Formatting Issues

How to Fix Portrait Photos Displaying Sideways in Access Reports

Elise Williams Oct 13, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to display portrait-oriented photographs in their correct orientation within Microsoft Access reports without them rotating sideways.

How to Fix Portrait Photos Displaying Sideways in Access Reports

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Generating a report in a Microsoft Access database that includes attached portrait and landscape photographs.
Observed behavior: Portrait photos appear in landscape orientation (sideways) in Access reports, despite displaying correctly in Windows Explorer and the attachment viewer.

Before you start

Before modifying your database structure, ensure you have created a backup copy of your Access database and verify that your original image files have the correct EXIF orientation metadata.

Solution 1Recommended

Use File Paths Instead of OLE Attachment Fields

Storing image file paths as text rather than embedding them directly prevents orientation issues and significantly reduces database bloat.

Access attachment fields often strip or ignore EXIF orientation metadata natively, causing portrait images to render sideways. By storing the file path as text and loading the image at runtime, Access relies on the external file's native metadata to display the correct orientation.

Change the Field Data Type

Open your Access table in Design View and add a new field with the 'Short Text' data type to store the image file path instead of an Attachment field.

Enter the Image Paths

In Datasheet View, enter the full directory path (for example, 'C:\images\photo.jpg') for each record's corresponding image.

Add an Image Control to the Report

Open your Access report in Design View, select the 'Image' tool from the Design ribbon, click on the report to insert it, and leave it unbound.

Bind the Control at Runtime

Select the Image Control, open the Property Sheet, and set the 'Control Source' property to the name of the new text field containing your file paths. The report will now load the external image directly and preserve its portrait orientation.

Use File Paths Instead of OLE Attachment Fields

Database Size Reduction: This method also keeps your database size well below the strict 2GB limit by avoiding bloated embedded attachments.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my portrait photos turn sideways in Microsoft Access?

Microsoft Access attachment fields often ignore the EXIF orientation metadata stored in the original image file. As a result, it defaults to rendering the raw pixel dimensions, which typically forces portrait images to display as landscape.

How can I reduce the size of my Access database containing photos?

Instead of embedding photos using OLE objects or Attachment fields, store the file paths as Short Text. This prevents database bloat and ensures you stay well under the 2GB Access database limit.

Will the file path method work for forms as well as reports?

Yes, the exact same method applies to Access forms. Insert an unbound Image Control on your form and set its Control Source to the text field containing the image's file path to display correctly oriented photos dynamically.

Document & File Issues