Tkinter Label does not show Image

Question

I'm trying to learn some tkinter. I can't get tkinter to display an icon. I don't know where it goes wrong. It does not produce any error and it respects the size of the image, but it's invisible. Everything I found online tells to add a second reference to prevent garbage collection from python, but somehow this did not the trick. Here is the part of my code that goes wrong:

from Tkinter import *
from PIL import Image, ImageTk

class GUI:

    def __init__(self, master):

        frame = Frame(master)
        frame.pack()

        #status bar
        self.bar = Frame(root, relief=RIDGE, borderwidth=5)
        self.bar.pack(side=TOP)

        self.iconPath = 'data/icons/size.png'
        self.icon = ImageTk.PhotoImage(Image.open(self.iconPath))
        self.icon_size = Label(self.bar, image = self.icon)
        self.icon_size.pack(side=LEFT)

root = Tk()


app = GUI(root)

root.mainloop()

With fixed indentation your code works for me - it displays an image in the label (JPEG and PNG). — Tim, Oct 30 '12 at 23:41
I fixed the indentation. Code still does not display the image for me. — Whitecold, Oct 30 '12 at 23:47
I tried different images in different formats. The dimensions of the window changed, but it was always blank. — Whitecold, Oct 31 '12 at 06:43
Possible duplicate of [Cannot Display an Image in Tkinter](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3359717/cannot-display-an-image-in-tkinter) — Nae, Nov 25 '17 at 19:24
Possible duplicate of [Why does Tkinter image not show up if created in a function?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/16424091/why-does-tkinter-image-not-show-up-if-created-in-a-function) — Stop harming Monica, Jun 28 '18 at 06:45

score 38 · Answer 1 · answered Mar 05 '13 at 05:21

38

When you add a PhotoImage or other Image object to a Tkinter widget, you must keep your own reference to the image object. If you don’t, the image won’t always show up.

Decision here

answered Mar 05 '13 at 05:21

user1142464

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Currently broken, can access here: https://web.archive.org/web/20201111190625/http://effbot.org/pyfaq/why-do-my-tkinter-images-not-appear.htm – Mattamue Apr 28 '21 at 22:45
This is especially true when you use OOP. Assign the `PhotoImage` as an instance variable and then use it. Transparency doesn't matter as someone mentioned the opposite above. – demberto Mar 10 '22 at 13:54

score 12 · Answer 2 · edited Nov 28 '14 at 18:14

12

For some reason (I don't understand exactly why) you must anchor the image object into the widget in order for it to display. Therefore try the following change at your code:

from Tkinter import *
from PIL import Image, ImageTk

class GUI:

    def __init__(self, master):

        frame = Frame(master)
        frame.pack()

        #status bar
        self.bar = Frame(root, relief=RIDGE, borderwidth=5)
        self.bar.pack(side=TOP)

        self.iconPath = 'data/icons/size.png'
        self.icon = ImageTk.PhotoImage(Image.open(self.iconPath))
        self.icon_size = Label(self.bar)
        self.icon_size.image = self.icon  # <== this is were we anchor the img object
        self.icon_size.configure(image=self.icon)
        self.icon_size.pack(side=LEFT)

root = Tk()


app = GUI(root)

root.mainloop()

Good Luck!

edited Nov 28 '14 at 18:14

Tim

41,901
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answered Nov 28 '14 at 18:08

Diego Vélez

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7

The "why" is because python garbage collection will destroy the image unless there's a permanent reference to it. – Bryan Oakley Nov 29 '14 at 03:05
1

@BryanOakley There was already a permanent reference as far as I can tell (`self.icon`). The first statement here is wrong, I just tested without an anchor in `Label` itself and it works fine. – kabanus Apr 14 '18 at 09:35
See why this is the case [here](https://stackoverflow.com/a/74857227/13597979), @Br – TimH Dec 20 '22 at 20:00

score 6 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 12 '16 at 12:11

6

For all future readers, in my case the problem lied with transparency. Removing the alpha channel from the image fixed it.

answered Mar 12 '16 at 12:11

Mirac7

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Tkinter Label does not show Image

3 Answers3

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