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224 <h1>ImageMagick Import Command-line Tool</h1>
225 <p class="navigation-index">[<a href="import.html#usage">Example Usage</a> • <a href="import.html#options">Option Summary</a>]</p>
227 <div class="doc-section">
228 <p>Use the <code>import</code> program to capture some or all of an X server screen and save the image to a file. See <a href="command-line-processing.html">Command Line Processing</a> for advice on how to structure your <code>import</code> command or see below for example usages of the command.</p>
231 <h2><a id="usage"></a>Example Usage</h2>
232 <div class="doc-section">
234 <p>We list a few examples of the <code>import</code> command here to illustrate its usefulness and ease of use. To get started, lets import an image in the JPEG format:</p>
236 <p class='crt'><span class="crtprompt"> $magick> </span><span class='crtin'>import rose.jpg</span></p>
237 <p>To capture the entire X server screen in the Postscript image format:</p>
239 <p class='crt'><span class="crtprompt"> $magick> </span><span class='crtin'>import -window root screen.ps</span></p>
240 <p>You can find additional examples of using <code>import</code> in <a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-graf/?ca=dnt-428">Graphics from the Command Line</a>. Further discussion is available in <a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/library/l-graf2/?ca=dgr-lnxw15GraphicsLine">More Graphics from the Command Line</a> and <a href="http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/">Examples of ImageMagick Usage</a>.</p>
244 <h2><a id="options"></a>Option Summary</h2>
245 <div class="doc-section">
247 <p>The <code>import</code> command recognizes these options. Click on an option to get more details about how that option works.</p>
252 <th align="left">Option</th>
253 <th align="left">Description</th>
257 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#adjoin">-adjoin</a></td>
258 <td valign="top">join images into a single multi-image file</td>
262 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#annotate">-annotate <em class="option">geometry text</em></a></td>
263 <td valign="top">annotate the image with text</td>
267 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#border">-border</a></td>
268 <td valign="top">include window border in the output image</td>
272 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#channel">-channel <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
273 <td valign="top">apply option to select image channels</td>
277 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#colors">-colors <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
278 <td valign="top">preferred number of colors in the image</td>
282 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#colorspace">-colorspace <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
283 <td valign="top">set image colorspace</td>
287 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#comment">-comment <em class="option">string</em></a></td>
288 <td valign="top">annotate image with comment</td>
292 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#compress">-compress <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
293 <td valign="top">image compression type</td>
297 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#contrast">-contrast</a></td>
298 <td valign="top">enhance or reduce the image contrast</td>
302 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#crop">-crop <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
303 <td valign="top">preferred size and location of the cropped image</td>
307 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#debug">-debug <em class="option">events</em></a></td>
308 <td valign="top">import copious debugging information</td>
312 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#define">-define <em class="option">format:option</em></a></td>
313 <td valign="top">define one or more image format options</td>
317 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#delay">-delay <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
318 <td valign="top">import the next image after pausing</td>
322 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#density">-density <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
323 <td valign="top">horizontal and vertical density of the image</td>
327 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#depth">-depth <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
328 <td valign="top">image depth</td>
332 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#despeckle">-descend</a></td>
333 <td valign="top">obtain image by descending window hierarchy</td>
337 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#display">-display <em class="option">server</em></a></td>
338 <td valign="top">get image or font from this X server</td>
342 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#dispose">-dispose <em class="option">method</em></a></td>
343 <td valign="top">layer disposal method</td>
347 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#dither">-dither <em class="option">method</em></a></td>
348 <td valign="top">apply error diffusion to image</td>
352 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#encipher">-encipher <em class="option">filename</em></a></td>
353 <td valign="top">convert plain pixels to cipher pixels</td>
357 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#encoding">-encoding <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
358 <td valign="top">text encoding type</td>
362 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#endian">-endian <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
363 <td valign="top">endianness (MSB or LSB) of the image</td>
367 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#filter">-filter <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
368 <td valign="top">use this filter when resizing an image</td>
372 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#frame">-frame</a></td>
373 <td valign="top">include window manager frame</td>
377 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#geometry">-geometry <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
378 <td valign="top">preferred size or location of the image</td>
382 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#gravity">-gravity <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
383 <td valign="top">horizontal and vertical text placement</td>
387 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#help">-help</a></td>
388 <td valign="top">print program options</td>
392 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#identify">-identify</a></td>
393 <td valign="top">identify the format and characteristics of the image</td>
397 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#interlace">-interlace <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
398 <td valign="top">type of image interlacing scheme</td>
402 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#interpolate">-interpolate <em class="option">method</em></a></td>
403 <td valign="top">pixel color interpolation method</td>
407 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#label">-label <em class="option">name</em></a></td>
408 <td valign="top">assign a label to an image</td>
412 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#limit">-limit <em class="option">type value</em></a></td>
413 <td valign="top">pixel cache resource limit</td>
417 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#log">-log <em class="option">format</em></a></td>
418 <td valign="top">format of debugging information</td>
422 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#monitor">-monitor</a></td>
423 <td valign="top">monitor progress</td>
427 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#monochrome">-monochrome</a></td>
428 <td valign="top">transform image to black and white</td>
432 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#negate">-negate</a></td>
433 <td valign="top">replace each pixel with its complementary color </td>
437 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#page">-page <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
438 <td valign="top">size and location of an image canvas (setting)</td>
442 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#pause">-pause <em class="option">seconds</em></a></td>
443 <td valign="top">seconds delay between snapshots</td>
447 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#quality">-quality <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
448 <td valign="top">JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level</td>
452 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#quantize">-quantize <em class="option">colorspace</em></a></td>
453 <td valign="top">reduce image colors in this colorspace</td>
457 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#quiet">-quiet</a></td>
458 <td valign="top">suppress all warning messages</td>
462 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#quiet">-quiet</a></td>
463 <td valign="top">suppress all warning messages</td>
467 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#regard-warnings">-regard-warnings</a></td>
468 <td valign="top">pay attention to warning messages.</td>
472 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#repage">-repage <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
473 <td valign="top">size and location of an image canvas</td>
477 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#resize">-resize <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
478 <td valign="top">resize the image</td>
482 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#respect-parentheses">-respect-parentheses</a></td>
483 <td valign="top">settings remain in effect until parenthesis boundary.</td>
487 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#rotate">-rotate <em class="option">degrees</em></a></td>
488 <td valign="top">apply Paeth rotation to the image</td>
492 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#sampling-factor">-sampling-factor <em class="option">geometry</em></a></td>
493 <td valign="top">horizontal and vertical sampling factor</td>
497 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#scene">-scene <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
498 <td valign="top">image scene number</td>
502 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#screen">-screen</a></td>
503 <td valign="top">select image from root window</td>
507 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#seed">-seed <em class="option">value</em></a></td>
508 <td valign="top">seed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbers</td>
512 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#set">-set <em class="option">attribute value</em></a></td>
513 <td valign="top">set an image attribute</td>
517 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#sharpen">-silent</a></td>
518 <td valign="top">operate silently, i.e. don't ring any bells</td>
522 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#strip">-strip</a></td>
523 <td valign="top">strip image of all profiles and comments</td>
527 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#synchronize">-synchronize</a></td>
528 <td valign="top">synchronize image to storage device</td>
532 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#taint">-taint</a></td>
533 <td valign="top">mark the image as modified</td>
537 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#transparent-color">-transparent-color <em class="option">color</em></a></td>
538 <td valign="top">transparent color</td>
542 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#trim">-trim</a></td>
543 <td valign="top">trim image edges</td>
547 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#update">-type <em class="option">type</em></a></td>
548 <td valign="top">image type</td>
552 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#verbose">-verbose</a></td>
553 <td valign="top">print detailed information about the image</td>
557 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#version">-version</a></td>
558 <td valign="top">print version information</td>
562 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#virtual-pixel">-virtual-pixel <em class="option">method</em></a></td>
563 <td valign="top">access method for pixels outside the boundaries of the image</td>
567 <td valign="top"><a href="command-line-options.html#write">-window <em class="option">id</em></a></td>
568 <td valign="top">select window with this id or name</td>
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