libvips

Libvips - image processing library with low memory needs

Wrapper score 15/100 · tests present · no docs generated

Wraps a native library — check OS Compatibility below for platform-specific linking notes.

Summary

Latest Version	0.1.1
License	MIT
CI Status	Failing
Downloads	0
Last Indexed	2026-09-04 07:26

Authors

George Lemon

Installation

nimble install libvips

choosenim install libvips

git clone https://github.com/openpeeps/libvips-nim

OS Compatibility

Platform	Linux	macOS	Windows	FreeBSD	OpenBSD	NetBSD	Android	iOS	WASM	Embedded
libvips	✓	✓	✓	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Dependencies

Package	Version	Optional
nim >=	2.0.0	No

Source

Repository	https://github.com/openpeeps/libvips-nim
Homepage	https://github.com/openpeeps/libvips-nim
Registry Source	nimble_official

README

Nim bindings for the libvips image processing library.
libvips is a fast image processing library with low memory needs.

nimble install libvips

API reference

A lightning fast image processing and resizing library for Nim

This package wraps the core functionality of libvips image processing library by exposing all image operations on first-class types in Nim language.

Libvips is generally 4-8x faster than other graphics processors such as GraphicsMagick and ImageMagick. Check the benchmark: Speed and Memory Use

The intent for this is to enable developers to build extremely fast image processors in Nim language, which is suited well for concurrent requests.

Getting Started

Resize and sharpen

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.resize(0.5).sharpen().save("output.jpg")

Create thumbnails

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let thumb = thumbnailFromFile("input.jpg", 300)
  thumb.save("thumb.jpg")

Thumbnails can also be created from buffers:

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let bytes = readFile("photo.jpg")
  let thumb = thumbnailFromBuffer(bytes, 300)
  thumb.save("thumb.jpg")

Rotate, crop, and apply filters

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let result = img.rotate(90).crop(100, 100, 400, 400).blur(2.0).invert()
  result.save("processed.jpg")

Smart crop

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.smartCrop(300, 300).save("smart.jpg")
  img.smartCrop(300, 300, VIPS_INTERESTING_ENTROPY).save("entropy.jpg")

Gravity crop

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.gravityCrop(400, 400, VIPS_COMPASS_DIRECTION_NORTH).save("north.jpg")
  img.gravityCrop(400, 400, VIPS_COMPASS_DIRECTION_SOUTH_EAST).save("se.jpg")

Colourspace conversion

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.toGrayscale().save("grey.jpg")
  img.toCMYK().save("cmyk.tif")
  img.toLAB().save("lab.tif")
  img.toHSV().save("hsv.tif")

Composite with blend modes

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let base = openImage("background.jpg")
  let overlay = openImage("overlay.png")
  base.blendOver(overlay).save("over.jpg")
  base.blendMultiply(overlay).save("multiply.jpg")
  base.blendScreen(overlay).save("screen.jpg")

Conditional composition (ifThenElse)

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let threshold = img.bandMean()
  let bright = img.linear1(1.2, 0)
  let dark = img.linear1(0.8, 0)
  let result = threshold.ifThenElse(bright, dark)
  result.save("adjusted.jpg")

Band recombination

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  # Convert to grayscale using perceptual weights
  let grey = img.recomb([
    [0.299, 0.587, 0.114],
    [0.299, 0.587, 0.114],
    [0.299, 0.587, 0.114]
  ])
  grey.save("grey_recomb.jpg")

Join images

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let left = openImage("left.jpg")
  let right = openImage("right.jpg")
  left.joinHorizontal(right).save("panorama.jpg")
  left.joinVertical(right).save("stacked.jpg")

Replicate (tile) an image

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let tile = openImage("tile.jpg")
  tile.replicate(4, 4).save("tiled.jpg")

Zoom and subsample

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.zoom(2, 2).save("zoomed.jpg")    # nearest-neighbor upscale
  img.subsample(2, 2).save("down.jpg") # nearest-neighbor downsample

Watermark with alignment

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("photo.jpg")
  let wm = openImage("watermark.png").resize(0.3)
  img.watermark(wm, VAlignBottom, HAlignRight).save("watermarked.jpg")

Embed with padding

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.embed(50, 50, 400, 400, VIPS_EXTEND_REPEAT).save("padded.jpg")
  img.embed(100, 50, 600, 400, VIPS_EXTEND_WHITE).save("white_pad.jpg")

Save to a specific format

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.savePNG("output.png")
  img.saveWebP("output.webp", quality=80)
  img.saveJPEG("output.jpg", quality=85)
  img.saveTIFF("output.tif")
  img.saveHEIF("output.heif", quality=60)
  img.saveJXL("output.jxl", quality=80)

Save as GIF

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.png")
  img.saveGIF("output.gif")

Load a GIF

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let gif = loadGIF("animation.gif")
  gif.save("frame.png")

Save to buffer

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let jpegBuf = img.saveJPEG(quality=90)
  let pngBuf = img.savePNG(compression=9)
  let webpBuf = img.saveWebP(quality=80)
  discard jpegBuf

Open in-memory buffers

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let bytes = readFile("input.jpg")
  let img = openBuffer(bytes)
  img.resize(0.5).save("output.jpg")

Analysis

Basic statistics

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  echo img.avg()         ## average pixel value
  echo img.min()         ## minimum pixel value
  echo img.max()         ## maximum pixel value
  echo img.deviate()     ## standard deviation

Detailed per-band statistics

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let s = img.stats()
  for band in s:
    echo "min=", band[0], " max=", band[1], " mean=", band[4]

Find trim bounds

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let (left, top, width, height) = img.findTrim()
  echo "content starts at (", left, ",", top, ") size ", width, "x", height

Get pixel value

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let pixel = img.getPoint(100, 200)
  echo "R=", pixel[0], " G=", pixel[1], " B=", pixel[2]

Histogram and equalisation

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.histogram().save("hist.jpg")
  let data = img.histogramData(bins=64)
  echo "bins: ", data.len
  let cum = img.cumulativeHistogram(bins=64)
  echo "cumulative: ", cum[^1]
  img.equalize().save("equalized.jpg")

Colour Analysis

Dominant colours

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  let colors = img.dominantColors(count=5, accuracy=10)
  for c in colors:
    echo "RGB(", c.r, ", ", c.g, ", ", c.b, ") count=", c.count

Colour difference (Delta E)

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img1 = openImage("photo1.jpg")
  let img2 = openImage("photo2.jpg")
  echo "dE76: ", img1.deltaE(img2, dE76)
  echo "dE00: ", img1.deltaE(img2, dE00)
  echo "dECMC: ", img1.deltaE(img2, dECMC)

Edge Detection

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.sobel().scale().castUchar().save("sobel.jpg")
  img.scharr().scale().castUchar().save("scharr.jpg")
  img.prewitt().scale().castUchar().save("prewitt.jpg")
  img.canny().scale().castUchar().save("canny.jpg")

Gamma correction

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.gamma(2.2).save("gamma_22.jpg")
  img.gamma(0.5).save("bright.jpg")

Metadata

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("photo.jpg")
  echo img.getMetadata("image-description")
  echo img.getMetadataInt("orientation")
  img.setMetadata("image-description", "My photo")

Strip metadata

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let img = openImage("photo.jpg")
  img.stripMetadata().save("clean.jpg")

Cache and Performance Tuning

import libvips/api

initVips:
  setConcurrency(8)
  setCache(maxImages=100, maxMemory=50_000_000)
  echo "threads: ", getConcurrency()

Accelerated mode

import libvips/api

init_vips_accelerated(4):
  let img = openImage("input.jpg")
  img.resize(0.5).save("output.jpg")

Method chaining

All operations return a new Image, so you can chain them fluently:

import libvips/api

initVips:
  let result = openImage("input.jpg")
    .resize(800)
    .sharpen()
    .gamma(2.2)
    .toSRGB()
  result.save("final.jpg")

Contributions & Support

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