Less is More

Anyone processing images automatically in batch mode needs lean, easy-to-use tools. The program of choice is usually convert from the ImageMagick suite [1]; however, this program has some drawbacks. In particular, convert does not necessarily impress with its stability. This is not typically a major issue, but in case of complex command lines, you might see the program calls abort with a (mostly incomprehensible) error message and produce incorrect results, or even none at all.

In fact, even composing a command line for convert proves to be a task that should not be underestimated: The program supports no fewer than 300 different options that often exhibit strange syntax. Many options serve very specific tasks and require experience and a great deal of background knowledge on the part of the user – for example, do you know offhand what calling convert … -resize 200\>x300^ … would give you?

Many users also complain about the lack of effectiveness of the ImageMagick tools. The programs are not especially quick, nor do they deliver particularly brilliant results – in part because of the massive functional diversity, which is often not needed.

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