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# ARImageAnchor

An anchor for a known image that ARKit detects in the physical environment.

```
class ARImageAnchor
```

## Overview

When you run a world-tracking AR session and specify [`ARReferenceImage`](/documentation/ARKit/ARReferenceImage) objects for the session configuration’s [`detectionImages`](/documentation/ARKit/ARWorldTrackingConfiguration/detectionImages) property, ARKit searches for those images in the real-world environment. When the session recognizes an image, it automatically adds an [`ARImageAnchor`](/documentation/ARKit/ARImageAnchor) for each detected image to its list of anchors.

To find the extent of a recognized image in the scene, use the inherited [`transform`](/documentation/ARKit/ARAnchor/transform) property together with the [`physicalSize`](/documentation/ARKit/ARReferenceImage/physicalSize) of the anchor’s [`referenceImage`](/documentation/ARKit/ARImageAnchor/referenceImage).

## Topics

### Identifying Detected Images

[`referenceImage`](/documentation/ARKit/ARImageAnchor/referenceImage)

The detected image referenced by the image anchor.

### Estimating Scale

[`estimatedScaleFactor`](/documentation/ARKit/ARImageAnchor/estimatedScaleFactor)

A factor between the initial size and the estimated physical size.



---

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