The Operator Ecosystem

ImageMagick's capabilities are vast. This section categorizes core "Magick" operators. The chart visualizes command distribution, balancing simple geometry tweaks with complex filters.

Command Distribution

Click chart slices to filter details on the right.

All Categories

Geometry & Resize

-resize-crop-extent-thumbnail-resample

Color & Channels

-colorspace-level-gamma-negate-alpha

Filters & Effects

-blur-sharpen-emboss-charcoal-noise

Layering & Composite

-composite-layers-flatten-mosaic

Draw & Text

-draw-annotate-font-fill-stroke

Operation Cost vs. Frequency

Not all operations are created equal. Some (like resize) are cheap and frequent. Others (like complex distort) need heavy processing. The scatter plot below maps common operations by Estimated CPU Cost vs Frequency.

High Freq, Low Cost

Basics like -resize, -crop, and format conversion. The bedrock of batch processing.

Mid Freq, Mid Cost

Filters like -blur, -sharpen, and -colorize. Often used for aesthetic adjustments.

Low Freq, High Cost

Advanced math like -distort, -fx (custom math), and -morphology.

Format Capabilities Radar

Choosing the right output format is critical. This radar chart compares key attributes of 5 common web-safe formats supported by ImageMagick: Compression, Alpha support, and Quality.

Anatomy of a Command

ImageMagick CLI structure is logical and strict. It reads from left to right. Interact with the command components below to understand their role in the pipeline.

$

Hover over code

Hover or click command parts above to see detailed explanation.

Why Order Matters

  • 1. Settings apply to subsequent operators.
  • 2. Images are loaded into memory in sequence.
  • 3. Operations modify the current image sequence immediately.