---
title: "Image Processing"
description: "Image Page resources can be resized and cropped."
date: 2018-01-24T13:10:00-05:00
lastmod: 2018-01-26T15:59:07-05:00
linktitle: "Image Processing"
categories: ["content management"]
keywords: [bundle,content,resources,images]
weight: 4004
draft: false
toc: true
menu:
  docs:
    parent: "content-management"
    weight: 32
---

## The Image Page Resource

The `image` is a [Page Resource]({{< relref "content-management/page-resources" >}}), and the processing methods listed below does not work on images inside your `/static` folder.


To get all images in a [Page Bundle]({{< relref "content-management/organization#page-bundles" >}}):


```go-html-template
{{ with .Resources.ByType "image" }}
{{ end }}

```

## Image Processing Methods


The `image` resource implements the methods `Resize`, `Fit` and `Fill`, each returning the transformed image using the specified dimensions and processing options.

Resize
: Resizes the image to the specified width and height.

```go
// Resize to a width of 600px and preserve ratio
{{ $image := $resource.Resize "600x" }} 

// Resize to a height of 400px and preserve ratio
{{ $image := $resource.Resize "x400" }} 

// Resize to a width 600px and a height of 400px
{{ $image := $resource.Resize "600x400" }}
```

Fit
: Scale down the image to fit the given dimensions while maintaining aspect ratio. Both height and width are required.

```go
{{ $image := $resource.Fit "600x400" }} 
```

Fill
: Resize and crop the image to match the given dimensions. Both height and width are required.

```go
{{ $image := $resource.Fill "600x400" }} 
```


{{% note %}}
Image operations in Hugo currently **do not preserve EXIF data** as this is not supported by Go's [image package](https://github.com/golang/go/search?q=exif&type=Issues&utf8=%E2%9C%93). This will be improved on in the future.
{{% /note %}}


## Image Processing Options

In addition to the dimensions (e.g. `600x400`), Hugo supports a set of additional image options.


JPEG Quality
: Only relevant for JPEG images, values 1 to 100 inclusive, higher is better. Default is 75.

```go
{{ $image.Resize "600x q50" }}
```

Rotate
: Rotates an image by the given angle counter-clockwise. The rotation will be performed first to get the dimensions correct. The main use of this is to be able to manually correct for [EXIF orientation](https://github.com/golang/go/issues/4341) of JPEG images.

```go
{{ $image.Resize "600x r90" }}
```

Anchor
: Only relevant for the `Fill` method. This is useful for thumbnail generation where the main motive is located in, say, the left corner. 
Valid are `Center`, `TopLeft`, `Top`, `TopRight`, `Left`, `Right`, `BottomLeft`, `Bottom`, `BottomRight`.

```go
{{ $image.Fill "300x200 BottomLeft" }}
```

Resample Filter
: Filter used in resizing. Default is `Box`, a simple and fast resampling filter appropriate for downscaling. 

Examples are: `Box`, `NearestNeighbor`, `Linear`, `Gaussian`.

See https://github.com/disintegration/imaging for more. If you want to trade quality for faster processing, this may be a option to test. 

```go
{{ $image.Resize "600x400 Gaussian" }}
```

## Image Processing Examples

_The photo of the sunset used in the examples below is Copyright [Bjørn Erik Pedersen](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bep) (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license)_


{{< imgproc sunset Resize "300x" />}}

{{< imgproc sunset Fill "90x120 left" />}}

{{< imgproc sunset Fill "90x120 right" />}}

{{< imgproc sunset Fit "90x90" />}}

{{< imgproc sunset Resize "300x q10" />}}


This is the shortcode used in the examples above:


{{< code file="layouts/shortcodes/imgproc.html" >}}
{{< readfile file="layouts/shortcodes/imgproc.html" >}}   
{{< /code >}}

And it is used like this:

```go-html-template
{{</* imgproc sunset Resize "300x" /*/>}}
```


{{% note %}}
**Tip:** Note the self-closing shortcode syntax above. The `imgproc` shortcode can be called both with and without **inner content**.
{{% /note %}}

## Image Processing Config

You can configure an `imaging` section in `config.toml` with default image processing options:

```toml
[imaging]
# Default resample filter used for resizing. Default is Box,
# a simple and fast averaging filter appropriate for downscaling.
# See https://github.com/disintegration/imaging
resampleFilter = "box"

# Defatult JPEG quality setting. Default is 75.
quality = 75

# Anchor used when cropping pictures.
# Default is "smart" which does Smart Cropping, using https://github.com/muesli/smartcrop
# Smart Cropping is content aware and tries to find the best crop for each image.
# Valid values are Smart, Center, TopLeft, Top, TopRight, Left, Right, BottomLeft, Bottom, BottomRight
anchor = "smart"

```

All of the above settings can also be set per image procecssing.

## Smart Cropping of Images

By default, Hugo will use the [Smartcrop](https://github.com/muesli/smartcrop), a library created by [muesli](https://github.com/muesli), when cropping images with `.Fill`. You can set the anchor point manually, but in most cases the smart option will make a good choice. And we will work with the library author to improve this in the future.

An example using the sunset image from above:


{{< imgproc sunset Fill "200x200 smart" />}}


## Image Processing Performance Consideration

Processed images are stored below `<project-dir>/resources` (can be set with `resourceDir` config setting). This folder is deliberately placed in the project, as it is recommended to check these into source control as part of the project. These images are not "Hugo fast" to generate, but once generated they can be reused.

If you change your image settings (e.g. size), remove or rename images etc., you will end up with unused images taking up space and cluttering your project. 

To clean up, run:

```bash
hugo --gc
```


{{% note %}}
**GC** is short for **Garbage Collection**.
{{% /note %}}



