Tables & Figures

How to Place Two Figures Side by Side in LaTeX

There are several ways to place figures side by side in LaTeX. The best method depends on whether you need separate captions.

Using subcaption (Recommended)

Best for figures that are related:

\usepackage{subcaption}

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{fig1.png}
  \caption{First image}
  \label{fig:first}
\end{subfigure}
\hfill
\begin{subfigure}{0.48\textwidth}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{fig2.png}
  \caption{Second image}
  \label{fig:second}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{Overall caption for both}
\label{fig:both}
\end{figure}

Using minipage

For independent figures:

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\begin{minipage}{0.45\textwidth}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{img1.png}
  \caption{Left figure}
\end{minipage}
\hfill
\begin{minipage}{0.45\textwidth}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{img2.png}
  \caption{Right figure}
\end{minipage}
\end{figure}

Three or More Figures

Extend to grids:

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centering
\begin{subfigure}{0.32\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{a.png}
  \caption{A}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}{0.32\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{b.png}
  \caption{B}
\end{subfigure}
\begin{subfigure}{0.32\textwidth}
  \includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{c.png}
  \caption{C}
\end{subfigure}
\caption{Three figures in a row}
\end{figure}

💡 Tips

•Use 0.48\textwidth for 2 figures to leave space for \hfill
•subfigure creates (a), (b) sub-labels automatically
•Reference individually: Figure \ref{fig:first} or together: Figure \ref{fig:both}

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