• Outlook User
  • New Outlook app
  • Outlook.com
  • Outlook Mac
  • Outlook & iCloud
  • Developer
  • Microsoft 365 Admin
    • Common Problems
    • Microsoft 365
    • Outlook BCM
    • Utilities & Addins

Displaying a Picture on a Contact

Slipstick Systems

› Tutorials › Displaying a Picture on a Contact

Last reviewed on January 15, 2019     10 Comments

Contact or Business Card images are displayed in the the Business Card view.

Open the Contact, double click on the picture placeholder and select an image from your hard drive. For best results, crop and resize it before inserting it into Outlook.

To add an image to the business card, double click on the business card and click the Image button. Select an image and adjust the placement, the size, and alignment as needed. Business card images can be set as a background image.

Contact picture in Outlook

When you add a business card image to a contact, you'll see the business card image in the Business card view.

Tip: You can create custom forms to use for specific companies and add their logo to the business card. This makes it easier to spot contacts from the company when you use the Business Card view and you can still add the person's image to their contact form.

The tool bar buttons to add or change the Contact and Business card picture is on the Contact ribbon.

The Contact Toolbar

Add a Photo to an Outlook Contact Tutorial


More Information

These images will not be included in any of the Outlook printouts. I'm not aware of any print utilities that include the image at this time.

Contact tools are listed at Outlook Contact Tools

Displaying a Picture on a Contact was last modified: January 15th, 2019 by Diane Poremsky
Post Views: 29

Related Posts:

  • Print Outlook's Business Cards
  • Understanding Outlook's New Contact Cards
  • Changing Outlook's Business Card layout
  • Stop Showing Contact Pictures in Messages

About Diane Poremsky

A Microsoft Outlook Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 1999, Diane is the author of several books, including Outlook 2013 Absolute Beginners Book. She also created video training CDs and online training classes for Microsoft Outlook. You can find her helping people online in Outlook Forums as well as in the Microsoft Answers and TechNet forums.

Comments

  1. Michael Rowe says

    November 8, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    Is there a way to add a contact photo to a custom contact form? I have photos for many contacts (to sync to my iPhone and show up with texting or calling) but because I use a custom form in Outlook 2013, I don't know how to take advantage of this feature in Windows 10. Can you enlighten me?

    Reply
    • Diane Poremsky says

      November 8, 2016 at 11:06 pm

      you can add the photo control to the custom form.

      Reply
      • Michael Rowe says

        December 13, 2016 at 11:37 am

        Diane, is that Image under the Control Toolbox? If so how do I make that image the assigned contact photo?

      • Michael Rowe says

        October 10, 2017 at 2:13 pm

        Is there a primer for using Photo Control on custom forms? I have tried with the Control Toolbox to insert an Image and then become lost. Right-clicking on the image box gives me advanced options but I don't see a place to tell the form to show the Contact Photo. Also, in the ribbon where in a new form I can Change or Remove a photo it's a blank icon of a missing face. Is it possible to have the contact's photo there?

      • Diane Poremsky says

        October 11, 2017 at 12:01 am

        You can't show the contact's photo in the change or remove command - that only uses the icon assigned to it.

        You add the control to the toolbox (right click, Custom controls, locate the contact and add an X to the box in from of it), then add it to the form by dragging it from the toolbox to the form or clicking it then clicking on the form. When you create a new contact using that form, you'll be able to add an image to it by clicking on the image placeholder.

  2. Curtiss says

    August 12, 2015 at 5:04 pm

    Diane, is there a registry hack to change the max contact image size? I have an android phone connected to the same activesync account as outlook 2013. I can add pretty high-resolution pictures to the contacts in android, which take up the entire phone screen as caller ID when that contact calls. but as soon as I touch those contacts in outlook 2013, the picture becomes a pixelated, small thumbnail on the android device, which takes up about 10% of the phone screen as caller ID when the contact calls me.

    Reply
    • Diane Poremsky says

      August 13, 2015 at 12:50 am

      No, sorry, there is not. Does just viewing the contact cause it, or do you need to edit & save it?

      Reply
  3. Charlotte Berg says

    June 24, 2014 at 4:51 am

    Hi Diane,
    I work for a company and I have noted that I can add a photo to my contacts once they are added however as we are all off the same exchange server, how do I attach photo's for all individuals on the global address book so that everyone can see everyone's photo's without having to upload all contacts?

    We are currently working on Outlook 2007?

    Thank you,
    Charlotte

    Reply
  4. William Riddick says

    April 8, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    Are you saying that for me to upload an image in my Outlook Profile, I must create a Business Card for myself in Outlook? But, it is not clear how that image is conveyed to others who have enabled being able to view Outlook images. Thanks for your help....Bill

    Reply
    • Diane Poremsky says

      April 8, 2014 at 3:24 pm

      The image needs to be attached to something - a contact, or facebook or linkedin (if signed in to either), or in your GAL entry (Exchange users only). You adding it to your contact in your Outlook won't display it to others; they would need a contact for you with a picture, or log into facebook or linkedin, or share the same Exchange server as you.

      For example, I have linkedin connected to my outlook and I see the contact photos of a lot of people who email me (for the first time) because they have a linkedin account.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Visit Slipstick Forums.
What's New at Slipstick.com

Latest EMO: Vol. 31 Issue 7

Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook






Support Services

Do you need help setting up Outlook, moving your email to a new computer, migrating or configuring Office 365, or just need some one-on-one assistance?

Our Sponsors

CompanionLink
ReliefJet
  • Popular
  • Latest
  • Week Month All
  • Use Classic Outlook, not New Outlook
  • How to Remove the Primary Account from Outlook
  • Reset the New Outlook Profile
  • Disable "Always ask before opening" Dialog
  • How to Hide or Delete Outlook's Default Folders
  • This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions
  • Change Outlook's Programmatic Access Options
  • Adjusting Outlook's Zoom Setting in Email
  • Use Public Folders In new Outlook
  • Removing Suggested Accounts in New Outlook
  • Sync Issues and Errors with Gmail and Yahoo accounts
  • Error Opening iCloud Appointments in Classic Outlook
  • Opt out of Microsoft 365 Companion Apps
  • Mail Templates in Outlook for Windows (and Web)
  • Urban legend: Microsoft Deletes Old Outlook.com Messages
  • Buttons in the New Message Notifications
  • Move Deleted Items to Another Folder Automatically
  • Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell
  • Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook
  • Google Workspace and Outlook with POP Mail
Ajax spinner

Recent Bugs List

Microsoft keeps a running list of issues affecting recently released updates at Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in classic Outlook (Windows).

For new Outlook for Windows: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in new Outlook for Windows .

Outlook for Mac Recent issues: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Outlook for Mac

Outlook.com Recent issues: Fixes or workarounds for recent issues on Outlook.com

Office Update History

Update history for supported Office versions is at Update history for Office

Outlook Suggestions and Feedback

Outlook Feedback covers Outlook as an email client, including Outlook Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows clients, as well as the browser extension (PWA) and Outlook on the web.

Outlook (new) Feedback. Use this for feedback and suggestions for Outlook (new).

Use Outlook.com Feedback for suggestions or feedback about Outlook.com accounts.

Other Microsoft 365 applications and services




New Outlook Articles

Sync Issues and Errors with Gmail and Yahoo accounts

Error Opening iCloud Appointments in Classic Outlook

Opt out of Microsoft 365 Companion Apps

Mail Templates in Outlook for Windows (and Web)

Urban legend: Microsoft Deletes Old Outlook.com Messages

Buttons in the New Message Notifications

Move Deleted Items to Another Folder Automatically

Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell

Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook

Google Workspace and Outlook with POP Mail

Newest Code Samples

Open Outlook Templates using PowerShell

Count and List Folders in Classic Outlook

Insert Word Document into Email using VBA

Warn Before Deleting a Contact

Use PowerShell to Delete Attachments

Remove RE:, FWD:, and Other Prefixes from Subject Line

Change the Mailing Address Using PowerShell

Categorize @Mentioned Messages

Send an Email When You Open Outlook

Delete Old Calendar Events using VBA

Repair PST

Convert an OST to PST

Repair damaged PST file

Repair large PST File

Remove password from PST

Merge Two Data Files

Sync & Share Outlook Data

  • Share Calendar & Contacts
  • Synchronize two computers
  • Sync Calendar and Contacts Using Outlook.com
  • Sync Outlook & Android Devices
  • Sync Google Calendar with Outlook
  • Access Folders in Other Users Mailboxes

Diane Poremsky [Outlook MVP]

Make a donation

Mail Tools

Sending and Retrieval Tools

Mass Mail Tools

Compose Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Mail Tools for Outlook

Online Services

Calendar Tools

Schedule Management

Calendar Printing Tools

Calendar Reminder Tools

Calendar Dates & Data

Time and Billing Tools

Meeting Productivity Tools

Duplicate Remover Tools

Productivity

Productivity Tools

Automatic Message Processing Tools

Special Function Automatic Processing Tools

Housekeeping and Message Management

Task Tools

Project and Business Management Tools

Choosing the Folder to Save a Sent Message In

Run Rules on messages after reading

Help & Suggestions

Submit Outlook Feature Requests

Slipstick Support Services

Buy Microsoft 365 Office Software and Services

Visit Slipstick Forums.

What's New at Slipstick.com

Home | Outlook User | Exchange Administrator | Office 365 | Outlook.com | Outlook Developer
Outlook for Mac | Common Problems | Utilities & Addins | Tutorials
Outlook & iCloud Issues | Outlook Apps
EMO Archives | About Slipstick | Slipstick Forums
Submit New or Updated Outlook and Exchange Server Utilities

Send comments using our Feedback page
Copyright © 2026 Slipstick Systems. All rights reserved.
Slipstick Systems is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.