identify.im6
Identify image file characteristics and format
SYNOPSIS
identify [options] file [file ...]
PARAMETERS
-verbose
Display detailed image information.
-format
Specify the output format. Use percent escapes to customize output.
-ping
Efficiently determine image attributes without loading the entire image into memory.
-regard-warnings
Pay attention to warning messages.
-quiet
Suppress all warning messages.
file
The image file(s) to identify.
DESCRIPTION
The `identify` command, part of the ImageMagick suite, is a versatile tool for obtaining detailed information about image files. It analyzes image files and reports on various attributes, including format, dimensions, color space, bit depth, resolution, and file size. This allows users to quickly understand the characteristics of an image without needing to open it in a dedicated image editor. The command can process multiple images at once, providing summaries for each. It's commonly used in scripting for automated image processing tasks, such as validation, format conversion, and optimization. ImageMagick is a powerful suite of tools which support a large variety of formats. `identify` is an essential part of it to inspect images before further modifications are applied. The level of verbosity can be controlled to obtain more specific data if needed.
CAVEATS
The exact output and supported options can vary slightly depending on the version of ImageMagick installed.
FORMAT STRINGS
The `-format` option allows extensive customization of the output. It uses percent escapes to represent different image attributes. For example, `%w` represents the image width, `%h` the height, `%f` the filename, and `%m` the image format.
Example:
`identify -format '%wx%h %f' image.jpg`
would output something like `1024x768 image.jpg`.
COLOR MANAGEMENT
identify can report information about the color profile embedded in an image, allowing to debug possible color mismatches.
Example: identify -verbose image.jpg will display ICC profile data, if available.