUTSIDE_FIGURE · Figures & images · severity Critical · PDF/UA 8.2.5.28 Figure

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Why it matters#

Screen readers only announce alternative text on Figure elements. An image tagged inside a paragraph or span without alt text is skipped or read as meaningless content. Adobe Acrobat reports these as 'Other elements that require alternative text'.

What you will see#

An image is tagged inside a paragraph or span rather than as a Figure. Acrobat reports these as "Other elements that require alternative text".

How to fix#

Move the image content out of the P, Span, or Div into a Figure structure element and add an Alt entry describing it. If the image is purely decorative, mark it as an artifact instead.

Step-by-step guide#

1. Locate the flagged image using the page number in the EQChecker report; it is tagged inside a text container (P, Span, or Div) instead of a Figure.
2. Retag it: open All tools > Prepare for accessibility > Fix reading order (the Reading Order tool), drag a selection around the image, and click Figure to create a proper Figure element.
3. Add a description: right-click the new figure > Edit Alternate Text and describe the image's meaning in context.
4. In the Accessibility tags panel, place the new Figure tag at the correct reading-order position - inside the paragraph if the image is inline, as a sibling block otherwise.
5. If the image is purely decorative (rules, flourishes, backgrounds), mark it as an artifact instead: select it with the Reading Order tool and click Background/Artifact.
6. Fallback: EQChecker also passes if the enclosing P, Span, or Div itself carries Alt or ActualText, but screen readers reliably announce descriptions only on Figure (and Link) tags, so prefer the Figure retag.

Verify: Re-run the EQChecker scan: IMAGE_OUTSIDE_FIGURE should be clean. Acrobat's accessibility check should stop listing the image under Other elements alternate text.

Note: Common after autotagging or Word export of inline images. A Figure nested inside a P is valid for genuinely inline images - the defect is image content sitting directly in a text tag with no Figure wrapper and therefore no way to expose a description (ISO 14289-2 8.2.5.28).

Fixing it in your authoring tool#

WCAG success criteria#

1.1.1 Non-text Content — Level A#

All non-text content (images, icons, controls) needs a text alternative that conveys the same purpose, or be marked decorative so assistive tech can ignore it.

Understanding 1.1.1

Standards#

This check contributes to the following standards:

PDF/UA WCAG A EN 301 549