After upgrading Outlook, the business card's on all contacts will use a bland gray image. While you can create a custom form that will apply to all new contacts, the business card on existing contacts won't be updated. This is to preserve any business cards you may have already updated. Also, if you use the default card image and add contact photos, the contact photos display on the business cards. However, when you replace the business card image, it will be used instead of any contact photo.

We have three code samples available. The VBA code sample on this page changes the business card image on selected contacts
from this:to this:

If the contact has a contact photo, it is not replaced. However, the new business card image will override the contact photo, as seen in these before and after screenshots. If you want to use the contact photo (when a contact has a photo) on the business cards, do not change the business card image!

Code Sample 1: Use VBA to update selected business card images

This code will change the business card image on selected contacts, as you can't change the business card image using a custom form.

This code sample replaces the current image - it does not move or re-size it. For example, if the card was previously customized with an image on the right, the code will keep the size and placement on the right. To move or re-size an image or customize the card background or text, you need to change the Business card XML.

Public Sub ChangeBusinessCardImage_SelectedContacts()
    Dim Session As Outlook.NameSpace
    Dim currentExplorer As Explorer
    Dim Selection As Selection
    Dim currentItem As Object
    Dim folder As Outlook.folder
    
    Dim obj As Object
    Dim strFirstName As String
    Dim strLastName As String
    Dim strFileAs As String

    Set currentExplorer = Application.ActiveExplorer
    Set Selection = currentExplorer.Selection

    On Error Resume Next

    For Each obj In Selection
    Set folder = currentItem.Parent
        'Test for contact and not distribution list
        If obj.Class = olContact Then
            Set objContact = obj

      With objContact
          obj.AddBusinessCardLogoPicture ("C:\image\outlook.png")
        .Save
     End With
          
        End If

        Err.Clear
    Next

    Set Session = Nothing
    Set currentExplorer = Nothing
    Set obj = Nothing
    Set Selection = Nothing
    Set currentItem = Nothing
    Set folder = Nothing
End Sub

More photo and image commands

To add a contact photo, remove the contact photo, or to reset the business card to Outlook's default, replace obj.AddBusinessCardLogoPicture ("C:\image\outlook.png") in the code sample with one of the following lines:

obj.AddPicture ("path") 'adds a contact photo
obj.RemovePicture 'removes the contact photo
obj.ResetBusinessCard ' removes all custom formatting

Code Sample 2: Change the business card image on all contacts in a folder

This variation of the code changes all of the business card images in the default contacts folder. You can use an If... then statement (sample below) to restrict the changes to a contacts matching a specific condition.

As with the earlier code, although we limit this sample code to changing the business card image, you can use change any contact field by editing the field name.

Public Sub ChangeBusinessCardImage()
Dim obj As Object
Dim oFolder As Outlook.MAPIFolder
Dim oContact As Outlook.ContactItem
Dim colItems As Outlook.Items
Dim i As Long
Dim lCount As Long

Set oFolder = Application.Session.GetDefaultFolder(olFolderContacts)
Set colItems = oFolder.Items

lCount = colItems.Count
For i = 1 To lCount
Set obj = colItems.Item(i)
If (obj.Class = olContact) Then
Set oContact = obj

oContact.AddBusinessCardLogoPicture ("c:\image\logo.png")
oContact.Save

End If
Next
End Sub

Change Contacts based on property values

By adding a simple If... Then statement around the code the changes the picture, you can run it on all contacts in the folder but apply it only to certain contacts, unlike Code Sample 1, which works on selected contacts.

See Change the image on a Business Card based on the Category for VBA code that changes the business card image based on the category a contact is assigned to.

 If oContact.Sensitivity = olPrivate Then
    oContact.AddBusinessCardLogoPicture ("c:\image\logo.png")
    oContact.Save
 End If

To add a company logo to all contacts from a specific company, the code will look like this:

 If oContact.CompanyName = "CDOLive" Then
     oContact.AddBusinessCardLogoPicture ("C:\image\logo.gif")
     oContact.Save
 End If

Note that this code is case sensitive. Before using it, you should use a group by Company view and verify you are using only variation of a company name. If more than one exist, drag the contacts to one group.

Code Sample 3: Change the business card layout to match the selected contact