When you do a previewItem you will get a picture.Picture picture = style.getPreviewItem(item, 256, 256); You can create any picture element from belowBmpPictureElementEmfPictureElementGifPictureElementImgPictureElementJpgPictureElementPngPictureElementSidPictureElementTifPictureElementif you create a BmpPictureElement, So it will beBmpPictureElement bmpPicture = new BmpPictureElement();bmpPicture.importPicture(picture); // import the picture that you got from previewItem Once this is done you can add this to the maps graphics container as an elementIGraphicsContainer container = mapBean.getActiveView().getGraphicsContainer() // where mapBean is of type MapBeancontainer.addElement(bmpPicture);mapBean.getActiveView().refresh();