Example UsageOption Summary

Use the import program to capture some or all of an X server screen and save the image to a file. 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 in the JPEG format:


import rose.jpg

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


import -window root screen.ps

You can find additional examples of using import in Graphics from the Command Line. Further discussion is available in More Graphics from the Command Line and .

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 value 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