A Thumbnail Image can help you fine tune the way your content is featured internally throughout the site.


Starting in April 2024, content types with the Thumbnail Image field allow you to specify the image used as a thumbnail. This image can be seen in the Homepage headlines grid, in the Headlines page, and in any topic page.


This field will give you greater control over the two different sizes used for featured and thumbnails:




The thumbnail image field is optional. If a thumbnail image is not specified, other images will be used. This order of priority is as follows:

  1. Thumbnail Image
  2. Featured Image
  3. School Placeholder Image:


For example:

  • If an article is saved without a thumbnail or featured image and is highlighted in the headlines, the placeholder image will be used as the thumbnail.
  • If an article is saved with a Featured Image only, that image will be used as the thumbnail. In most cases, this is completely acceptable, and all that is necessary.
  • If an article has separate Featured and Thumbnail Images, the Featured image will be used inside the article. If the article appears in a large format (top of Headlines), the Thumbnail image will be used if it appears in smaller formats (headlines grid or topics).


FAQs

How do I add a Thumbnail image?

  • Look for the "Thumbnail Image" media field in the Page Components section.



What are the recommended dimensions of a Thumbnail image?

  • Images should be at least 800 × 640 px. Drupal will fine tune the sizes as long as the image is roughly this size or larger.


What is the difference between Featured and Thumbnail Images?

  • Featured images have a wider format and are also displayed within the article. They are also used as a fallback to Social images.

  • Thumbnail Images are narrower and are only used internally when featuring content in a grid or smaller formats.


When should I use this field?

  • The field is most helpful for cases where the cropped version of your featured image does not look good, e.g., if your image has two people opposite of each other, then the smaller format may crop both of them. In that case you can use a different version of the photo that does not affect the subjects.