ImageMagick

ImageMagick is a common image processing program (convert) and library (e.g. PerlMagick, aka Image::Magick).

Snippets

Composite

A Composite operation combines two images. Useful for such things as adding backgrounds to partially transparent images.

General

In the docs, the "src" (or "overlay") is combined with the "dst" (or "background") using a compose method.

composite -compose METHOD SRC.png DST.png COMPOSED.png

When using Perl, the operation is destructive of the dst image. Use the Clone method to operate on a copy while preserving the original.

# Result is $dst
$dst->Composite(compose => 'METHOD', image => $src);

# Result is $composed, $dst is unchanged
my $composed = $dst->Clone;
$composed->Composite(...);

over: Copy src on top of dst

The default operation: Src (the foreground) is copied over dst (the background).

To copy src behind dst, use dst_over.

# The method may be omitted here
composite -compose fg.png bg.png fg_on_bg.png
# More verbosely
composite -compose over fg.png bg.png fg_on_bg.png
# Src behind dst
composite -compose dst_over bg.png fg.png fg_on_bg.png

# Result is $bg
$bg->Composite(image => $fg);
# More verbosely
$bg->Composite(method => 'over', image => $fg);

# Result is $fg
$fg->Composite(method => 'dst_over', image => $bg);

in: Src with alpha mask of dst applied

in results in src seen through the alpha channel provided by dst.

dst_in is the same, but swaps src and dst.

composite -compose in image.png alpha-mask.png masked-image.png
composite -compose dst_in alpha-mask.png image.png masked-image.png

# Result is whichever object whose method is called
$alpha_mask->Composite(method => 'in', image => $image);
$image->Composite(method => 'dst_in', image => $alpha_mask);

New image filled with color

export COLOR=white
export WIDTH=800
export HEIGHT=600
convert -size ${WIDTH}x${HEIGHT} xc:${COLOR} filled.png

my $color = 'white';
my $width = 800;
my $height = 600;
my $filled = new Image::Magick size => "${width}x${height}";
$filled->Read("xc:$color");

New image the same size as an existing image

my $new_image = new Image::Magick size => join('x', $existing_image->Get('width','height'));

Fill the background of an existing (partly transparent) image with a color

my $bg_color = 'white';
my $bg = new Image::Magick size => join('x', $fg->Get('width','height'));
$bg->Read("xc:$bg_color");

# Either put the result in the new image (result $bg)
$bg->Composite(image => $fg);

# Or mutate the existing foreground image (result $fg)
$fg->Composite(compose => 'dst_over', image => $bg);

Change a grayscale image to an alpha mask image (white as opaque)

convert gray-mask.png -alpha shape alpha-mask.png

-alpha shape appears to have been added in a fairly recent version; for older versions this should work:

convert gray-mask.png '(' +clone ')' \
	-alpha off \
	-compose copy_opacity -composite \
	-fill white \
	-colorize 100% \
	alpha-mask.png