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Dev.to
7/22/2026
I built a CLI so I'd stop typing ImageMagick flags wrong.

I built a CLI so I'd stop typing ImageMagick flags wrong.

Short summary

photu is a CLI tool that wraps libvips with a composable shell-pipe interface, replacing complex ImageMagick flag syntax. Each command appends to a JSON plan that executes in a single decode-encode pass at the end, making it 6-11x faster than ImageMagick on benchmark tests. Available via npm, works cross-shell, and includes a browser WASM demo.

  • •photu wraps libvips with composable shell pipes, eliminating ImageMagick flag memorization
  • •Plans are fused into a single decode-encode pass — 2.0s vs 22.2s for 50 images vs ImageMagick
  • •Install via npm, cross-shell compatible, WASM browser demo available

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.

#ai-tools#open-source
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