OK, I just did a little research with linking and embedding images into your Access databases. Here are my results:

I started with a blank Access 2007 database with just ONE table in it. This one table has ONE field for an OLE OBJECT so I can put a picture file in it.

The blank database size was 304k.
The image was 375k.

After inserting the image into the OLE field (right-click, Insert Object) the database blew up to 1088k. However, after compacting the database, it went down to 688k, which is right about where you'd expect it.

After LINKING the image into a copy of the same blank database, the size only increased to 322k. After a compact, it came down to 312k. So as you can see there is a LITTLE bit of overhead for the table to store the record with the image's data (path and filename, basically) but not much.

So if you need to actually insert the images themselves into your database, keep in mind that there is going to be a HUGE increase in the size of your table, because Access has to store all of the data for the image in the table. Compacting will get some of that space back, but not all. Your database will increase AT LEAST the size of the image file, plus whatever overhead the table needs.

That's why I generally recommend LINKING to a picture file somewhere on your PC or network. The database doesn't increase that much, and all you have to do is make sure the image is somewhere that everyone can see it.

And yes, it is possible to display a picture from the Web on your Access form or report. You have to use the Web Browser control that I show you in my Web Database seminar. If anyone wants to see JUST how to do this (without going through the whole seminar) let me know and I'll make a custom lesson out of it.