How to Put a Picture on the Left in a LaTeX CV

To place a picture to the left of your name and contact details in a LaTeX CV, create two side-by-side blocks: the first contains the image, and the second contains the text. The minipage environment is a straightforward way to do this in a document header because it keeps both blocks together rather than treating the picture as a floating figure.

The example below uses a sample image supplied by the mwe package. Replace its filename with your own image file when adapting the code.

A complete example

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{mwe} % provides the sample file example-image-a

\begin{document}

\noindent
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.22\textwidth}
  \vspace{0pt}
  \includegraphics[
    width=\linewidth,
    height=3cm,
    keepaspectratio
  ]{example-image-a}
\end{minipage}\hfill
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.74\textwidth}
  \vspace{0pt}
  {\LARGE\bfseries Alex Example}\\[0.4em]
  Researcher in Applied Mathematics\\
  alex@example.com\\
  City, Country
\end{minipage}

\end{document}

The example needs the graphicx package for \includegraphics. The mwe package is included only to provide a sample image, so you can test the layout without preparing a photo file. In your CV, replace example-image-a with the filename of your image, such as photo.jpg, and keep that file in the same folder as your .tex file (or provide its path).

How the layout works

Each minipage acts like a small, fixed-width block of text. The first block is 0.22\textwidth wide, and the second is 0.74\textwidth wide. The widths total 0.96\textwidth, leaving room for \hfill, which inserts flexible horizontal space between the blocks. If you change the widths, leave enough room for the gap and any intervening spaces; keeping their sum comfortably below 1.0\textwidth is a safe rule.

The image is inserted first, so it appears on the left. The text minipage follows it and appears on the right. The optional [t] on each minipage requests top alignment. The \vspace{0pt} at the start of each block helps align their top edges consistently.

Within the image block, width=\linewidth means the image can use the full width of that minipage. The height limit and keepaspectratio prevent it from growing beyond three centimetres high while preserving its original proportions. If you want a fixed-width image instead, set a width such as width=2.5cm and omit the height limit.

If you are using a CV template

CV classes often define their own header layout and photo commands. If your template provides a command such as \photo, use the template’s documented interface first; it can handle sizing and spacing consistently with the rest of the design. Check the template documentation or its example files for the intended command and any options for photo size or placement. Adding a separate minipage to a template-controlled header may cause overlapping content or unexpected spacing.

If the template does not provide a suitable photo feature, look for the macro that prints the name and contact information. The minipage approach can be adapted around that content, but the exact place to insert it depends on the class. A general article example will not automatically change a specialized CV class’s header.

Cropping and sizing the picture

A portrait photo may have a different shape from the space you want to reserve. With keepaspectratio, LaTeX fits the whole image inside the stated width and height, so it may not fill the entire box. If you want a cropped, consistently sized headshot, you can use trim and clip with \includegraphics, for example:

\includegraphics[width=2.5cm,height=3cm,keepaspectratio]{photo.jpg}

That version preserves the whole picture and may leave unused space if the aspect ratios differ. To crop deliberately, adjust the values in trim=left bottom right top and add clip; the trim values use TeX dimensions, such as 2mm or 5pt. Check the result in the compiled PDF because the best crop depends on the source image.

Common mistakes

• Using a figure environment for a fixed header photo. Figures are floats and can move away from the location where they appear in the source. For a photo that must stay beside your name, use \includegraphics directly inside the minipage.
• Making the columns too wide. If the minipage widths plus any fixed spacing exceed the available line width, the second block can wrap to another line. Reduce one or both widths.
• Forgetting the image file. LaTeX cannot include a file it cannot find. Check the spelling, extension, and folder path; filenames can be case-sensitive depending on your system.
• Expecting keepaspectratio to crop. It preserves the full image. Use cropping options if you need the image to fill a fixed rectangular frame.
• Mixing the example with a template’s own header. A CV class may already position a photo or name. Use its documented commands, or modify the header definition rather than adding a second independent layout on top of it.

For a picture on the right, reverse the order of the two minipages. For a picture alongside a longer paragraph rather than a compact header, a text-wrapping package may be more suitable, but a two-column minipage is usually easier to control in a CV heading.