Changing the Business Card layout

Change Outlook 2007's Business Card layout for all contacts

An often asked question about Outlook 2007's Business card layout is how to change it for all contacts. While you can't globally change existing contacts, except by editing each contact, you can change the default which is used for new contacts by creating a custom contact form with the desired business card layout and publish it. Set it as the default Contacts form for new Contacts.

  

 

 

 

Create a custom form

  1. Open a new Contact form and edit it as desired.
    Do not add names, addresses or phone numbers in this form. Change only the business card or other features you want applied to all future contacts.
  2. Go to the Office icon, Editor Options and enable the Developer tab
  3. From the Developer tab, choose Publish form as...
  4. Publish the form to Outlook Folders

Using the custom form

Right click on the Contact folder, choose Properties and set the newly created custom form as the default form for the folder.

When you click New Contact, you'll use this form and all newly created contacts will use the new layout.

You can't change the form used by existing contacts, well, you can change the form, but the new business card layout won't be used.  Use a tool listed below to change the message class to the new form.

Tools

DocMessageClass

Used to change the message class of Outlook items,so that existing items will use newly created forms.Free.

More Information

Custom Business Card Forms (Microsoft Office Online)

Customize and Share Business Cards (MSDN)