Display Images in your Microsoft Access Forms and Reports Without Storing Them in the Database!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 лют 2021
- In this video, I'll show you how to display images in your Microsoft Access forms and reports without storing them in your database. Images (or any external files for that matter) can really bloat your database, making it big and slow. Storing the files in an external folder and tracking the location of that file is a much more efficient way to handle images with Microsoft Access.
Haruki from Kawasaki, Japan (a Platinum Member) asks: I would like to be able to print out employee name badges with their name, the company logo, and their picture. What's the best way to do this in Microsoft Access?
BONUS FOR MEMBERS:
Silver Members and up get access to an Extended Cut of this video. Members will see how to use a little VBA code to make a button that we can click on and browse for the filename. This way you don't have to type in or copy/paste the path and file for the picture. Just click, select, done.
MEMBERS VIDEO:
• Display Images in your...
BECOME A MEMBER:
UA-cam: / @599cd
or My Site: 599cd.com/THMember
LEARN MORE:
599cd.com/Images
COURSES:
OLE Images: 599cd.com/ACB6
Images in Reports: 599cd.com/ACX4
Images from Web Sites: 599cd.com/ACX24
Imaging Seminar: 599cd.com/Imaging
Image Map Overlays: 599cd.com/OverlayMap
Full Image & Document Management: 599cd.com/ABCD5
LINKS:
Tab Order: 599cd.com/TabOrder
Dymo Labels: 599cd.com/DymoLabels
LEARN MORE:
FREE Access Beginner Level 1: 599cd.com/Free1
$1 Access Level 2: 599cd.com/1Dollar
FREE TEMPLATE DOWNLOADS:
TechHelp Free Templates: 599cd.com/THFree
Blank Template: 599cd.com/Blank
Contact Management: 599cd.com/Contacts
Order Entry & Invoicing: 599cd.com/Invoicing
More Access Templates: 599cd.com/AccessTemplates
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Get on my Mailing List: 599cd.com/YTML
TechHelp: 599cd.com/TechHelp
Consulting Help: 599cd.com/Consulting
Twitter: / learningaccess
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microso...
products.office.com/en-us/access
microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft...
Email Me: amicron@gmail.com
KEYWORDS:
microsoft access, ms access, #msaccess, #microsoftaccess, #help, #howto, #tutorial, #instruction, #learn, #lesson, #training, #database, Attachments, OLE Objects, Embedded, Images, Pictures, Graphics, Profile Pictures, name badges, image control, path filename, shared network folder, repository
QUESTIONS:
Please feel free to post your questions or comments below. Thanks.
Thank you so much! You actually saved my finals assignment, as part of it was having profile pictures for customers, but our teacher never assigned textbook material regarding images in forms or talked about it either during the entire quarter (100% online class). I spent all day scouring for resources and you made it so simple to understand, you're a life saver!
Glad it helped!
You made it so easy to understand. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Rick, I've been screwing around with outdated VBA code for a week trying to get images to cycle on a form. After watching this video, I got the desired results in 10 minutes. Thank you very much
You're very welcome
Hello Richard,
thank you very much for this helpful video!
I have been desperatley looking now for several years (not every day, but from time to time) for something to replace my totally outdated (as from 2003) PARADOX database "application", because Paradox doesn't work by 100% in the newer Windows versions.
(For example I cannot use Help function any more which is essential for part time users of the database.)
The most important usage for me is to display/print pictures of posters (a larger collection) together with some data about them (year of creation, size, ...) in different layouts and with different data tags.
Watching your video now confirmed me to go for MS ACCESS which is a great relief for me.
So I am very thankful for this video!
I really like the profound knowledge and excellent explanations in your tutorial as well as coming to the points directly. Sometimes a little bit fast for non-native speakers but I can wind the video foreward and backward if I missed something.
(And that's still lightyears ahead of many other "slow-motion" videos where even self-explaining buttons are explained in detail. What a waste of time!).
So thank you very much again for this excellent video!
Thank YOU so much for your kind words. Glad you enjoy!
Sir, you are imazing. your teaching style is superb. Thanks a lot for your tutorial.
Appreciate that
I've been waching some of your instructional videos and it has been beneficial.Thank you.
You're welcome
Thank you, this is the best ever to show picture
You're welcome
Great Video as usual
Appreciate that
Nice video . It really help me to make my own project
Glad I could help
thank you for the tutorial.. helped me to keep the photos outside the DB "not uploaded". the size of my DB now much more smaller. Thanks again.
Awesome
Well, this was easy: thank you!
Welcome
Thank you for this tutorial. I was able to put pictures in a report very easily. Also, GO BILLS.
Glad it helped!
Thanks for sharing your tutorial. I'm wondering if you can help me. When I view images within my reports they look great! As soon as I export to a PDF I lose alot of quality and I have no idea why. If I use another database there is no issue. I'm not sure where I need to be looking? Cheers
Hi Sir...........Nice Vidoe .... Thanks Sir For Vidoe uploading
Most welcome
Thank you so much, now I need help making this work with a sharepoint back end
Good luck with that. :)
@@599CD is there any suitable way to share images over the sharelist back end?
How do you insert a picture on a report, for instance a company logo, so it will print on the report. I have tried a number of ways, and it seems that the only way it to save the report as a PDF file so I can print a physical report that has the image on it.
Thanks for sharing this tutorial. Do you ever encounter wrong orientation of the images displayed? Some of my photos are down as portrait in windows explorer, but in the access, they are displayed as horizontal.
I got that as well when viewing it on my monitor.
Thanks Rick ur videos are helpful. Question: How about relative file path though. For example I have tons of images to lookup for in my continuous form but I’d like to make the application more dynamic whenever I move my file so I won’t have to re-enter my files location in the table? Is that possible?
599cd.com/qq
Thank you very much for the tutorial. I'm looking for a way to make this work by dragging and dropping the image file on the Image control instead of making the simple application user to learn how to find, copy and paste the directory path and file name from Windows explorer, where in most cases file extensions are hidden by default.
Well in the Extended Cut for this video I do show you how to make a browse button where you can click a button browse to your file and then it will add it to the database. I am going to be showing how to do a drag and drop to get a filename into your database in one of the upcoming Decision Tree videos. 599cd.com/DecisionTree. So follow that series for more information.
Thank you again Richard, any way we can have multiple images attached to a record? With navigation to flip between them? (Think product images). Thanks again for your videos.
Sure... but if you want multiple images, you'd need to put those in a second, related table. I've actually got this on my list for an upcoming video. :)
599cd.com/Relationships
@@599CD that’s what I was thinking afterwards. Thanks. Your lessons are teaching me to think the proper way with access it appears.
I got the image to show on the report when looking at it on the screen. When I go to print it, it prints the link but not the image. Any ideas?
Hello sir!
thank you for your best toturials.
Please make one more video uses relative path instead of absolute path so we can move the database in different without affecting database because of path.
The path should be in the project folder and be used relatively.
Thank you
Best regards
I cover that in my Imaging Seminar: 599cd.com/Imaging
You could also make a settings table and enter the path used to find the images and use this field in your form. You could also specify it as it is for images in the settings table, but that is a bit for advanced developers, i think
Thank you for a great video. Will your method work if the source is set in an Access Link control instead of a text control?
What do you mean by "link control?" A hyperlink?
@@599CD Yes, hyperlink. Sorry.
Hi... Thanks for your tutorials....
Thanks to you, I improved the database I made to the company where I work. However, I figured out a way where I don't need to copy and paste the path for all my records.
Instead of naming the picture file "Rick1", I named the picture file with a unique number (The Customer ID, for example). So, in your case the picture Rick1 now is named as 6.
Then the path will be : "C:\Users\Richard\Desktop\images\"+[CustomerID]+".jpg"
Now, I only need to save the pictures named as the customer Id number and the program will be automatically linked to that picture.
and now I can copy and paste this path to any form in my database where It has a relationship with my customerId.
I hope my explanation wasn't confusing. In practice, it wasn't that hard or confusing.
🤣
Good luck
Very cool. I do something similar with my ABCD: 599cd.com/ABCD
Your idea just helped me earn serious brownie points at work! Haha! It worked like a charm and no need to mess with my linked (SQL) tables.
Hi again,
Further to my question and the response received...
It worked in as far as I could see the photos in the report on screen, but, when I printed the report, where the photos should have been I just had blank spaces
That's weird. Usually if you can see it in Print Preview it prints just fine on the actual printer. You may want to try updating your drivers.
How did make the yellow notes box please?
599cd.com/Contacts
And I have just watched your video on why I should not use Hyperlinks !!! GReat !!! But when I open the folder I am trying to get to, it is only in read-only format! I wish to paste an image into the image folder I am going to, but cannot. Is there another route? Thanks, Leon
Sounds like a Windows issue to me.
Please, guide me how I can add students images in access from & Report by using image control according to ID number from a folder.
599cd.com/Concat
Hello! I was curious if you knew of a paid software/application that would essentially do this basic file keeping like you have made in Access? Basic customer information with a display picture of their face. I have associates that would struggle with Access and adding those customer images to new entries.
Sorry, I do not. I can't think of anything that would be easier to use than Access. You just need to set it up right. :)
3:53 I want to use a relative address (so that the Access fil + image folder can be moved together), but it does not work. Relative hyperlinks from fields work without problem otherwise. Is it possible to use relative addresses in this method instead of the complete address?
Sure, you can use CurrentProject.Path. I cover this in my Imaging Seminar: 599cd.com/ImagingSeminar
@@599CD Thanks for the answer!
hi sir. many thanks for your video, does any way for show picture in spite database(share my database in my local network) in your way.
You mean SPLIT database? Sure... same as with a non-split one.
I have made a msAccess database where one of the field is pointing towards bringing up a picture file in another directory. So there is a separate directory of all the picture files (JPG) i've been accumulating. Problem is....when I copy my access program along with the CONTENTS of the picture file directory into another device like my laptop, then the referencing directory pathway to the picture directory changes, even though the end destination picture file name is STILL the SAME. In this case, I end up manually re-referencing each picture file by re pointing each object OLE individually which is time consuming and inefficient. Is there a way of updating the pathway to the same OLE image file in a different local directory.
If there was a way of copy and pasting/replace the old path to the new path...(ie. find and replace) that would be fantastic...? Tommy. from Northern Canada
Yeah you can make the path to the image relative to the current database folder a lot of people have asked me this I'm going to be making a video showing how to do it soon so stay tuned
Thank you. Do you have tutorials like this to make a music, picture and video database? It would be nice if it wasn't profilepicture but albumpicture so that you could use some arrow buttons to go up and down that album. Clicking the image opens it or the video. I know people already have iTunes or apps that do this, but doing it on access would make learning fun. Access could be used to make media libraries eg computer game libraries, any type of libraries even software libraries. I'm sure the database could be exported as an app. Then you have your own Windows menus for any work and play flow you need. Access applications could be endless.
Hi ... So I am having a problem with images not showing in reports but my form is working fine with those images. Would you have any ideas why the report wont populate the pics.
I did select the correct control source and when i first created the report it worked just fine. it wasn't until I added a few more images that it stopped working.
Any help would be appreciated - thank you.
Could be anything, even your printer driver. See 599cd.com/Trouble
Hi Rick, thanks heaps for this. It works great with picture thumbnails. Is there a way to make it show a thumbnail of a PDF?
No, not really. What I do for PDF files is I saved a screen cap of the PDF icon and saved it as PDF.JPG. This way whenever there's a PDF attachment, I just show that image. I covered how to do it here: 599cd.com/ABCD5
@@599CD Thanks for the reply! I'll try that next.
Hello sir!
I'm working with Microsoft Access 2000 and I'm trying to pull pictures from a folder so it doesn't use up all the storage in the database and I can't seem to figure out how I can make this possible in Microsoft Access 2000 can you please help me?
You can't use this technique in AC2000. Time to upgrade.
Do you have any tutorials on actually accessing a webcam (mine is via usb) and taking a picture via Access (to store in a file)? I found a way to do it via an active X control, but would like to not rely on that. I thought WIA would work, but it did not for me. But thank you for this video, it will help for my displays.
Hi. Very informative video. I found out that this process cannot be done in Access 2003, unless the images are saved in bmp format. Unfortunately i am using Access 2019 to create an application for my office which runs 2003 version (mdb format saved), and i wanted to do something similar. All the images are rejected when there are jpg or png etc, only bmp works. I don't know if i do something wrong, please let me know your opinion about this compatibility issue.
Sorry, but you'll have to upgrade to at least Access 2007 for this to work.
Hi Sir, I need your help. Some data in the middle of my report (on 3rd Column and 26, 27, 28 rows) is disappearing in print preview. And not printing.
Very strange. Try 599cd.com/Trouble
Excellent Tutorial! Can we take this one step further? I am creating a cookbook in MS Word, from my Access Database Table. I want to have images for each recipe that I have put into the Access Database populate as photos in my MS Word document. However, instead of showing an image, when I put the "ProfilePicture" field into my Word Document, it shows the link: G:\My Drive\Recipes\RecipeImages\Apple_Crisp.jpg Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I've got a video similar to this coming up. Stay tuned.
Hello, Does this definitely work for you if you are putting paths to hundreds of images in there? I have changed an existing database to display photos this way (over 600 of them) and, once again, they are all there looking good in the report but I switch to Print Preview they are distorted and it's hit and miss as to which ones actually show at all. It feels like I've wasted a lot of time. On the internet I see other people have this same problem and say it could be a ram issue or something. I haven't found a definitive reason or solution. Please could you help.😕
Poor Image Quality: 599cd.com/FixPoorQualityImages
I have a non-Access DB. I am trying to convert its saved data to Access. One table has information about each item. The key in this table is a unique ID starting at 1000. I want one of the fields to be an image. I have one image for each record. For items 1000, 1001, 1002... there is an associated image file 1000.jpg, 1001.jpg, 1002.jpg...
What do I have to do to create a link for each record, X, so that it creates a file path to load its associated X.jpg when viewed? Ideally, the link is generated on the fly rather than stored in each record.
TIA.
599cd.com/ASK
Hi Richard,
I followed your teaching and it worked a treat, I was so delighted to see photos in my report and to know it wasn't cluttering up my database. But, when I printed it, alas, no pictures! I would be extremely grateful if you could help me with this - in very simple terms though please?
It works exactly the same in reports.
@@599CD same here it gets added to my report in print view and report view but when i print it the image does not get printed on the physical paper
Thank you very much for teaching us by such a wonderful method. I've been watching your videos since very beginning. (2012)
Today I've a little problem with MS Access, I want to put an ID in a form & want to draw its data from the table or query. I would appreciate if you help me in tis regard.
Thanks.
Nafees From Pakistan.
I don't know what you mean by "draw its data." I would need a lot more detail in order to help you. Feel free to submit your question at 599cd.com/TH
Rich!
Is there a way to save images by having access make a renamed copy and store it somewhere else?
To allow non tech savy users to store pictures themselves without messing up the pathnames.
Jose!
Yes. I show how in the Extended Cut for members.
Can you default the path in the database, or do you have to typ it i the first time? do not want user to do it every time.
Sure.
@@599CD thanks
So I ended up here because I have a problem with my database hanging for several minutes whenever I edit a query or a form in design view and then switching to form or datasheet view. I thought maybe it was because I had embedded images and the file was getting too big. So I tried two things, a test database with those images completely deleted and a test database with the images linked rather than embedded. I still have the hanging problem in either case even though I reduced the size of the file by about 90% or more. That makes for a more efficient database for sure but the problem occurs with any database not just this one. Any idea what is going on? Do I need to reinstall Access?
I see you found the right video. :) Yeah, it sounds like you have a deeper problem with Access, Office, or even Windows. See 599cd.com/Trouble
First i'd like to thank you very much for your valuable and helping videos. Please sir, i would like to know if there ia a method to list the content of a specific folder and subfolders in a ms access list control. Thanks in advance.
Sure. You could read them in one at a time and add them to a listbox. This would require a VBA loop and the DIR command. Definitely doable. Feel free to submit it as a question at 599cd.com/TH
@@599CD thank you very much
To continue from a couple of months ago!....
Thank you very much for your help. Someone had a look at it for me and it appeared that the issue of pictures not printing in my report was to do with “permissions” because I had stored my database in the “documents” folder. The .jpg photos now print fine.
What I still don’t understand though, is why, in the design view of my report, when I click on the Image field, the Properties say…. Picture Type: Embedded? Are they embedded in the report and not in the table and it would only bloat the database if it was in the table? And, is this because they are just thumbnails now and so reduced in data size, the original full sized photos remaining in an outside folder?
Lastly, should I really have a front end for forms and reports etc., and a back end for tables, even though I’m the only user, or is that only beneficial if there are multiple users so that everyone can continue to use it?
Angela, you don't want to embed images in your forms/reports or save them in your tables. That's the whole point of this video. Store a reference (path/filename) to the image and use that in your forms/reports. This way the pictures aren't saved in your database AT ALL.
If you are the ONLY user of your database, then there isn't much value in splitting it. Just keep the ACCDB file on your PC.
I should add that I have done this so that the user only has to enter the name of the image file and not the entire path - which, as you say in your video, can be quite long!
Indeed
Is there a way to automatic copy the image to common folder?
Sure. 599cd.com/ImagingSeminar
Thank you rick. You are very precise and easy to understand. If you ever have time to make a tech help video on IIF function to display any of three images on a form. Eg. In india people have dietry preferences; eg. Vegetarian, NonVegetarian and now we also have Vegans. The Food Regulatory Authorites have come out with two different logos that is compulsory to be printed on the packaging and the Vegan community has designed their own. I would like to display the image on the form to indicated under which type the food items falls under. the iff fucntion is a yes no field and the icon will be displayed based on the yes or no. as the choice is between 3 icors i am sure there will be a nested iif function. Need your help here.
Yep. A nested IIF function to the path/filename of the image would be fine.
=IIF(DietType=1,"C:\Vege.jpg",IIF(DietType=2,"C:\NonVege.jpg","C:\Vegan.jpg"))
See 599cd.com/IIF and 599cd.com/Images
I succeed. but I am trying to find new way instead of pasted the path.
What I am looking for is that, once I select the customer, the path will automatic created because I have more than 100 customers.
What do you think?
Thank you in advance.
Sure. Definitely possible.
Thats great, do you have a separate video, or can you teach me how can I do that@@599CD
Dear sir , I have more than 5000 employees photo , if there's any way to attach all to my table instead to add each one
You could use a Recordset, loop thru the records, and set the filename - as long as the files are named something related to the record. ID.jpg, for example. I have a video on something similar coming out soon. Stay tuned...
Thank you for replying. Sorry, I wasn't very precise there. I meant I CAN see the images in the report view, but NOT in print preview and they don't print out. I will ask someone to check out the drivers for me. In the meantime, maybe you have another suggestion now you know I can't see pics in print preview?
Without seeing your database, it's almost impossible to diagnose. Change the image format? If you're using a JPG switch to BMP? Do other images work?
Image not displaying while print out on papers A4.. what to do
Should work no matter the size of the paper. Just make sure you sized the report correctly.
I just subscribed as a Silver member but cannot find the Extended Cut of Images
Look for a link in the description below the video. Click the SHOW MORE link.
How do I export data from access with photo?
You don't store photos in your database. 599cd.com/Images
Hi, yes I understand that storing a path to the image is to keep images out of the database so they don't bloat it. That's why I followed your really good, easy to follow video. It's working well now, but I just don't understand why the properties for the Image field says.... Picture Type: Embedded?
I've just been trying to alter an existing database to display pictures in this same way, but my forms and reports are based on queries as this was how I was taught is best to do it. I have included the relevant field in the query, but the picture isn't displaying in the form. Is it not possible to do it through a query? Sorry for asking so many questions.
Thanks for your reply re splitting database.
It's meaningless if you're doing what I show in this video. Embedded means the image gets saved in the actual form (or the Access Image Gallery).
Sorry Amazing
Thanks
Can you display an image from a URL?
Did you try?
@@599CD I was able to display it with a web box but every image I wanted had a resolution way too big for the box, I tried playing with HTML tags to resize the image page to fit in the box but it just made the address invalid.
My goal was to not have the images be dependent on my computer or the database's server, since they're already hosted elsewhere.
I've got a video coming out Monday on this topic. Stay tuned. :)
Thanks a lot from Israel too 🇮🇱✔💯grate tutorial!!!
Thanks
Smart and handsome 🤣
Cut it out... now you're making me blush...
great sir, how can join you with free on humantarian grounds because I am a poor and wants learn
I've got plenty of free videos available to learn from.
For whatever reason, I followed your steps exactly (like 100%) and it does not work. Strange.
Very strange indeed.
Same here