Last modified: Apr 12, 2025 By Alexander Williams

Python Image Analysis Guide

Python is a powerful tool for image analysis. It offers many libraries to process and analyze images. This guide will help you get started.

Why Use Python for Image Analysis?

Python is easy to learn. It has many libraries for image processing. These libraries make complex tasks simple.

Some popular libraries are OpenCV, PIL, and scikit-image. They help with tasks like filtering, segmentation, and object detection.

Loading Images in Python

Before analyzing an image, you need to load it. Use the PIL library for this. Check our Python Loading Images Guide for more details.


from PIL import Image

# Load an image
img = Image.open('example.jpg')
print(img.size)


(800, 600)

Converting Images to Grayscale

Grayscale images are easier to process. Use the convert method to change an image to grayscale. Learn more in our Python Grayscale Image Conversion Guide.


# Convert to grayscale
gray_img = img.convert('L')
gray_img.save('gray_example.jpg')

Basic Image Analysis Techniques

Image analysis involves extracting useful information. Common techniques include edge detection and thresholding.

Here’s how to apply edge detection using OpenCV:


import cv2

# Load image in grayscale
img = cv2.imread('example.jpg', 0)

# Apply Canny edge detection
edges = cv2.Canny(img, 100, 200)
cv2.imwrite('edges.jpg', edges)

Image Segmentation

Segmentation divides an image into parts. It helps in object detection. Our Python Image Segmentation Guide covers this in detail.


from skimage import segmentation

# Apply SLIC segmentation
segments = segmentation.slic(img, n_segments=100)
print(segments.shape)


(600, 800)

Extracting Text from Images

Python can extract text from images using OCR. The pytesseract library is great for this. Check our Python OCR Guide for more.


import pytesseract

# Extract text
text = pytesseract.image_to_string(img)
print(text)

Conclusion

Python makes image analysis easy. With libraries like OpenCV and PIL, you can process images quickly. Start with basic tasks and move to advanced techniques.

Practice is key. Try different methods to see what works best. Happy coding!