Create Instagram Filters With PHP

In this tutorial, Dejan Marjanovic will demonstrate how to create vintage (just like Instagram does) photos with PHP and ImageMagick. Wait? What? Yes, you can do this very thing with PHP and ImageMagick, and that’s just scratching the surface! Once upon a time – technically 22 years ago (5 years before PHP) – ImageMagick was released. Since then, it has evolved to a platform independent software suite that can create, edit, compose, or convert raster images (over 100 formats supported!).

PHP comes bundled with GD (GIF Draw/Graphics Draw), which is a library for the dynamic creation of images. It can be used for simpler image operation, such as resizing, cropping, adding watermarks, creating thumbnails, applying basic photo filters – you’ve probably used it before. Unfortunately, if you want to create something more complex with GD, like Instagram effects, you can’t. Luckily, though, we have ImageMagick!