Server-side image manipulation with ImageMagick

Question: The gallery software I want to install on my website says that it requires ImageMagick. What is it and why do I need it?

Answer: ImageMagick is free and open source software that allows the user to create and edit over 100 different image file formats. Its tools are primarily command-line driven, making it perfect for sever-side manipulation of images.

For example, if you wanted a script to automatically convert a series of images to different formats or resize copies into thumbnails, you could write a script to easily accomplish it with ImageMagick. For that reason, many gallery scripts will require ImageMagick or another software package like it.

Because of its universality and standard Linux distribution support, nearly all web hosting providers offer ImageMagick or an equivalent alternative. ImageMagick magic is also available for Mac OS X and Windows.