gm vs imagemagick vs jimp vs sharp
Image Processing Libraries for Node.js
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Image Processing Libraries for Node.js

Image processing libraries in Node.js provide developers with tools to manipulate and transform images efficiently. These libraries can handle various tasks such as resizing, cropping, filtering, and converting image formats. They are essential for applications that require dynamic image generation, optimization, or manipulation, making them invaluable in web development, especially for e-commerce, social media, and content management systems.

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gm06,977121 kB368a year agoMIT
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sharp032,082534 kB1225 months agoApache-2.0

Feature Comparison: gm vs imagemagick vs jimp vs sharp

Performance

  • gm:

    gm is built on GraphicsMagick, which is designed for high performance in batch processing. However, it may not be as fast as sharp for individual image transformations due to its reliance on external binaries.

  • imagemagick:

    ImageMagick is powerful but can be slower compared to other libraries, especially for large images or complex operations. Its extensive feature set can lead to performance overhead if not optimized properly.

  • jimp:

    Jimp is a pure JavaScript library, making it easy to use but not as fast as native solutions. It is suitable for smaller images and simpler tasks but may struggle with performance on larger images or heavy processing.

  • sharp:

    Sharp is known for its exceptional performance, leveraging native C++ bindings for fast image processing. It is optimized for speed and memory usage, making it the best choice for high-performance applications.

Ease of Use

  • gm:

    gm has a command-line interface that can be less intuitive for beginners. However, it offers extensive documentation and examples, which can help users get accustomed to its syntax and capabilities.

  • imagemagick:

    ImageMagick also has a steep learning curve due to its command-line nature and extensive options. While powerful, it may require more time to master for new users.

  • jimp:

    Jimp is designed to be user-friendly, with a simple API that is easy to understand. It is a great choice for developers who want to quickly implement image processing without dealing with complex configurations.

  • sharp:

    Sharp provides a straightforward API that is easy to use, especially for those familiar with JavaScript. Its clear documentation and examples make it accessible for developers of all skill levels.

Supported Formats

  • gm:

    gm supports a wide range of image formats, including JPEG, PNG, GIF, and TIFF. It is versatile and can handle many common image types, making it suitable for various applications.

  • imagemagick:

    ImageMagick supports an extensive array of image formats, often more than any other library. This makes it ideal for applications that need to work with diverse image types.

  • jimp:

    Jimp supports common formats like JPEG, PNG, and BMP. However, it lacks support for some advanced formats, which may limit its use in certain scenarios.

  • sharp:

    Sharp supports modern image formats such as WebP, AVIF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. Its ability to handle newer formats makes it a strong choice for web applications aiming for performance and quality.

Image Manipulation Features

  • gm:

    gm offers a comprehensive set of image manipulation features, including resizing, cropping, rotating, and applying filters. It is suitable for complex image processing tasks.

  • imagemagick:

    ImageMagick is renowned for its extensive image manipulation capabilities, allowing for intricate transformations, effects, and compositing. It is highly customizable but may require more effort to implement specific features.

  • jimp:

    Jimp provides basic image manipulation features, such as resizing, cropping, and filtering. While it is sufficient for simple tasks, it may lack advanced features found in more robust libraries.

  • sharp:

    Sharp excels in image manipulation, offering a rich set of features including resizing, rotation, and format conversion. Its performance and efficiency make it ideal for real-time image processing.

Community and Support

  • gm:

    gm has a dedicated community and good documentation, but it may not be as widely used as some other libraries, which can affect the availability of community support.

  • imagemagick:

    ImageMagick has a large and active community, with extensive documentation and resources available. This makes it easier to find help and examples for complex tasks.

  • jimp:

    Jimp has a smaller community compared to others, but it is actively maintained. Its simplicity makes it easy to find support for basic tasks, though advanced issues may be less documented.

  • sharp:

    Sharp has a growing community and excellent documentation, making it easy to get support. It is widely used in production environments, which contributes to a wealth of shared knowledge and resources.

How to Choose: gm vs imagemagick vs jimp vs sharp

  • gm:

    Choose gm (GraphicsMagick) if you need a comprehensive set of image processing features and are comfortable with a command-line interface. It is particularly useful for batch processing and supports a wide range of image formats.

  • imagemagick:

    Opt for imagemagick if you require extensive image manipulation capabilities and need to work with a variety of formats. It is highly versatile and suitable for complex image processing tasks, but may have a steeper learning curve due to its extensive options.

  • jimp:

    Select jimp if you prefer a pure JavaScript solution that is easy to use and lightweight. It is ideal for simple image processing tasks and does not require native dependencies, making it suitable for serverless environments.

  • sharp:

    Choose sharp if performance is a priority, as it is optimized for speed and memory efficiency. It is particularly effective for handling large images and supports modern image formats, making it a great choice for web applications.

README for gm

gm Build Status NPM Version

GraphicsMagick and ImageMagick for node

Bug Reports

When reporting bugs please include the version of graphicsmagick/imagemagick you're using (gm -version/convert -version) as well as the version of this module and copies of any images you're having problems with.

Getting started

First download and install GraphicsMagick or ImageMagick. In Mac OS X, you can simply use Homebrew and do:

brew install imagemagick
brew install graphicsmagick

then either use npm:

npm install gm

or clone the repo:

git clone git://github.com/aheckmann/gm.git

Use ImageMagick instead of gm

Subclass gm to enable ImageMagick 7+

const fs = require('fs')
const gm = require('gm').subClass({ imageMagick: '7+' });

Or, to enable ImageMagick legacy mode (for ImageMagick version < 7)

const fs = require('fs')
const gm = require('gm').subClass({ imageMagick: true });

Specify the executable path

Optionally specify the path to the executable.

const fs = require('fs')
const gm = require('gm').subClass({
  appPath: String.raw`C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-7.1.0-Q16-HDRI\magick.exe`
});

Basic Usage

var fs = require('fs')
  , gm = require('gm');

// resize and remove EXIF profile data
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.resize(240, 240)
.noProfile()
.write('/path/to/resize.png', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});

// some files would not be resized appropriately
// http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5870466/imagemagick-incorrect-dimensions
// you have two options:
// use the '!' flag to ignore aspect ratio
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.resize(240, 240, '!')
.write('/path/to/resize.png', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});

// use the .resizeExact with only width and/or height arguments
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.resizeExact(240, 240)
.write('/path/to/resize.png', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});

// obtain the size of an image
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.size(function (err, size) {
  if (!err)
    console.log(size.width > size.height ? 'wider' : 'taller than you');
});

// output all available image properties
gm('/path/to/img.png')
.identify(function (err, data) {
  if (!err) console.log(data)
});

// pull out the first frame of an animated gif and save as png
gm('/path/to/animated.gif[0]')
.write('/path/to/firstframe.png', function (err) {
  if (err) console.log('aaw, shucks');
});

// auto-orient an image
gm('/path/to/img.jpg')
.autoOrient()
.write('/path/to/oriented.jpg', function (err) {
  if (err) ...
})

// crazytown
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.flip()
.magnify()
.rotate('green', 45)
.blur(7, 3)
.crop(300, 300, 150, 130)
.edge(3)
.write('/path/to/crazy.jpg', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('crazytown has arrived');
})

// annotate an image
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.stroke("#ffffff")
.drawCircle(10, 10, 20, 10)
.font("Helvetica.ttf", 12)
.drawText(30, 20, "GMagick!")
.write("/path/to/drawing.png", function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});

// creating an image
gm(200, 400, "#ddff99f3")
.drawText(10, 50, "from scratch")
.write("/path/to/brandNewImg.jpg", function (err) {
  // ...
});

Streams

// passing a stream
var readStream = fs.createReadStream('/path/to/my/img.jpg');
gm(readStream, 'img.jpg')
.write('/path/to/reformat.png', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});


// passing a downloadable image by url

var request = require('request');
var url = "www.abc.com/pic.jpg"

gm(request(url))
.write('/path/to/reformat.png', function (err) {
  if (!err) console.log('done');
});


// can also stream output to a ReadableStream
// (can be piped to a local file or remote server)
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.resize('200', '200')
.stream(function (err, stdout, stderr) {
  var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream('/path/to/my/resized.jpg');
  stdout.pipe(writeStream);
});

// without a callback, .stream() returns a stream
// this is just a convenience wrapper for above.
var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream('/path/to/my/resized.jpg');
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.resize('200', '200')
.stream()
.pipe(writeStream);

// pass a format or filename to stream() and
// gm will provide image data in that format
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.stream('png', function (err, stdout, stderr) {
  var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream('/path/to/my/reformatted.png');
  stdout.pipe(writeStream);
});

// or without the callback
var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream('/path/to/my/reformatted.png');
gm('/path/to/my/img.jpg')
.stream('png')
.pipe(writeStream);

// combine the two for true streaming image processing
var readStream = fs.createReadStream('/path/to/my/img.jpg');
gm(readStream)
.resize('200', '200')
.stream(function (err, stdout, stderr) {
  var writeStream = fs.createWriteStream('/path/to/my/resized.jpg');
  stdout.pipe(writeStream);
});

// GOTCHA:
// when working with input streams and any 'identify'
// operation (size, format, etc), you must pass "{bufferStream: true}" if
// you also need to convert (write() or stream()) the image afterwards
// NOTE: this buffers the readStream in memory!
var readStream = fs.createReadStream('/path/to/my/img.jpg');
gm(readStream)
.size({bufferStream: true}, function(err, size) {
  this.resize(size.width / 2, size.height / 2)
  this.write('/path/to/resized.jpg', function (err) {
    if (!err) console.log('done');
  });
});

Buffers

// A buffer can be passed instead of a filepath as well
var buf = require('fs').readFileSync('/path/to/image.jpg');

gm(buf, 'image.jpg')
.noise('laplacian')
.write('/path/to/out.jpg', function (err) {
  if (err) return handle(err);
  console.log('Created an image from a Buffer!');
});

/*
A buffer can also be returned instead of a stream
The first argument to toBuffer is optional, it specifies the image format
*/
gm('img.jpg')
.resize(100, 100)
.toBuffer('PNG',function (err, buffer) {
  if (err) return handle(err);
  console.log('done!');
})

Custom Arguments

If gm does not supply you with a method you need or does not work as you'd like, you can simply use gm().in() or gm().out() to set your own arguments.

  • gm().command() - Custom command such as identify or convert
  • gm().in() - Custom input arguments
  • gm().out() - Custom output arguments

The command will be formatted in the following order:

  1. command - ie convert
  2. in - the input arguments
  3. source - stdin or an image file
  4. out - the output arguments
  5. output - stdout or the image file to write to

For example, suppose you want the following command:

gm "convert" "label:Offline" "PNG:-"

However, using gm().label() may not work as intended for you:

gm()
.label('Offline')
.stream();

would yield:

gm "convert" "-label" "\"Offline\"" "PNG:-"

Instead, you can use gm().out():

gm()
.out('label:Offline')
.stream();

which correctly yields:

gm "convert" "label:Offline" "PNG:-"

Custom Identify Format String

When identifying an image, you may want to use a custom formatting string instead of using -verbose, which is quite slow. You can use your own formatting string when using gm().identify(format, callback). For example,

gm('img.png').format(function (err, format) {

})

// is equivalent to

gm('img.png').identify('%m', function (err, format) {

})

since %m is the format option for getting the image file format.

Platform differences

Please document and refer to any platform or ImageMagick/GraphicsMagick issues/differences here.

Examples:

Check out the examples directory to play around. Also take a look at the extending gm page to see how to customize gm to your own needs.

Constructor:

There are a few ways you can use the gm image constructor.

    1. gm(path) When you pass a string as the first argument it is interpreted as the path to an image you intend to manipulate.
    1. gm(stream || buffer, [filename]) You may also pass a ReadableStream or Buffer as the first argument, with an optional file name for format inference.
    1. gm(width, height, [color]) When you pass two integer arguments, gm will create a new image on the fly with the provided dimensions and an optional background color. And you can still chain just like you do with pre-existing images too. See here for an example.

The links below refer to an older version of gm but everything should still work, if anyone feels like updating them please make a PR

Methods

compare

Graphicsmagicks compare command is exposed through gm.compare(). This allows us to determine if two images can be considered "equal".

Currently gm.compare only accepts file paths.

gm.compare(path1, path2 [, options], callback)
gm.compare('/path/to/image1.jpg', '/path/to/another.png', function (err, isEqual, equality, raw, path1, path2) {
  if (err) return handle(err);

  // if the images were considered equal, `isEqual` will be true, otherwise, false.
  console.log('The images were equal: %s', isEqual);

  // to see the total equality returned by graphicsmagick we can inspect the `equality` argument.
  console.log('Actual equality: %d', equality);

  // inspect the raw output
  console.log(raw);

  // print file paths
  console.log(path1, path2);
})

You may wish to pass a custom tolerance threshold to increase or decrease the default level of 0.4.

gm.compare('/path/to/image1.jpg', '/path/to/another.png', 1.2, function (err, isEqual) {
  ...
})

To output a diff image, pass a configuration object to define the diff options and tolerance.

var options = {
  file: '/path/to/diff.png',
  highlightColor: 'yellow',
  tolerance: 0.02
}
gm.compare('/path/to/image1.jpg', '/path/to/another.png', options, function (err, isEqual, equality, raw) {
  ...
})

composite

GraphicsMagick supports compositing one image on top of another. This is exposed through gm.composite(). Its first argument is an image path with the changes to the base image, and an optional mask image.

Currently, gm.composite() only accepts file paths.

gm.composite(other [, mask])
gm('/path/to/image.jpg')
.composite('/path/to/second_image.jpg')
.geometry('+100+150')
.write('/path/to/composite.png', function(err) {
    if(!err) console.log("Written composite image.");
});

montage

GraphicsMagick supports montage for combining images side by side. This is exposed through gm.montage(). Its only argument is an image path with the changes to the base image.

Currently, gm.montage() only accepts file paths.

gm.montage(other)
gm('/path/to/image.jpg')
.montage('/path/to/second_image.jpg')
.geometry('+100+150')
.write('/path/to/montage.png', function(err) {
    if(!err) console.log("Written montage image.");
});

Contributors

https://github.com/aheckmann/gm/contributors

Inspiration

http://github.com/quiiver/magickal-node

Plugins

https://github.com/aheckmann/gm/wiki

Tests

npm test

To run a single test:

npm test -- alpha.js

License

(The MIT License)

Copyright (c) 2010 Aaron Heckmann

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.