OS Manuals

/usr/bin/compare

ImageMagick® is a free and open-source software suite, used for editing and manipulating digital images.

From imagemagick-6 6.9.13.60-r0 (enterprise-packages), captured 2026-11-08 by running compare --help (exit 2). permalink

Version: ImageMagick 6.9.13-60 Q16 x86_64 77aa1f698:20261031 https://legacy.imagemagick.org
Copyright: (C) 1999 ImageMagick Studio LLC
License: https://imagemagick.org/license/
Features: Cipher DPC OpenMP
Delegates (built-in): bzlib fontconfig freetype jng jp2 jpeg lcms lzma pangocairo png tiff webp x xml zlib
Usage: compare [options ...] image reconstruct difference

Image Settings:
  -adjoin              join images into a single multi-image file
  -alpha option        on, activate, off, deactivate, set, opaque, copy
                       transparent, extract, background, or shape
  -authenticate password
                       decipher image with this password
  -background color    background color
  -channel type        apply option to select image channels
  -colorspace type     alternate image colorspace
  -compose operator    set image composite operator
  -compress type       type of pixel compression when writing the image
  -decipher filename   convert cipher pixels to plain pixels
  -define format:option
                       define one or more image format options
  -density geometry    horizontal and vertical density of the image
  -depth value         image depth
  -dissimilarity-threshold value
                       maximum distortion for (sub)image match
  -encipher filename   convert plain pixels to cipher pixels
  -extract geometry    extract area from image
  -format "string"     output formatted image characteristics
  -fuzz distance       colors within this distance are considered equal
  -gravity type        horizontal and vertical text placement
  -highlight-color color
                       emphasize pixel differences with this color
  -identify            identify the format and characteristics of the image
  -interlace type      type of image interlacing scheme
  -limit type value    pixel cache resource limit
  -lowlight-color color
                       de-emphasize pixel differences with this color
  -mask filename       associate a mask with the image
  -metric type         measure differences between images with this metric
  -monitor             monitor progress
  -passphrase filename get the passphrase from this file
  -precision value     maximum number of significant digits to print
  -profile filename    add, delete, or apply an image profile
  -quality value       JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level
  -quiet               suppress all warning messages
  -quantize colorspace reduce colors in this colorspace
  -regard-warnings     pay attention to warning messages
  -repage geometry     size and location of an image canvas
  -respect-parentheses settings remain in effect until parenthesis boundary
  -sampling-factor geometry
                       horizontal and vertical sampling factor
  -seed value          seed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbers
  -set attribute value set an image attribute
  -quality value       JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level
  -similarity-threshold value
                       minimum distortion for (sub)image match
  -size geometry       width and height of image
  -subimage-search     search for subimage
  -synchronize         synchronize image to storage device
  -taint               declare the image as modified
  -transparent-color color
                       transparent color
  -type type           image type
  -verbose             print detailed information about the image
  -version             print version information
  -virtual-pixel method
                       virtual pixel access method

Image Operators:
  -brightness-contrast geometry
                       improve brightness / contrast of the image
  -distort method args
                       distort images according to given method and args
  -level value         adjust the level of image contrast
  -resize geometry     resize the image
  -rotate degrees      apply Paeth rotation to the image
  -sigmoidal-contrast geometry
                       increase the contrast without saturating highlights or
  -trim                trim image edges

Image Sequence Operators:
  -crop geometry     compare: missing required argument  @ error/compare.c/CompareImageCommand/306.
  cut out a rectangular region of the image
  -separate            separate an image channel into a grayscale image
  -write filename      write images to this file

Image Stack Operators:
  -delete indexes      delete the image from the image sequence

Miscellaneous Options:
  -debug events        display copious debugging information
  -help                print program options
  -list type           print a list of supported option arguments
  -log format          format of debugging information

By default, the image format of `file' is determined by its magic
number.  To specify a particular image format, precede the filename
with an image format name and a colon (i.e. ps:image) or specify the
image type as the filename suffix (i.e. image.ps).  Specify 'file' as
'-' for standard input or output.
Options (58)
OptionDescriptionSource
-adjoinjoin images into a single multi-image filehelp
-alpha optionon, activate, off, deactivate, set, opaque, copy transparent, extract, background, or shapehelp
-authenticate passworddecipher image with this passwordhelp
-background colorbackground colorhelp
-channel typeapply option to select image channelshelp
-colorspace typealternate image colorspacehelp
-compose operatorset image composite operatorhelp
-compress typetype of pixel compression when writing the imagehelp
-decipher filenameconvert cipher pixels to plain pixelshelp
-define format:optiondefine one or more image format optionshelp
-density geometryhorizontal and vertical density of the imagehelp
-depth valueimage depthhelp
-dissimilarity-threshold valuemaximum distortion for (sub)image matchhelp
-encipher filenameconvert plain pixels to cipher pixelshelp
-extract geometryextract area from imagehelp
-format "string"output formatted image characteristicshelp
-fuzz distancecolors within this distance are considered equalhelp
-gravity typehorizontal and vertical text placementhelp
-highlight-color coloremphasize pixel differences with this colorhelp
-identifyidentify the format and characteristics of the imagehelp
-interlace typetype of image interlacing schemehelp
-limit typepixel cache resource limithelp
-lowlight-color colorde-emphasize pixel differences with this colorhelp
-mask filenameassociate a mask with the imagehelp
-metric typemeasure differences between images with this metrichelp
-monitormonitor progresshelp
-precision valuemaximum number of significant digits to printhelp
-profile filenameadd, delete, or apply an image profilehelp
-quality valueJPEG/MIFF/PNG compression levelhelp
-quietsuppress all warning messageshelp
-regard-warningspay attention to warning messageshelp
-repage geometrysize and location of an image canvashelp
-sampling-factor geometryhorizontal and vertical sampling factorhelp
-seed valueseed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbershelp
-similarity-threshold valueminimum distortion for (sub)image matchhelp
-size geometrywidth and height of imagehelp
-subimage-searchsearch for subimagehelp
-synchronizesynchronize image to storage devicehelp
-taintdeclare the image as modifiedhelp
-transparent-color colortransparent colorhelp
-type typeimage typehelp
-verboseprint detailed information about the imagehelp
-versionprint version informationhelp
-virtual-pixel methodvirtual pixel access methodhelp
-brightness-contrast geometryimprove brightness / contrast of the imagehelp
-level valueadjust the level of image contrasthelp
-resize geometryresize the imagehelp
-rotate degreesapply Paeth rotation to the imagehelp
-sigmoidal-contrast geometryincrease the contrast without saturating highlights orhelp
-trimtrim image edgeshelp
-crop geometrycompare: missing required argument @ error/compare.c/CompareImageCommand/306.help
-separateseparate an image channel into a grayscale imagehelp
-write filenamewrite images to this filehelp
-delete indexesdelete the image from the image sequencehelp
-debug eventsdisplay copious debugging informationhelp
-helpprint program optionshelp
-list typeprint a list of supported option argumentshelp
-log formatformat of debugging informationhelp

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.