Adding graphics to forms or controls

[Cgrnc]

I have a client who would like specific pictures on the buttons and forms to identify specific transactions. I have NO experience with graphics files and don't know how to use any pictures that are not already available within Access. I have several manuals and have read HELP . . . I can find nothing to help me! Does anyone know where I can get specifics about how accomplish this . . . I have a feeling that I just don't know where to look!

 

[SomeGuy]

The easiest format of picture to use is a bitmap (.bmp). Many programs can be used to create bmp type pictures and many pictures come in that format already.

Each form (and each button) can support having one picture as its background.

If you open your form in design view and access its property sheet, click on the format tab and scan down until you find "Picture". Click on the row and the elipsis (...) button will appear. Click on this and it opens up Windows Explorer which allows you to find the picture in whatever file you have it stored in.

The same thing goes for the button. Open up the form that the button is on in design view. Open up the button's property sheet and you will find the same "Picture" selection under its format tab. Find the picture that you want.

Next, under "Picture Type" click the row and an arrow will appear. Click on the arrow and select Embedded (This is the easiest way because the picture becomes part of the database)

There are a few more selections under the main form properies as to whether you want the picture to stretch to fit the form size or whether you want it tiled or whatever. This is up to you.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cgrnc]

Thanks for the info! It definately got me started! Can anyone suggest the best shareware or inexpensive software to help me scale down my bitmaps? Also, the few I have tried to make smaller look terrible!!! (the edges are rough . . . etc) Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks for any info! Like I said . . . I have NO experience with graphics manipulations.

 

[Shep]

Hi Cgrnc,
Paintbrush (in Windows) can be used to scale down your bitmaps. From the menu choose 'Image', then 'Stretch/Skew', and reduce your image size by a given percentage. I used to use PaintShop Pro, (small shareware download) but they have gone big time and the download is now huge. There are likely many shareware packages out there that can do this, which are much smaller. An internet search should find some for you quickly enough. Microsoft Image Composer works well (bundled with FrontPage).
You are still faced with the problems associated with such small pictures, though. The resolution will usually look terrible unless you keep in mind that the intent here is to create 'tiny' bitmaps in the first place. Shrinking an existing picture will usually not yield something that looks very good on a command button, for example.
As an example, use the same 'Stretch/Skew' function in Paintbrush to blow up a tiny bitmap that does look good on a command button. It looks terrible because it was designed to be viewed as a tiny bitmap. The same thing applies to creating your own, except in reverse. Good luck with it!

 

[SomeGuy]

Paint Shop Pro is probably your best bet. You can take images that are not bmp's and convert them just by "saving as" a different format.

As for getting rid of jagged edges when you shrink pictures, you need to use an option called 'Anti-aliasing' which essentially feathers colors together so the hard edges are softened up. There are also a large selection of filters that can be used to soften or sharpen images.

If you find that you can't do it, you could email the pics to me and explain the size that they need to be and I can take a go at reducing them nicely.

 

[Cgrnc]

Thanks for the help! I'm off to try and work this out . . .