OS Manuals

/usr/bin/composite

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

From imagemagick-7 7.1.2.35-r0 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running composite --help (exit 1). permalink

Also provided by 1 other package version
Version: ImageMagick 7.1.2-35 Q16-HDRI x86_64 acaf7e418:20261031 https://imagemagick.org
Copyright: (C) 1999 ImageMagick Studio LLC
License: https://imagemagick.org/license/
Features: Cipher DPC HDRI OpenMP
Delegates (built-in): bzlib fontconfig freetype heic jng jp2 jpeg lcms lzma pangocairo png tiff webp x xml zlib zstd
Compiler: gcc (16.2)
Usage: composite [options ...] image [options ...] composite
  [ [options ...] mask ] [options ...] composite

Image Settings:
  -affine matrix       affine transform matrix
  -alpha option        on, activate, off, deactivate, set, opaque, copy
                       transparent, extract, background, or shape
  -authenticate password
                       decipher image with this password
  -blue-primary point  chromaticity blue primary point
  -colorspace type     alternate image colorspace
  -comment string      annotate image with comment
  -compose operator    composite operator
  -compress type       type of pixel compression when writing the image
  -define format:option
                       define one or more image format options
  -depth value         image depth
  -density geometry    horizontal and vertical density of the image
  -display server      get image or font from this X server
  -dispose method      layer disposal method
  -dither method       apply error diffusion to image
  -encoding type       text encoding type
  -endian type         endianness (MSB or LSB) of the image
  -filter type         use this filter when resizing an image
  -font name           render text with this font
  -format "string"     output formatted image characteristics
  -gravity type        which direction to gravitate towards
  -green-primary point chromaticity green primary point
  -interlace type      type of image interlacing scheme
  -interpolate method  pixel color interpolation method
  -label string        assign a label to an image
  -limit type value    pixel cache resource limit
  -matte               store matte channel if the image has one
  -monitor             monitor progress
  -page geometry       size and location of an image canvas (setting)
  -pointsize value     font point size
  -quality value       JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level
  -quiet               suppress all warning messages
  -red-primary point   chromaticity red primary point
  -regard-warnings     pay attention to warning messages
  -respect-parentheses settings remain in effect until parenthesis boundary
  -sampling-factor geometry
                       horizontal and vertical sampling factor
  -scene value         image scene number
  -seed value          seed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbers
  -size geometry       width and height of image
  -support factor      resize support: > 1.0 is blurry, < 1.0 is sharp
  -synchronize         synchronize image to storage device
  -taint               declare the image as modified
  -transparent-color color
                       transparent color
  -treedepth value     color tree depth
  -tile                repeat composite operation across and down image
  -units type          the units of image resolution
  -verbose             print detailed information about the image
  -virtual-pixel method
                       virtual pixel access method
  -white-point point   chromaticity white point

Image Operators:
  -blend geometry      blend images
  -border geometry     surround image with a border of color
  -bordercolor color   border color
  -channel mask        set the image channel mask
  -colors value        preferred number of colors in the image
  -decipher filename    convert cipher pixels to plain pixels
  -displace geometry   shift lookup according to a relative displacement map
  -dissolve value      dissolve the two images a given percent
  -distort geometry    shift lookup according to a absolute distortion map
  -encipher filename   convert plain pixels to cipher pixels
  -extract geometry    extract area from image
  -geometry geometry   location of the composite image
  -identify            identify the format and characteristics of composite: missing required argument  @ error/composite.c/CompositeImageCommand/494.
the image
  -monochrome          transform image to black and white
  -negate              replace every pixel with its complementary color
  -profile filename    add ICM or IPTC information profile to image
  -quantize colorspace reduce colors in this colorspace
  -repage geometry     size and location of an image canvas (operator)
  -rotate degrees      apply Paeth rotation to the image
  -resize geometry     resize the image
  -sharpen geometry    sharpen the image
  -shave geometry      shave pixels from the image edges
  -stegano offset      hide watermark within an image
  -stereo geometry     combine two image to create a stereo anaglyph
  -strip               strip image of all profiles and comments
  -thumbnail geometry  create a thumbnail of the image
  -transform           affine transform image
  -type type           image type
  -unsharp geometry    sharpen the image
  -watermark geometry  percent brightness and saturation of a watermark
  -write filename      write images to this file

Image Stack Operators:
  -swap indexes        swap two images in 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
  -version             print version 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 (82)
OptionDescriptionSource
-affine matrixaffine transform matrixhelp
-alpha optionon, activate, off, deactivate, set, opaque, copy transparent, extract, background, or shapehelp
-authenticate passworddecipher image with this passwordhelp
-blue-primary pointchromaticity blue primary pointhelp
-colorspace typealternate image colorspacehelp
-comment stringannotate image with commenthelp
-compose operatorcomposite operatorhelp
-compress typetype of pixel compression when writing the imagehelp
-define format:optiondefine one or more image format optionshelp
-depth valueimage depthhelp
-density geometryhorizontal and vertical density of the imagehelp
-display serverget image or font from this X serverhelp
-dispose methodlayer disposal methodhelp
-dither methodapply error diffusion to imagehelp
-encoding typetext encoding typehelp
-endian typeendianness (MSB or LSB) of the imagehelp
-filter typeuse this filter when resizing an imagehelp
-font namerender text with this fonthelp
-format "string"output formatted image characteristicshelp
-gravity typewhich direction to gravitate towardshelp
-interlace typetype of image interlacing schemehelp
-interpolate methodpixel color interpolation methodhelp
-label stringassign a label to an imagehelp
-limit typepixel cache resource limithelp
-mattestore matte channel if the image has onehelp
-monitormonitor progresshelp
-page geometrysize and location of an image canvas (setting)help
-pointsize valuefont point sizehelp
-quality valueJPEG/MIFF/PNG compression levelhelp
-quietsuppress all warning messageshelp
-red-primary pointchromaticity red primary pointhelp
-regard-warningspay attention to warning messageshelp
-sampling-factor geometryhorizontal and vertical sampling factorhelp
-scene valueimage scene numberhelp
-seed valueseed a new sequence of pseudo-random numbershelp
-size geometrywidth and height of imagehelp
-support factorresize support: > 1.0 is blurry, < 1.0 is sharphelp
-synchronizesynchronize image to storage devicehelp
-taintdeclare the image as modifiedhelp
-transparent-color colortransparent colorhelp
-treedepth valuecolor tree depthhelp
-tilerepeat composite operation across and down imagehelp
-units typethe units of image resolutionhelp
-verboseprint detailed information about the imagehelp
-virtual-pixel methodvirtual pixel access methodhelp
-white-point pointchromaticity white pointhelp
-blend geometryblend imageshelp
-border geometrysurround image with a border of colorhelp
-bordercolor colorborder colorhelp
-channel maskset the image channel maskhelp
-colors valuepreferred number of colors in the imagehelp
-decipher filenameconvert cipher pixels to plain pixelshelp
-displace geometryshift lookup according to a relative displacement maphelp
-dissolve valuedissolve the two images a given percenthelp
-distort geometryshift lookup according to a absolute distortion maphelp
-encipher filenameconvert plain pixels to cipher pixelshelp
-extract geometryextract area from imagehelp
-geometry geometrylocation of the composite imagehelp
-identifyidentify the format and characteristics of composite: missing required argument @ error/composite.c/CompositeImageCommand/494.help
-monochrometransform image to black and whitehelp
-negatereplace every pixel with its complementary colorhelp
-profile filenameadd ICM or IPTC information profile to imagehelp
-repage geometrysize and location of an image canvas (operator)help
-rotate degreesapply Paeth rotation to the imagehelp
-resize geometryresize the imagehelp
-sharpen geometrysharpen the imagehelp
-shave geometryshave pixels from the image edgeshelp
-stegano offsethide watermark within an imagehelp
-stereo geometrycombine two image to create a stereo anaglyphhelp
-stripstrip image of all profiles and commentshelp
-thumbnail geometrycreate a thumbnail of the imagehelp
-transformaffine transform imagehelp
-type typeimage typehelp
-unsharp geometrysharpen the imagehelp
-watermark geometrypercent brightness and saturation of a watermarkhelp
-write filenamewrite images to this filehelp
-swap indexesswap two images in the image sequencehelp
-debug eventsdisplay copious debugging informationhelp
-helpprint program optionshelp
-list typeprint a list of supported option argumentshelp
-log formatformat of debugging informationhelp
-versionprint version 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.