ImageMagick: Legacy | Command-line Tools: Import
Description: ImageMagick is a powerful open-source software suite for creating, editing, converting, and manipulating images in over 200 formats. Ideal for developers, designers, and researchers.

# Screenshot Utility

Example Usage • Option Summary

Use the `import` program to capture some or all of an X server screen and save the image to a file. `import` captures the window selected by clicking or program argument. See Command Line Processing for advice on how to structure your `import` command or see below for example usages of the command.

## Example Usage

We list a few examples of the `import` command here to illustrate its usefulness and ease of use. To get started, lets import an image of an X11 window in the JPEG format:

    import rose.jpg

To select the area you want to capture, move the cursor to the desired window and click (or click and drag) the left mouse button. To cancel the capture, click the right mouse button.

To capture the entire X server screen in the Postscript image format:

    import -window root screen.ps

This command enables you to select a specific area on your screen and copy the selection to your clipboard. You can use this feature to conveniently post images on applications that support image uploading:

    import clipboard:

You can find additional examples of using `import` in Examples of ImageMagick Usage.

## Option Summary

The `import` command recognizes these options. Click on an option to get more details about how that option works.

Option | Description
--- | ---
-adjoin | join images into a single multi-image file
-annotate geometry text | annotate the image with text
-border | include window border in the output image
-channel type | apply option to select image channels
-colors value | preferred number of colors in the image
-colorspace type | set image colorspace
-comment string | annotate image with comment
-compress type | image compression type
-contrast | enhance or reduce the image contrast
-crop geometry | preferred size and location of the cropped image
-debug events | import copious debugging information
-define format:option | define one or more image format options
-delay centiseconds | import the next image after pausing
-density geometry | horizontal and vertical density of the image
-depth value | image depth
-descend | obtain image by descending window hierarchy
-display server | get image or font from this X server
-dispose method | layer disposal method
-dither method | apply error diffusion to image
-encipher filename | convert plain pixels to cipher pixels
-encoding type | text encoding type
-endian type | endianness (MSB or LSB) of the image
-filter type | use this filter when resizing an image
-frame | include window manager frame
-geometry geometry | preferred size or location of the image
-gravity type | horizontal and vertical text placement
-help | print program options
-identify | identify the format and characteristics of the image
-interlace type | type of image interlacing scheme
-interpolate method | pixel color interpolation method
-label name | assign a label to an image
-limit type value | pixel cache resource limit
-log format | format of debugging information
-monitor | monitor progress
-monochrome | transform image to black and white
-negate | replace each pixel with its complementary color
-page geometry | size and location of an image canvas (setting)
-pause seconds | seconds delay between snapshots
-quality value | JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level
-quantize colorspace | reduce image colors in this colorspace
-quiet | suppress all warning messages
-quiet | suppress all warning messages
-regard-warnings | pay attention to warning messages.
-repage geometry | size and location of an image canvas
-resize geometry | resize the image
-respect-parentheses | settings remain in effect until parenthesis boundary.
-rotate degrees | apply Paeth rotation to the image
-sampling-factor geometry | horizontal and vertical sampling factor
-scene value | image scene number
-screen | select image from root window
-seed value | seed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbers
-set attribute value | set an image attribute
-silent | operate silently, i.e. don't ring any bells
-strip | strip image of all profiles and comments
-synchronize | synchronize image to storage device
-taint | mark the image as modified
-transparent-color color | transparent color
-trim | trim image edges
-type type | image type
-verbose | print detailed information about the image
-version | print version information
-virtual-pixel method | access method for pixels outside the boundaries of the image
-window id | select window with this id or name

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