High quality image resizing

Hi,

I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.

Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()

However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with PHP4 and GD lib
2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was also
going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written Bicubical
algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.

My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much better when
using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough for my
designers.

Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily usage
of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows library.
Using a commercial package would be completely fine for me, however I
just haven't found anything, thus this message.

Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.

thanks for any hints,
- Markus

I'd be surprised if Imagemagick won't do the job. It has a terrific amount of
tools; but there is a bit of a learning curve.

Suggest visiting the IM forums and asking for help.

Also, try resizing some images here
http://studio.webbyland.com/MagickSt...gickStudio.cgi

I use php exec() for my work.

Markus Fischer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
>
> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
>
> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with PHP4 and GD lib
> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was also
> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written Bicubical
> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
>
> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much better when
> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough for my
> designers.
>
> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily usage
> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows library.
> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for me, however I
> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
>
> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.
>
> thanks for any hints,
> - Markus

Hi,

Al wrote:
> Suggest visiting the IM forums and asking for help.
>
> Also, try resizing some images here
> http://studio.webbyland.com/MagickSt...gickStudio.cgi

thanks for the hints, I'll give them a try.

> I use php exec() for my work.

Same here. I know there are PHP libraries out there, but I think for the
end-product it shouldn't matter.

- Markus

On Fri, March 23, 2007 10:57 am, Markus Fischer wrote:
> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
>
> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
>
> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with PHP4 and GD lib
> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was
> also
> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written Bicubical
> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
>
> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much better when
> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough for my
> designers.
>
> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily
> usage
> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows
> library.
> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for me, however I
> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
>
> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.

Perhaps you could run GIMP from the command line to get it to re-size...

You should also consider what quality setting you are using to dump
out the JPEG.

Maybe imagecopyresampled would have been fine if you cranked up the
JPEG output quality setting to a higher value...

You'll pay for it in filesize, though.

--
Some people have a "gift" link here.
Know what I want?
I want you to buy a CD from some indie artist.
http://cdbaby.com/browse/from/lynch
Yeah, I get a buck. So?

Richard Lynch wrote:
> Perhaps you could run GIMP from the command line to get it to re-size...

Thanks .. very interesting idea. I'll see if I can make this feasable.
Having the server running without X may be problematic .. not
impossible, but probably hard.

> You should also consider what quality setting you are using to dump
> out the JPEG.
>
> Maybe imagecopyresampled would have been fine if you cranked up the
> JPEG output quality setting to a higher value...

For quality reference I was using the highest (=100) value which, as
described, didn't meet the expactations.

thanks,
- Markus

> On Fri, March 23, 2007 10:57 am, Markus Fischer wrote:
>> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
>> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
>>
>> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
>>
>> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
>> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with PHP4 and GD
>> lib
>> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was
>> also
>> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written
>> Bicubical
>> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
>>
>> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much better when
>> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough
>> for my
>> designers.
>>
>> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily
>> usage
>> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
>> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows
>> library.
>> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for me, however I
>> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
>>
>> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
>> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.
>

What are their expectations and what is the use for the final output?

Also, what are they saying is wrong with the files? (I'm guessing
they are to 'fuzzy', that's the main gripe I have with GD. But it
doesn't stop me from using it to resize images for a web page, unless
you're resizing large images with text down to a 'usable' size.)

Are they just being 'designers' and nothing is going to be good
enough but photoshop?

Maybe PHP/Unix isn't the way to go?

Ed

>
> > On Fri, March 23, 2007 10:57 am, Markus Fischer wrote:
> >> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
> >> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
> >>
> >> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
> >>
> >> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
> >> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with
> PHP4 and GD
> >> lib
> >> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was
> >> also
> >> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written
> >> Bicubical
> >> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
> >>
> >> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much
> better when
> >> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough
> >> for my
> >> designers.
> >>
> >> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily
> >> usage
> >> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
> >> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows
> >> library.
> >> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for
> me, however I
> >> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
> >>
> >> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
> >> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.
> >
>
> What are their expectations and what is the use for the final output?
>
> Also, what are they saying is wrong with the files? (I'm guessing
> they are to 'fuzzy', that's the main gripe I have with GD. But it
> doesn't stop me from using it to resize images for a web
> page, unless
> you're resizing large images with text down to a 'usable' size.)
>
> Are they just being 'designers' and nothing is going to be good
> enough but photoshop?
>
> Maybe PHP/Unix isn't the way to go?
>
> Ed
>

Yea.. Go mac if you want the best for pics :) and its still unix :))))

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7:44 AM

On Mar 23, 2007, at 8:32 PM, Jake McHenry wrote:

>>
>>> On Fri, March 23, 2007 10:57 am, Markus Fischer wrote:
>>>> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
>>>> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
>>>>
>>>> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
>>>>
>>>> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
>>>> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with
>> PHP4 and GD
>>>> lib
>>>> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was
>>>> also
>>>> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written
>>>> Bicubical
>>>> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
>>>>
>>>> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much
>> better when
>>>> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough
>>>> for my
>>>> designers.
>>>>
>>>> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily
>>>> usage
>>>> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
>>>> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows
>>>> library.
>>>> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for
>> me, however I
>>>> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
>>>>
>>>> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
>>>> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.
>>>
>>
>> What are their expectations and what is the use for the final output?
>>
>> Also, what are they saying is wrong with the files? (I'm guessing
>> they are to 'fuzzy', that's the main gripe I have with GD. But it
>> doesn't stop me from using it to resize images for a web
>> page, unless
>> you're resizing large images with text down to a 'usable' size.)
>>
>> Are they just being 'designers' and nothing is going to be good
>> enough but photoshop?
>>
>> Maybe PHP/Unix isn't the way to go?
>>
>> Ed
>>
>
> Yea.. Go mac if you want the best for pics :) and its still unix :))))
>

That's the only reason I'm on a mac... instead of linux like I'd
rather be.

If you don't *have* to be using php/unix, there are some nice hooks
into photoshop either through javascript, applescript or (at least
with ps7 years ago) vb.net. I've done some automation through that
before and had very good results resizing and archiving images for a
professional photo lab. Maybe a web service into a mac box with
photoshop? Really depends on what you're trying to do and what your
setup is.

Ed

Let's see an example of an image you'd like to resize and tell us what the new size should be.

Markus Fischer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm searching for a high quality image resizing facility to be used
> within PHP in an Unix/Linux environment.
>
> Probably everyone will now answer: imagecopyresampled()
>
> However, the quality of that functionality doesn't match the
> expectations of our designers. I've done my tests with PHP4 and GD lib
> 2.0.33 and everything produces with them got rejected so far. I was also
> going through the comments on php.net regarding self-written Bicubical
> algorithm functions, yet their outcome didn't match.
>
> My next step was to try ImageMagick. The quality is much better when
> using the 'mogrify' tool from this package, yet not good enough for my
> designers.
>
> Of course, their expectations are very high because of their daily usage
> of Photoshop. During my research I was running over
> http://resizr.lord-lance.com/ which uses an commercial Windows library.
> Using a commercial package would be completely fine for me, however I
> just haven't found anything, thus this message.
>
> Whether the tool is a PHP library or just an ordinary Unix command
> doesn't matter, as long as it is usable from within PHP.
>
> thanks for any hints,
> - Markus