Process and manipulate images using ImageMagick. Supports resizing, format conversion, batch processing, and retrieving image metadata. Use when working with…
Image Manipulation with ImageMagick
This skill enables image processing and manipulation tasks using ImageMagick
across Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
Resize images (single or batch)
Get image dimensions and metadata
Convert between image formats
Create thumbnails
Process wallpapers for different screen sizes
Batch process multiple images with specific criteria
Prerequisites
ImageMagick installed on the system
Windows: PowerShell with ImageMagick available as magick (or at C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-*\magick.exe)
Linux/macOS: Bash with ImageMagick installed via package manager (apt, brew, etc.)
Core Capabilities
1. Image Information
Get image dimensions (width x height)
Retrieve detailed metadata (format, color space, etc.)
Identify image format
2. Image Resizing
Resize single images
Batch resize multiple images
Create thumbnails with specific dimensions
Maintain aspect ratios
3. Batch Processing
Process images based on dimensions
Filter and process specific file types
Apply transformations to multiple files
Usage Examples
Example 0: Resolve magick executable
PowerShell (Windows):
# Prefer ImageMagick on PATH
$magick = (Get-Command magick -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)?.Source
# Fallback: common install pattern under Program Files
if (-not $magick) {
$magick = Get-ChildItem "C:\\Program Files\\ImageMagick-*\\magick.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName
}
if (-not $magick) {
throw "ImageMagick not found. Install it and/or add 'magick' to PATH."
}
Bash (Linux/macOS):
# Check if magick is available on PATH
if ! command -v magick &> /dev/null; then
echo "ImageMagick not found. Install it using your package manager:"
echo " Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install imagemagick"
echo " macOS: brew install imagemagick"
exit 1
fi
Example 1: Get Image Dimensions
PowerShell (Windows):
# For a single image
& $magick identify -format "%wx%h" path/to/image.jpg
# For multiple images
Get-ChildItem "path/to/images/*" | ForEach-Object {
$dimensions = & $magick identify -format "%f: %wx%h`n" $_.FullName
Write-Host $dimensions
}
Bash (Linux/macOS):
# For a single image
magick identify -format "%wx%h" path/to/image.jpg
# For multiple images
for img in path/to/images/*; do
magick identify -format "%f: %wx%h\n" "$img"
done
Example 2: Resize Images
PowerShell (Windows):
# Resize a single image
& $magick input.jpg -resize 427x240 output.jpg
# Batch resize images
Get-ChildItem "path/to/images/*" | ForEach-Object {
& $magick $_.FullName -resize 427x240 "path/to/output/thumb_$($_.Name)"
}
Bash (Linux/macOS):
# Resize a single image
magick input.jpg -resize 427x240 output.jpg
# Batch resize images
for img in path/to/images/*; do
filename=$(basename "$img")
magick "$img" -resize 427x240 "path/to/output/thumb_$filename"
done
Example 3: Get Detailed Image Information
PowerShell (Windows):
# Get verbose information about an image
& $magick identify -verbose path/to/image.jpg
Bash (Linux/macOS):
# Get verbose information about an image
magick identify -verbose path/to/image.jpg
Example 4: Process Images Based on Dimensions
PowerShell (Windows):
Get-ChildItem "path/to/images/*" | ForEach-Object {
$dimensions = & $magick identify -format "%w,%h" $_.FullName
if ($dimensions) {
$width,$height = $dimensions -split ','
if ([int]$width -eq 2560 -or [int]$height -eq 1440) {
Write-Host "Processing $($_.Name)"
& $magick $_.FullName -resize 427x240 "path/to/output/thumb_$($_.Name)"
}
}
}
Bash (Linux/macOS):
for img in path/to/images/*; do
dimensions=$(magick identify -format "%w,%h" "$img")
if [[ -n "$dimensions" ]]; then
width=$(echo "$dimensions" | cut -d',' -f1)
height=$(echo "$dimensions" | cut -d',' -f2)
if [[ "$width" -eq 2560 || "$height" -eq 1440 ]]; then
filename=$(basename "$img")
echo "Processing $filename"
magick "$img" -resize 427x240 "path/to/output/thumb_$filename"
fi
fi
done
Guidelines
Always quote file paths - Use quotes around file paths that might contain spaces
Use the & operator (PowerShell) - Invoke the magick executable using & in PowerShell
Store the path in a variable (PowerShell) - Assign the ImageMagick path to $magick for cleaner code
Wrap in loops - When processing multiple files, use ForEach-Object (PowerShell) or for loops (Bash)
Verify dimensions first - Check image dimensions before processing to avoid unnecessary operations
Use appropriate resize flags - Consider using ! to force exact dimensions or ^ for minimum dimensions
Common Patterns
PowerShell Patterns
Pattern: Store ImageMagick Path
$magick = (Get-Command magick).Source
Pattern: Get Dimensions as Variables
$dimensions = & $magick identify -format "%w,%h" $_.FullName
$width,$height = $dimensions -split ','
Pattern: Conditional Processing
if ([int]$width -gt 1920) {
& $magick $_.FullName -resize 1920x1080 $outputPath
}
Pattern: Create Thumbnails
& $magick $_.FullName -resize 427x240 "thumbnails/thumb_$($_.Name)"
Bash Patterns
Pattern: Check ImageMagick Installation
command -v magick &> /dev/null || { echo "ImageMagick required"; exit 1; }
Pattern: Get Dimensions as Variables
dimensions=$(magick identify -format "%w,%h" "$img")
width=$(echo "$dimensions" | cut -d',' -f1)
height=$(echo "$dimensions" | cut -d',' -f2)
Pattern: Conditional Processing
if [[ "$width" -gt 1920 ]]; then
magick "$img" -resize 1920x1080 "$outputPath"
fi
Pattern: Create Thumbnails
filename=$(basename "$img")
magick "$img" -resize 427x240 "thumbnails/thumb_$filename"
Limitations
Large batch operations may be memory-intensive
Some complex operations may require additional ImageMagick delegates
On older Linux systems, use convert instead of magick (ImageMagick 6.x vs 7.x)don't have the plugin yet? install it then click "run inline in claude" again.