---
name: "vips"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "libvips"
version: "8.18.7-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vips"
---

# vips(1)

run vips operations from the command line

## NAME

vips - run vips operations from the command line

## SYNOPSIS

**vips \[options\] \[command\] \[command-options\] \[command-args\]**

## DESCRIPTION

**[vips(1)](/vips/1.md)** is the VIPS universal main program. You can use it to run any VIPS operation from the command line, to query the VIPS class hierarchy, and to maintain parts of the VIPS library.

To run a VIPS operation, the first argument should be the name of the operation and following arguments should be the operation arguments. For example:

  $ vips invert lena.v lena2.v

## OPTIONS

- **-l BASE-NAME, --list=BASE-NAME**

  List operations below BASE-NAME. This prints a one-line summary of every operation in vips below the class BASE-NAME, where BASE-NAME may be a full vips class name, or a nickname.

  If BASE-NAME is not supplied, this will list all classes below VipsOperation.

- **-p PLUGIN, --plugin=PLUGIN**

  Load PLUGIN. Note that plugins in $VIPSHOME/lib/vips-plugins-MAJOR.MINOR are  loaded automatically.

- **-v, --version**

  Show VIPS version.

- **-c NAME, --completion NAME**

  Print completions for  **NAME**

## COMMANDS

- **operation-name operation-arguments**

  Execute a named operation, for example add.

## EXAMPLES

Run a vips operation. Operation options must follow the operation name.

  $ vips insert lena.v lena2.v out.v 0 0 --background "128 0 0"

Get a "usage" message for an operation.

  $ vips insert \
   insert image @sub into @main at @x, @y\
   usage:\
      insert main sub out x y\
   where:\
      main         - Main input image, input VipsImage\
      sub          - Sub-image to insert into main image, input VipsImage\
      out          - Output image, output VipsImage\
      x            - Left edge of sub in main, input gint\
 			  default: 0\
 			  min: -100000000, max: 100000000\
      y            - Top edge of sub in main, input gint\
 			  default: 0\
 			  min: -100000000, max: 100000000\
   optional arguments:\
      expand       - Expand output to hold all of both inputs, input gboolean\
 			  default: false\
      background   - Colour for new pixels, input VipsArrayDouble\
   operation flags: sequential

List all draw operations.

  $ vips -l draw\
     VipsDraw (draw), draw operations\
       VipsDrawink (drawink), draw with ink operations\
         VipsDrawRect (draw\_rect), paint a rectangle on an image\
         VipsDrawMask (draw\_mask), draw a mask on an image\
         VipsDrawLine (draw\_line), draw a line on an image\
         VipsDrawCircle (draw\_circle), draw a circle on an image\
         VipsDrawFlood (draw\_flood), flood-fill an area\
       VipsDrawImage (draw\_image), paint an image into another image\
       VipsDrawSmudge (draw\_smudge), blur a rectangle on an image

## RETURN VALUE

returns 0 on success and non-zero on error.

## SEE ALSO

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

## COPYRIGHT

The National Gallery and Birkbeck College, 1989-1996.