# Display Text as Image **URL:** \ **Category:** ruby-talk\ **Created:** [4 November 2012 16:17 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622 "2012-11-04T16:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![7stud2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/9de053/32.png) [@7stud2](https://rubytalk.org/u/7stud2)\ **Post date:** [4 November 2012 16:17 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622/1 "2012-11-04T16:17:13Z")
Hello, I have a String, which I want to display as a bitmap image. What is the best way to do this? I tried f.e. the code below (RMagick), but the image displayed did not contain the whole Text I stored in the variable myText. What can I do to get the whole text displayed in an image? Or is there another, better approach to do this? Best Regards Adriana img = Image.read("caption:"+myText) do          self.size = "2000"          self.height=1000          self.pointsize = 20         self.font = "Tahoma"        end img[0].display > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Carlo\_E\_Prelz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Carlo\_E\_Prelz](https://rubytalk.org/u/Carlo_E_Prelz)\ **Post date:** [4 November 2012 20:46 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622/2 "2012-11-04T20:46:29Z")
Quoting Adriana Mikolaskova (lists@ruby-forum.com): > Hello, > > I have a String, which I want to display as a bitmap image. What is the > best way to do this? > > I tried f.e. the code below (RMagick), but the image displayed did not > contain the whole Text I stored in the variable myText. What can I do to > get the whole text displayed in an image? Or is there another, better > approach to do this? > > Best Regards > > Adriana > > img = Image.read("caption:"+myText) do >          self.size = "2000" >          self.height=1000 >          self.pointsize = 20 >         self.font = "Tahoma" > >        end I am not sure I understand what you would like to obtain. Here is the way to create a RMagick Image object, composed of given pixels passed in a string: def make\_image(x,y,pixels)   im=Magick::Image::new(x,y)   im.import\_pixels(0,0,x,y,'RGB',pixels)   im end The string must be made up of x\*y\*3 bytes - the RGB values for each pixel. But from your example, it seems that you want to make an image which includes a given message (characters to be read). This requires something more complex: def make\_image\_with\_text(x,y,backg\_col,foreg\_col,text,font,pointsize)   im=Magick::Image::new(x,y) do     self.background\_color=backg\_col   end   gc=Magick::Draw::new()   gc.annotate(im,x,y,0,0,text) do     self.font\_family=font     self.fill=foreg\_col     self.stroke=foreg\_col     self.pointsize=pointsize     self.gravity=Magick::CenterGravity   end   im end To have a 2000x1000 black image with "This is a test" written in 20point Tahoma in red in it you should call the above as follows: im=make\_image\_with\_text(2000,1000,'black','red','This is a test','Tahoma',20) im.display Of course you can do the two things in sequence - first draw some pixels, and then superimpose some text... Have a look at [http://studio.imagemagick.org/RMagick/doc/draw.html#annotate](http://studio.imagemagick.org/RMagick/doc/draw.html#annotate) Remember to destroy Image objects after using them, with im.destroy! Otherwise they are not garbage-collected, and if you generate many images you soon end up with a full ram... Carlo > **···** > > Subject: Display Text as Image >   Date: Mon 05 Nov 12 01:17:13AM +0900 > > -- >   \* Se la Strada e la sua Virtu' non fossero state messe da parte, > \* K \* Carlo E. Prelz - fluido@fluido.as che bisogno ci sarebbe >   \* di parlare tanto di amore e di rettitudine? (Chuang-Tzu) ---
**Author:** ![7stud2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/9de053/32.png) [@7stud2](https://rubytalk.org/u/7stud2)\ **Post date:** [4 November 2012 20:57 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622/3 "2012-11-04T20:57:03Z")
Thank you very much for the detailled description and the code!!!it was the second I'm looking for! > **···** > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). ---
**Author:** ![7stud2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/7/9de053/32.png) [@7stud2](https://rubytalk.org/u/7stud2)\ **Post date:** [5 November 2012 20:51 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622/4 "2012-11-05T20:51:21Z")
Hello, your code worked fine for me, just one little problem occured. When there are no linebreaks in the text, all the text is displayed on one line (that means invisible). I found different solutions, just wanted to ask here: is it really necassary to figure out, how many characters a image-with can hold and insert the line-breaks in the text? Or did I miss some easier method for inserting line-breaks at the end of the image-width? Best regards Adriana > **···** > > > def make\_image\_with\_text(x,y,backg\_col,foreg\_col,text,font,pointsize) > >   im=Magick::Image::new(x,y) do > >     self.background\_color=backg\_col > >   end > >   gc=Magick::Draw::new() > >   gc.annotate(im,x,y,0,0,text) do > >     self.font\_family=font > >     self.fill=foreg\_col > >     self.stroke=foreg\_col > >     self.pointsize=pointsize > >     self.gravity=Magick::CenterGravity > >   end > >   im > > end > > > > To have a 2000x1000 black image with "This is a test" written in > > 20point Tahoma in red in it you should call the above as follows: > > > > im=make\_image\_with\_text(2000,1000,'black','red','This is a > > test','Tahoma',20) > > im.display > > > > O > > -- > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/\](http://www.ruby-forum.com/%5C). ---
**Author:** ![Carlo\_E\_Prelz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dbc845/32.png) [@Carlo\_E\_Prelz](https://rubytalk.org/u/Carlo_E_Prelz)\ **Post date:** [6 November 2012 07:10 UTC](https://rubytalk.org/t/display-text-as-image/66622/5 "2012-11-06T07:10:20Z")
Quoting Adriana Mikolaskova (lists@ruby-forum.com): > your code worked fine for me, just one little problem occured. > When there are no linebreaks in the text, all the text is displayed on > one line (that means invisible). > > I found different solutions, just wanted to ask here: is it really > necassary to figure out, how many characters a image-with can hold and > insert the line-breaks in the text? Or did I miss some easier method for > inserting line-breaks at the end of the image-width? From what I know, no. Note that, for fonts that are not monospaced, it is not simply a question of how many characters, because glyphs may have different widths. You can split your phrase in words, add one word at a time, measure the width (with get\_multiline\_type\_metrics) and insert a newline before the word that would overflow. Not very difficult, but as far as I know there is nothing pre-made in Magick. Carlo > **···** > > Subject: Re: Display Text as Image >   Date: Tue 06 Nov 12 05:51:21AM +0900 > > -- >   \* Se la Strada e la sua Virtu' non fossero state messe da parte, > \* K \* Carlo E. Prelz - fluido@fluido.as che bisogno ci sarebbe >   \* di parlare tanto di amore e di rettitudine? (Chuang-Tzu)