Exploring Images with Image Maps

You may have already tried making a graphic of some kind into a link. It's pretty easy: just select the picture and link it to another page in the same way you linked text. An image map is a little different. With an image map, you can make it possible for visitors to click on different parts of the image and thereby go to different pages.

Here's how you do it:

1. Insert the picture in the same way that you insert any other picture.
2. Click once on the picture to select it. You should see those little black squares around the edges.
3. You should also see a new tool bar on your screen (see below).
4. Toward the right of the tool bar are four buttons: an arrow, a rectangle, an oval, and weird shape. These are the buttons you use for making an image map. The arrow is for selecting and modifying areas that you have already created. The other three are for creating those clickable areas.
5. The simplest is the rectangle. Click on the rectangle tool and then move your pointer to the picture.
6. Use the resulting pencil to draw a rectangle on the picture at the point where you want your visitors to click.
7. As soon as you are finished drawing the rectangle, the dialog box that allows you to enter a link appears. Use it in the same way you used it for text or picture links before. The links from an image map can be external or internal.

The circle and polygon tools work in much the same way.

That's all there is to making an image map!