How Do I Add an Image to Business Central?

Adding images to Business Central enhances visual communication and data clarity, whether for product catalogs, company branding, or employee profiles. You can add images individually to specific records or efficiently import multiple images in bulk, particularly for items.

Methods for Adding Images in Business Central

Business Central provides several ways to incorporate images, depending on the context:

1. Adding Images to Items (Individually)

For a single item, you can manually upload its picture directly to the item card.

• Steps:
  1. Search for and open the Item Card for the specific item you wish to update.
  2. Locate the Picture fact box, typically on the right side of the item card.
  3. Click the (three dots) or the Import action within the picture fact box.
  4. Select Choose File (or similar option) to browse your computer.
  5. Select the desired image file (e.g., JPEG, PNG) for your item and click Open.
  6. The image will be uploaded and displayed on the item card.

2. Bulk Importing Item Images (Efficiently)

For businesses with many items, manually adding images one by one can be time-consuming. Business Central allows you to import multiple item images simultaneously using a compressed .zip file. This method is highly effective for updating or populating entire product catalogs.

• Preparation:
  1. Gather all the item images you want to upload.
  2. Rename each image file to match the corresponding Item Number in Business Central (e.g., 1920-S.jpg for item 1920-S). This is crucial for Business Central to correctly link images to items.
  3. Compress all these renamed image files into a single .zip file (e.g., item_pictures.zip, bc_image.zip).
• Import Process:
  1. Navigate to the Items list page.
  2. Look for an action related to image management or data import. This might be found under the Actions menu or a dedicated "Import" function.
  3. Select the option to import item images.
  4. You will be prompted to select a file. Choose the .zip file you prepared (e.g., bc_image.zip).
  5. Business Central will then read the contents of the .zip file, matching the image filenames to item numbers, and populate the pictures for each respective item automatically.

3. Adding a Company Logo

Your company logo appears on reports, sales documents, and other official printouts.

• Steps:
  1. Search for and open the Company Information page.
  2. On the General FastTab, locate the Picture field.
  3. Click the (three dots) or the action to upload a new logo.
  4. Select Choose File and pick your company logo image.
  5. The logo will be applied and used across relevant Business Central outputs.

4. Adding Images to Customers, Vendors, or Employees

Similar to items, you can add profile pictures or logos to customer, vendor, or employee records.

• Steps:
  1. Open the specific Customer Card, Vendor Card, or Employee Card.
  2. Locate the Picture fact box or field on the card.
  3. Use the Import or Choose File option to upload the relevant image.

5. Attaching General Image Files to Records

Beyond dedicated image fields, Business Central allows you to attach various files, including images, to almost any record using the Attachments feature.

• Steps:
  1. Open any record (e.g., Sales Order, Purchase Invoice, General Ledger Entry).
  2. Look for the Attachments (paperclip icon) fact box or action on the right-hand pane or under the Related information.
  3. Click New to add a new attachment.
  4. Select the image file from your computer to upload it as an attachment.

Image Best Practices for Business Central

To ensure optimal performance and display, consider these tips:

• File Types: Common supported formats include JPEG (.jpg), PNG (.png), and GIF (.gif). JPEG is often preferred for photographs due to its compression, while PNG is good for images with transparency or sharp lines.
• File Size: Keep image file sizes reasonable to avoid slowing down Business Central performance. Large files consume more storage and bandwidth.
• Resolution: Optimize images for web display. Extremely high-resolution images are often unnecessary and can be scaled down.
• Naming Conventions: For bulk item image uploads, precise naming (matching item numbers) is critical for automatic association.
• Backup: Always keep original copies of your images externally.

Overview of Image Locations

Here's a quick summary of where images can typically be added:

Image Type	Location on Business Central Card/Page	Purpose
Item Picture	Item Card (Picture Fact Box)	Visual representation of a product
Company Logo	Company Information Page (Picture Field)	Branding for reports and documents
Customer Logo	Customer Card (Picture Fact Box)	Visual identification of a customer
Vendor Logo	Vendor Card (Picture Fact Box)	Visual identification of a vendor
Employee Photo	Employee Card (Picture Fact Box)	Employee identification
General Attachment	Attachments Fact Box (on most records)	Supporting visual evidence or documents

For more detailed information on managing data and media in Business Central, you can refer to the official Microsoft Learn documentation.