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Imager::Cookbook - recipes working with Imager
Contents
Description
Various simple and not so simple ways to do things with Imager.
Drawing
Addingabordertoanimage
First make a new image with space for the border:
my $border_width = ...;
my $border_height = ...;
my $out = Imager->new(xsize => $source->getwidth() + 2 * $border_width,
ysize => $source->getheight() + 2 * $border_height,
bits => $source->bits,
channels => $source->getchannels);
Then paste the source image into the new image:
$out->paste(left => $border_width,
top => $border_height,
img => $source);
Whether you draw the border before or after pasting the original image depends on whether you want the
border to overlap the image, for example a semi-transparent border drawn after pasting the source image
could overlap the edge without hiding it.
If you want a solid border you could just fill the image before pasting the source for simplicity:
$out->box(filled=>1, color=>'red');
$out->paste(left => $border_width,
top => $border_height,
img => $source);
Files
This is described in detail in Imager::Files.
Readinganimagefromafile
my $image = Imager->new;
$image->read(file=>$filename) or die $image->errstr;
Or:
my $image = Imager->new(file => $filename)
or die Imager->errstr;
See Imager::Files.
Writinganimagetoafile
$image->write(file=>$filename) or die $image->errstr;
WriteananimatedGIF
# build an array of images to use in the gif
my @images;
# synthesize the images or read them from files, it doesn't matter
...
# write the gif
Imager->write_multi({ file=>$filename, type=>'gif' }, @images)
or die Imager->errstr;
See "Writing an animated GIF" in Imager::Files for a more detailed example.
Readingmultipleimagesfromonefile
Some formats, like GIF and TIFF support multiple images per file. Use the read_multi() method to read
them:
my @images = Imager->read_multi(file=>$filename)
or die Imager->errstr;
Convertingfromonefileformattoanother
This is as simple as reading the original file and writing the new file, for single images:
my $image = Imager->new;
# Imager auto-detects the input file type
$image->read(file => $input_filename)
or die $image->errstr;
# Imager derives the output file format from the filename
$image->write(file => $output_filename)
or die $image->errstr;
# or you can supply a type parameter:
$image->write(file => $output_filename, type => 'gif')
or die $image->errstr;
The main issue that can occur with this is if the input file has transparency and the output file format
doesn't support that. This can be a problem when converting from GIF files to JPEG files for example.
By default, if the output format doesn't support transparency, Imager will compose the image onto a black
background. You can override that by supplying an "i_background" option to write() or write_multi():
$image->write(file => "foo.jpg", i_background => "#808080")
or die $image->errstr;
Some formats support multiple files, so if you want to convert from say TIFF to JPEG, you'll need
multiple output files:
my @images = Imager->read_multi(file => 'input.tif')
or die Imager->errstr;
my $index = 1;
for my $image (@images) {
$image->write(file => sprintf('output%02d.jpg', $index++))
or die $image->errstr;
}
TransparentPNG
To save to a transparent PNG (or GIF or TIFF) you need to start with an image with transparency.
To make a transparent image, create an image object with 2 or 4 channels:
# RGB with alpha channel
my $rgba = Imager->new(xsize => $width, ysize => $height, channels => 4);
# Gray with alpha channel
my $graya = Imager->new(xsize => $width, ysize => $height, channels => 2);
By default, the created image will be transparent.
Otherwise, if you have an existing image file with transparency, simply read it, and the transparency
will be preserved.
Image Manipulation
Replacingacolorwithtransparency
To replace a color with transparency you can use the "difference()" in Imager::Filters method.
# make a work image the same size as our input
my $work = Imager->new(xsize => $in->getwidth, ysize => $in->getheight,
channels => $in->getchannels);
# and fill it with the color we want transparent
$work->box(filled => 1, color => $color);
# get an image with that color replaced with transparent black
my $out = $work->difference(other => $in);
Image Synthesis
Creatinganimage
To create a simple RGB image, supply the image width and height to the new() method:
my $rgb = Imager->new(xsize=>$width, ysize=>$height);
If you also want an alpha channel:
my $rgb_alpha = Imager->new(xsize=>$width, ysize=>$height, channels=>4);
To make a gray-scale image:
my $gray = Imager->new(xsize=>$width, ysize=>$height, channels=>1);
and a gray-scale image with an alpha channel:
my $gray_alpha = Imager->new(xsize=>$width, ysize=>$height, channels=>2);
When a new image is created this way all samples are set to zero - black for 1 or 3 channel images,
transparent black for 2 or 4 channel images.
You can also create paletted images and images with more than 8-bits per channel, see Imager::ImageTypes
for more details.
Settingthebackgroundofanewimage
To set the background of a new image to a solid color, use the box() method with no limits, and
"filled=>1":
$image->box(filled=>1, color=>$color);
As always, a color can be specified as an Imager::Color object:
my $white = Imager::Color->new(255, 255, 255);
$image->box(filled=>1, color=>$white);
or you supply any single scalar that Imager::Color's new() method accepts as a color description:
$image->box(filled=>1, color=>'white');
$image->box(filled=>1, color=>'#FF0000');
$image->box(filled=>1, color=>[ 255, 255, 255 ]);
You can also fill the image with a fill object:
use Imager::Fill;
# create the fill object
my $fill = Imager::Fill->new(hatch=>'check1x1')
$image->box(fill=>$fill);
# let Imager create one automatically
$image->box(fill=>{ hatch=>'check1x1' });
See Imager::Fill for information on Imager's fill objects.
CreateanimagefromrawRGBdata
If your data matches the layout supported by Imager's "RAW" in Imager::Files file support closely enough,
you can simply read the data as if it was a raw file:
my $img = Imager->new(
(
filetype => "raw",
xsize => $width,
ysize => $height,
# stored as RGBXRGBX where X is dropped
raw_interleave => 0,
raw_datachannels => 4,
raw_storechannels => 3,
);
If the channel order doesn't match you can further use the "combine()" in Imager::Transformations method
to extract the channels in the correct order, eg. if the source data above was in "BGRX" format instead
of "RGBX":
my $img2 = $im->combine(src => [ $img, $img, $img ],
channels => [ 2, 1, 0 ]);
Adapted from perl monks <https://perlmonks.org/?node_id=11139983>.
For more control you can use the setsamples() method to set pixels directly to the image:
# for AGBR data in $data
my $img = Imager->new(xsize => $width, ysize => $height, channels => 4);
my $rowbytes = $width * 4;
my @chans = [ 3, 1, 2, 0 ];
for my $row (0 .. $height) {
$img->setsamples
(
y => $row,
data => $data,
offset => $rowbytes * $row,
channels => \@chans,
type => '8bit',
);
}
Image Transformation
ShearinganimageConverttogray-scale
To convert an RGB image to a gray-scale image, use the convert method:
my $grey = $image->convert(preset => 'gray');
convert() returns a new image.
See: "Color transformations" in Imager::Transformations
Metadata
Imageformat
When Imager reads a file it does a magic number check to determine the file type, so "foo.png" could
actually be a GIF image, and Imager will read it anyway.
You can check the actual format of the image by looking at the "i_format" tag.
my $format = $image->tags(name=>'i_format');
Imagespatialresolution
Most image file formats store information about the physical size of the pixels, though in some cases
that information isn't useful.
Imager stores this information in the tags "i_xres" and "i_yres", and this is always stored in dots per
inch.
Some formats, including TIFF and JPEG allow you to change the units spatial resolution information is
stored in, if you set the tag that changes this the Imager will convert "i_xres" and "i_yres" to those
units when it writes the file.
For example to set the resolution to 300 dpi:
$image->settag(name => 'i_xres', value => 300);
$image->settag(name => 'i_yres', value => 300);
If you want the file format to store the resolution in some other unit, for example you can write a TIFF
file that stores the resolution in pixels per centimeter, you would do:
# 150 pixels/cm
$image->settag(name => 'i_xres', value => 150 * 2.54);
$image->settag(name => 'i_yres', value => 150 * 2.54);
$image->settag(name => 'tiff_resolutionunit', value => 3);
Keywords: DPI
Name
Imager::Cookbook - recipes working with Imager
See Also
Imager, Imager::Files, Imager::Draw.
perl v5.40.1 2025-03-16 Imager::Cookbook(3pm)
Special Effects
DropShadows
This can be used for a glow effect as well.
First create a new image, either with an alpha channel (if you want transparency behind the shadow) or
without, if you want a background color:
my $out = Imager->new
(
xsize => $shadow_size * 2 + $src->getwidth,
ysize => $shadow_size * 2 + $src->getheight,
channels => 4,
);
# fill it with your background color, if you want one
# $out->box(filled => 1, color => $back_color);
Make a work image to render the shadow on:
my $shadow_work = Imager->new
(
xsize => $back->getwidth,
ysize => $back->getheight,
channels => 1,
);
Extract the alpha channel from the source image, first the alpha version:
my $alpha = $src->convert(preset => "alpha");
and draw that on the work shadow:
$shadow_work->paste
(
src => $slpha,
left => $shadow_size,
top => $shadow_size,
);
otherwise just draw a box for the non-alpha source:
$shadow_work->box
(
filled => 1,
color => [ 255 ],
xmin => $shadow_size,
ymin => $shadow_size,
xmax => $shadow_size + $src->getwidth() - 1,
ymax => $shadow_size + $src->getheight() - 1,
);
Blur the work shadow:
$shadow_work->filter(type => "gaussian", stddev => $shadow_size);
Convert it to an RGB image with alpha:
$shadow_work = $shadow_work->convert
(
matrix => [ [ 0, $red / 255 ],
[ 0, $green / 255 ],
[ 0, $blue / 255 ],
[ 1 ] ]
);
Draw that on the output image:
$out->rubthrough(src => $shadow_work);
Draw our original image on the output image, perhaps with an offset:
$out->rubthrough
(
src => $src,
tx => $shadow_size + $x_offset,
ty => $shadow_size + $y_offset,
);
See samples/drop_shadow.pl for an example of this recipe.
Text
DrawingtextAligningtextMeasuringtextWordwrappingtextShearing(slanting)orRotatingtext
This requires that you have Imager installed with FreeType 2.x support installed, and that the font be
created using the FreeType 2.x driver, for example:
my $font = Imager::Font->new(file=>$fontfile, type=>'ft2');
First you need a transformation matrix, for shearing that could be:
my $angle_in_radians = ...;
my $tan_angle = sin($angle_rads) / cos($angle_rads);
# shear horizontally, supply this as y instead to do it vertically
my $matrix = Imager::Matrix2d->shear(x=>$tan_angle);
For rotation that would be:
my $matrix = Imager::Matrix2d->rotate(radians => $angle_in_radians);
or:
my $matrix = Imager::Matrix2d->rotate(degrees => $angle_in_degrees);
Feed that to the font object:
$font->transform(matrix => $matrix);
and draw the text as normal:
$image->string(string => $text,
x => $where_x,
y => $where_y,
color => $color,
font => $font);
See samples/slant_text.pl for a comprehensive example, including calculating the transformed bounding box
to create an image to fit the transformed text into.
World Wide Web
As with any CGI script it's up to you to validate data and set limits on any parameters supplied to
Imager.
For example, if you allow the caller to set the size of an output image you should limit the size to
prevent the client from specifying an image size that will consume all available memory.
This is beside any other controls you need over access to data.
See CGI for a module useful for processing CGI submitted data.
ReturninganimagefromaCGIscript
This is similar to writing to a file, but you also need to supply the information needed by the web
browser to identify the file format:
my $img = ....; # create the image and generate the contents
++$|; # make sure the content type isn't buffered
print "Content-Type: image/png\n\n";
binmode STDOUT;
$img->write(fd=>fileno(STDOUT), type=>'png')
or die $img->errstr;
You need to set the Content-Type header depending on the file format you send to the web browser.
If you want to supply a content-length header, write the image to a scalar as a buffer:
my $img = ....; # create the image and generate the contents
my $data;
$img->write(type=>'png', data=>\$data)
or die $img->errstr;
print "Content-Type: image/png\n";
print "Content-Length: ",length($data),"\n\n";
binmode STDOUT;
print $data;
See "samples/samp-scale.cgi" and "samples/samp-image.cgi" for a couple of simple examples of producing an
image from CGI.
InsertingaCGIimageinapage
There's occasionally confusion on how to display an image generated by Imager in a page generated by a
CGI.
Your web browser handles this process as two requests, one for the HTML page, and another for the image
itself.
Each request needs to perform validation since an attacker can control the values supplied to both
requests.
How you make the data available to the image generation code depends on your application.
See "samples/samp-form.cgi" and "samples/samp-image.cgi" in the Imager distribution for one approach.
The POD in "samp-form.cgi" also discusses some of the issues involved.
ParsinganimagepostedviaCGI
"WARNING": file format attacks have become a common attack vector, make sure you have up to date image
file format libraries, otherwise trying to parse uploaded files, whether with Imager or some other tool,
may result in a remote attacker being able to run their own code on your system.
If your HTML form uses the correct magic, it can upload files to your CGI script, in particular, you need
to use " method="post" " and "enctype="multipart/form-data"" in the "form" tag, and use "type="file"" in
the "input", for example:
<form action="/cgi-bin/yourprogram" method="post"
enctype="multipart/form-data">
<input type="file" name="myimage" />
<input type="submit value="Upload Image" />
</form>
To process the form:
1. first check that the user supplied a file
2. get the file handle
3. have Imager read the image
# returns the client's name for the file, don't open this locally
my $cgi = CGI->new;
# 1. check the user supplied a file
my $filename = $cgi->param('myimage');
if ($filename) {
# 2. get the file handle
my $fh = $cgi->upload('myimage');
if ($fh) {
binmode $fh;
# 3. have Imager read the image
my $img = Imager->new;
if ($img->read(fh=>$fh)) {
# we can now process the image
}
}
# else, you probably have an incorrect form or input tag
}
# else, the user didn't select a file
See "samples/samp-scale.cgi" and "samples/samp-tags.cgi" in the Imager distribution for example code.
You may also want to set limits on the size of the image read, using Imager's "set_file_limits" method,
documented in "set_file_limits()" in Imager::Files. For example:
# limit to 10 million bytes of memory usage
Imager->set_file_limits(bytes => 10_000_000);
# limit to 1024 x 1024
Imager->set_file_limits(width => 1024, height => 1024);
PNG Icons
