Converting images in Python

I had a recent request to convert an entire folder of JPEG images into EPS or similar vector graphics formats. The client was on a Mac, and didn’t have ImageMagick. I discovered the Python Image Library to be enormously useful in this, and allowed me to implement the conversion in around 10 lines of Python code!!!

import Image
from glob import glob

jpgfiles = glob('*.jpg')
for u in jpgfiles:
    out = u.replace('jpg','eps')
    print "Converting %s to %s" % (u, out)
    img=Image.read(u)
    img.thumbnails((800,800)) # Changing the size
    img.save(out)

What an elegant solution from Python —- “batteries included”

To be sure, using ImageMagick is more powerful, and Python wrappers (PyMagick), albeit old, do exist.