Skip to main content
St Louis

Back to all posts

How to Update Images on A Tkinter Canvas?

Published on
5 min read
How to Update Images on A Tkinter Canvas? image

Best GUI Design Tools to Buy in November 2025

1 Learning to Program with MATLAB: Building GUI Tools

Learning to Program with MATLAB: Building GUI Tools

BUY & SAVE
$69.07 $100.95
Save 32%
Learning to Program with MATLAB: Building GUI Tools
2 Mastering GUI Programming with Python: Develop impressive cross-platform GUI applications with PyQt

Mastering GUI Programming with Python: Develop impressive cross-platform GUI applications with PyQt

BUY & SAVE
$39.99 $51.99
Save 23%
Mastering GUI Programming with Python: Develop impressive cross-platform GUI applications with PyQt
3 Expandable Stackable Wooden Egg Holder Countertop for 36 Eggs, Rustic Kitchen Decoration, Two-Piece Compact Egg Rack for Counter - Chicken Decor Design - Gui's Chicken Coop (Double Rack)

Expandable Stackable Wooden Egg Holder Countertop for 36 Eggs, Rustic Kitchen Decoration, Two-Piece Compact Egg Rack for Counter - Chicken Decor Design - Gui's Chicken Coop (Double Rack)

  • EXPANDABLE DESIGN HOLDS UP TO 36 EGGS; ADD RACKS FOR MORE STORAGE.
  • EASY ONE-SCREW ASSEMBLY; NO COMPLICATED SETUP FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
  • RUSTIC CHARM ENHANCES KITCHEN DECOR WHILE KEEPING EGGS ORGANIZED.
BUY & SAVE
$29.97
Expandable Stackable Wooden Egg Holder Countertop for 36 Eggs, Rustic Kitchen Decoration, Two-Piece Compact Egg Rack for Counter - Chicken Decor Design - Gui's Chicken Coop (Double Rack)
4 Swing Hacks: Tips and Tools for Killer GUIs

Swing Hacks: Tips and Tools for Killer GUIs

BUY & SAVE
$21.00 $29.95
Save 30%
Swing Hacks: Tips and Tools for Killer GUIs
5 Python GUI Projects for Developers : Design and build projects and user-friendly GUI applications

Python GUI Projects for Developers : Design and build projects and user-friendly GUI applications

BUY & SAVE
$9.99
Python GUI Projects for Developers : Design and build projects and user-friendly GUI applications
6 String Action Gauge for Guitars - Precision Setup Tool for Accurate Neck Relief, String Height, and Bridge Adjustments - String Action Ruler with Easy-to-Read Markings

String Action Gauge for Guitars - Precision Setup Tool for Accurate Neck Relief, String Height, and Bridge Adjustments - String Action Ruler with Easy-to-Read Markings

  • 🎯 ACCURATE SETUPS FOR PERFECT NECK RELIEF AND STRING HEIGHT ADJUSTMENTS.
  • ⚙️ DURABLE, LASER-ETCHED MARKINGS ENSURE VISIBILITY FOR YEARS.
  • 🚀 COMPACT DESIGN FITS IN WALLET FOR ON-THE-GO GUITAR ADJUSTMENTS.
BUY & SAVE
$7.99 $8.99
Save 11%
String Action Gauge for Guitars - Precision Setup Tool for Accurate Neck Relief, String Height, and Bridge Adjustments - String Action Ruler with Easy-to-Read Markings
7 JIM DUNLOP Guitar Tools (DGT09)

JIM DUNLOP Guitar Tools (DGT09)

  • ALL-IN-ONE TOOL FOR QUICK FIXES AND FULL SETUPS.
  • DURABLE, HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS ENSURE LONG-LASTING USE.
  • POCKET-SIZED DESIGN FOR ULTIMATE CONVENIENCE AND PORTABILITY.
BUY & SAVE
$15.74
JIM DUNLOP Guitar Tools (DGT09)
+
ONE MORE?

To update images on a tkinter canvas, you can start by creating an image object using the PhotoImage class. Next, you can use the create_image method of the canvas to display the image on the canvas. To update the image, you can simply create a new image object with the updated image and use the itemconfig method to change the image displayed on the canvas. Make sure to keep a reference to the image object to prevent it from being garbage collected. This way, you can easily update images on a tkinter canvas as needed.

What is the syntax for updating images on a tkinter canvas?

To update an image on a tkinter canvas, you can use the itemconfig method which allows you to update the properties of an item on the canvas. Here is the syntax for updating an image on a tkinter canvas:

canvas.itemconfig(image_id, image=new_image)

Where:

  • canvas is the tkinter canvas object
  • image_id is the id of the image item on the canvas that you want to update
  • new_image is the new image that you want to update the item with

You can use this syntax to update the image of an existing image item on the canvas with a new image.

How to create an image object in tkinter?

To create an image object in tkinter, you first need to have an image file in a supported format (such as PNG, GIF, or JPEG). Then, you can use the PhotoImage class to create an image object. Here's an example of how to do this:

  1. Import the tkinter library:

import tkinter as tk

  1. Create a tkinter window:

root = tk.Tk() root.title("Image Object Example")

  1. Load the image file:

img = tk.PhotoImage(file="image.png")

  1. Create a label to display the image:

label = tk.Label(root, image=img) label.pack()

  1. Run the tkinter main loop to display the window:

root.mainloop()

Make sure you replace "image.png" with the path to your own image file. This code will create a window displaying the image loaded from the file.

The recommended file format for images on a tkinter canvas is GIF. GIF files are widely supported and can be easily displayed on a canvas in tkinter.

What is the best way to update multiple images on a tkinter canvas?

One of the best ways to update multiple images on a tkinter canvas is to use the itemconfig method provided by the canvas widget. This method allows you to update the properties of canvas items, including images.

To update multiple images on a canvas:

  1. Create or load the images that you want to display on the canvas.
  2. Add the images to the canvas using the create_image method, which returns the item ID of the newly created image.
  3. Store the item IDs of the images in a list or dictionary for easy reference.
  4. When you want to update the images, iterate through the list of item IDs and use the itemconfig method to update the properties of each image.

Here is an example code snippet that demonstrates how to update multiple images on a tkinter canvas:

import tkinter as tk

Create the tkinter window

root = tk.Tk()

Create a canvas widget

canvas = tk.Canvas(root, width=400, height=400) canvas.pack()

Load and add images to the canvas

image1 = tk.PhotoImage(file='image1.png') image2 = tk.PhotoImage(file='image2.png')

image1_id = canvas.create_image(100, 100, image=image1) image2_id = canvas.create_image(200, 200, image=image2)

Store the item IDs of the images in a list

image_ids = [image1_id, image2_id]

Function to update the images

def update_images(): for image_id in image_ids: canvas.itemconfig(image_id, image=image2)

Button to trigger the image update

update_button = tk.Button(root, text='Update Images', command=update_images) update_button.pack()

Start the tkinter main loop

root.mainloop()

In this example, we first create a tkinter window and a canvas widget. We then load two images and add them to the canvas using the create_image method. We store the item IDs of the images in a list image_ids. When the button is clicked, the update_images function is triggered, which iterates through the list of item IDs and updates the images with a new image.

What is the maximum image size that can be displayed on a tkinter canvas?

The maximum image size that can be displayed on a tkinter canvas is dependent on the memory and processing power of the computer running the program. Generally, there is no specific limit set for the image size that can be displayed on a tkinter canvas, but very large images may consume a lot of memory and processing power, potentially leading to performance issues or crashes. It is recommended to test with larger images and monitor the performance of the program to determine the optimal image size for display on a tkinter canvas.