Tech Tip: How to Set Up a Company Image Library in Onshape

Do you use the same logos, labels, or images again and again as decals on parts, in drawings, or in sketches? Instead of uploading them every time, you can set up an image library in Onshape for your whole company. Then everyone can pick from the same approved images, right from the Libraries tab.

In this Tech Tip, you'll learn how to create a company image library step by step and how to use it for decals, sketches, and drawings.

Creating a Company Image Library in Onshape

Setting up an image library takes five steps: create a folder, add your images, create a version, share the folder, and set it as an image library.

Step 1: Create a Top-Level Folder

Start on the Documents page and create a new top-level folder. I'll call mine “Image Library.” A company library must be in the root folder, so don't nest it inside another folder.

Step 2: Create Documents and Upload Your Images

Inside the folder, create a document, open it, and use the + button to import your images (PNG, JPEG, GIF, or BMP). You can delete the default Part Studio and Assembly tabs, since a library document only needs the images. Use several documents if you have different image types, for example, logos in one and warning labels in another, and give each a clear label so you can find it easily. Numbering the documents keeps them in a fixed order.

Step 3: Create a Version

Once your images are uploaded, create a version of each document. A version captures a defined state of your images, so your team works with a stable, released set. Whenever you add or change images later, create a new version.

Step 4: Share the Folder with Your Company

Now share the folder with your company, so everyone can access the images:

1. Right-click the folder and open the Share dialog.
2. Select the Companies tab and choose your company.
3. Set the permission to Can view and make sure the Link document box is checked.
4. Click Share.

Why Link document matters: Without this permission, your colleagues can see the images but can't insert them into their own documents. All documents in the folder inherit these share settings, including any you add later.

Step 5: Set the Folder as an Image Library

Right-click the folder and hover over Set library:

• My images: Sets the folder as your personal image library. Every user can have one, no special permissions needed.
• Company library: Hover over Image library and click Set as <company> library, like Midwest Machine Tech Images below. Each company can have one set up by an administrator.

The Image library menu also has Update my library, which refreshes the library after you change a document inside it, and Unset my library, which removes the library setting without deleting anything. Once the folder is set as a library, its icon changes to a library folder, so you can see it's ready. If you make changes later, just update your image library.

What Belongs in an Onshape Image Library?

Anything you reuse is a good candidate:

• Logos and safety symbols for decals
• Labels and nameplates with company name and product data
• Control panel icons and displays for buttons, keypads, and screens
• Textures such as perforations or surface patterns
• Sketch references like human figures for scale or product photos
• Drawing symbols such as a standards block, notes, or anything else you want to add to your drawings

Using Library Images for Decals, Sketches, and Drawings

Wherever you choose an image, you’ll find a Libraries tab next to Current document and Other documents. Pick a library from the dropdown, then select an image or search for it.

Placing a Decal on a Part

1. Start the Decal feature in a Part Studio and click Select image.
2. Open the Libraries tab, pick your library, and choose the image. For example, an LCD display for a control panel.
3. Select a planar or cylindrical face, then adjust angle, position, and size. Done!

Tip: If no image library shows up when you add a decal, update the document first. Your library will then appear on the Libraries tab.

Inserting a Reference Image in a Sketch

1. In a sketch, click Insert Image and open the Libraries tab.
2. Select an image, click Done, then click and drag to place it.

Adding a Symbol to a Drawing

Drawings often need the same notes on every sheet, such as a block stating which tolerancing, general tolerance, and surface texture standards apply. Save it once as an image in your library and add it to any drawing with the Insert image command: go to Other documents and pick it from your library documents. Every drawing then uses the same current version.

Tip: Add a label such as Image Library to all your library documents. When you insert an image into a drawing, you can then find your library documents quickly by that label.

Create Your Own Library Images with AI

You don’t have to search the web and download images for your library, you can create many of them with an AI image tool or LLM. For example, a control panel icon, an LCD display, a texture pattern, or a clean label layout. That way you get exactly the style and size you need, and you avoid copyright questions with downloaded images.

For standardized content such as safety symbols or drawing notes, always check the result against the official standard before adding it to your library.

Recommended Image Sizes for Your Library

Large images make documents heavier without improving the result.

These sizes work well:

• Symbols and icons: 512 x 512 px to 1024 x 1024 px, PNG with transparent background
• Labels, nameplates, and displays: 1024 to 2048 px on the long side, matching the real aspect ratio
• Textures: square, 1024 x 1024 px or 2048 x 2048 px
• Sketch references: 1500 to 2000 px on the long side is enough to trace
• Drawing symbols: 1500 to 2000 px wide, black on white, or transparent, for crisp prints
• Upper limit: decals can be at most 4096 x 4096 px, and sketch images are limited by your GPU’s max texture size

As a rule of thumb, keep each file below 1-2 MB.

Tips for a Clean Image Library

• One document per category. Easier to maintain, and faster to browse.
• Name and label for search. Clear file names (e.g., warning-electrical.png) and an Image Library label help you find the right image fast.
• Use transparent PNGs. Onshape respects the alpha channel, so symbols and icons sit cleanly on your parts.
• Version and refresh after changes. Create a new version after editing a library document, then use Update my library.
• Check sharing. If a colleague can't insert an image, check that Link document is enabled on the folder.

Learn More About Images and Libraries in Onshape

Now you know how to set up a company image library and reuse the same approved images for decals, sketches, and drawings. For all the details, see the Insert Image help page and the Decal help page.

Setting up other shared libraries, too? Read Tech Tip: All About Onshape Libraries. For more on sketching over images, see How to Start a Sketch with an Imported Image, and for renderings, Streamlining Decal Application in Onshape Render Studio.

Ready to set up a library for your whole team? Try Onshape Professional and keep every logo, label, and symbol in one place.