---
name: "compare.im6"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "imagemagick"
version: "8:6.7.7.10-5+deb7u4"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/compare.im6"
---

# compare.im6(1)

mathematically and visually annotate the difference between an image and its reconstruction.

## NAME

compare - mathematically and visually annotate the difference between an image and its reconstruction.

## SYNOPSIS

- **compare** *input-file* *input-file* \[*options*\] *output-file*

  ## OVERVIEW

The **compare** program is a member of the [ImageMagick(1)](/ImageMagick/1.md) suite of tools.  Use it to mathematically and visually annotate the difference between an image and its reconstruction.

For more information about the compare command, point your browser to file:///usr/share/doc/imagemagick/www/compare.html or http://www.imagemagick.org/script/compare.php.

## DESCRIPTION

Image Settings:\
   \-authenticate value  decrypt image with this password\
   \-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\
   \-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\
   \-identify            identify the format and characteristics of the image\
   \-interlace type      type of image interlacing scheme\
   \-highlight-color color\
                        emphasize pixel differences with this color\
   \-limit type value    pixel cache resource limit\
   \-lowlight-color color\
                        de-emphasize pixel differences with this color\
   \-metric type         measure differences between images with this metric\
   \-monitor             monitor progress\
   \-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\
   \-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\
   \-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\
   \-virtual-pixel method\
                        virtual pixel access method

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

## SEE ALSO

[ImageMagick(1)](/ImageMagick/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

**Copyright (C) 1999-2012 ImageMagick Studio LLC. Additional copyrights and licenses apply to this software, see file:///usr/share/doc/imagemagick/www/license.html or http://www.imagemagick.org/script/license.php**