Processing images

Depicta provides 21 server-side image processing operations. Each takes an input image and returns a processed result via signed URL.

Why processing matters

Generative AI models are powerful at creating images, but they are not a replacement for traditional image processing. An AI model can generate a stunning product photo, but it can’t reliably crop it to exact pixel dimensions, convert it to WebP for your website, or strip unwanted metadata (with legal limits). Processing operations handle the precise, deterministic work that AI generation was never designed for.

Your AI assistant can chain generation and processing together — generate an image, remove the background, resize it to the exact dimensions needed, and convert to the right format — all in one workflow.

API pattern: POST /v1/process/{operation} with a JSON body containing input_image_url (an HTTPS URL) plus the operation’s parameters. To process a local file, upload it first with POST /v1/upload (multipart, field image) and pass the returned URL. The CLI uploads local files for you.

Each operation costs 0.02, and vectorize 0.10, in credits (EUR, excluding VAT; VAT is added when you buy credits). Current prices are in GET /v1/pricing (processing_cost_eur and processing_operation_costs).

Every input image goes through the content check before it’s processed. If it’s refused, you get 451 content_rejected and nothing is charged. For overlay, both images are checked together, as the combined result.

Response: every operation returns the processed image’s signed URL:

{
  "image_url": "https://media.depicta.ai/...",
  "expires_at": "2026-10-15T10:04:30Z",
  "operation": "resize",
  "content_type": "image/png"
}

The image URL expires after 1 hour.

CLI pattern: depicta process {operation} <input> [options]

Color adjustments

adjust

Adjust brightness, contrast, and saturation. Values range from -1 to 1; provide at least one.

depicta process adjust photo.png --brightness 0.2 --contrast 0.1 --saturation -0.15

Parameter	Type	Description
`brightness`	number	-1 to 1. Negative = darker, positive = brighter
`contrast`	number	-1 to 1. Negative = less contrast, positive = more
`saturation`	number	-1 to 1. Negative = desaturate, positive = saturate

grayscale

Convert to grayscale.

depicta process grayscale photo.png

No additional parameters.

invert

Invert pixel values (photographic negative effect).

depicta process invert photo.png

No additional parameters.

Geometry

crop

Extract a rectangular region.

depicta process crop photo.png --x 100 --y 50 --width 800 --height 600

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`x`	integer	yes	Left offset in pixels
`y`	integer	yes	Top offset in pixels
`width`	integer	yes	Crop width
`height`	integer	yes	Crop height

resize

Resize to a width, a height, or both. Give one side and the other follows the original proportions.

depicta process resize photo.png --width 512

Parameter	Type	Description
`width`	integer	Target width (aspect ratio preserved if height omitted)
`height`	integer	Target height (aspect ratio preserved if width omitted)

rotate

Rotate by an arbitrary angle. Areas outside the original bounds are filled with the background color.

depicta process rotate photo.png --angle 45

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`angle`	number	yes	Rotation angle in degrees, -360 to 360. Positive = counter-clockwise
`expand`	boolean	no	Expand the canvas to fit the rotated image (default: true)
`fill_color`	string	no	Hex color for exposed areas (default: `#FFFFFF`)

flip

Mirror horizontally or vertically.

depicta process flip photo.png --direction horizontal

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`direction`	string	yes	`horizontal` or `vertical`

trim

Auto-trim uniform borders (e.g., white space around an image).

depicta process trim photo.png --tolerance 10

Parameter	Type	Description
`tolerance`	integer	Color distance threshold for border detection, 0–255 (default: 10)

pad

Add padding to reach a target size. The image is centered on the canvas by default.

depicta process pad icon.png --width 512 --height 512

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`width`	integer	yes	Target canvas width, 1–16384
`height`	integer	yes	Target canvas height, 1–16384
`color`	string	no	Hex color for the padding (default: `#FFFFFF`)
`gravity`	string	no	Image placement: `center` (default), `north`, `south`, `east`, `west`, `north-east`, `north-west`, `south-east`, `south-west`

Cleanup

remove-background

Remove the background, producing a transparent PNG.

depicta process remove-bg photo.png

No additional parameters. Output is always PNG (transparency).

denoise

Reduce chroma noise.

depicta process denoise photo.png --strength 10

Parameter	Type	Description
`strength`	integer	Chroma noise reduction strength, 1–40 (default: 10)

sharpen

Apply unsharp mask sharpening.

depicta process sharpen photo.png --amount 1.5 --threshold 0

Parameter	Type	Description
`amount`	number	Sharpening strength, greater than 0 and up to 10 (default: 1.5)
`threshold`	integer	Edge detection threshold, 0–255 (default: 3)

blur

Apply Gaussian blur.

depicta process blur photo.png --radius 5

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`radius`	number	yes	Blur radius in pixels, greater than 0 and up to 100

Format and metadata

convert

Convert between image formats.

depicta process convert photo.png --format webp
depicta process convert photo.png -f jpeg --quality 85

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`format`	string	yes	`png`, `jpeg`, or `webp`
`quality`	integer	no	Encoding quality for jpeg and webp, 80 to 100 (default 93). Lower makes a smaller file. Not accepted for png (422)

--quality needs CLI 1.4.0 or later.

optimize

Reduce file size via color quantization without visible quality loss.

depicta process optimize screenshot.png

Parameter	Type	Description
`colors`	integer	Palette size, 2–256. Omit to let Depicta reduce colors automatically while keeping quality above `min_psnr`
`min_psnr`	number	Minimum quality in dB for automatic reduction (default: 38)

vectorize

Convert a raster image into a scalable SVG by remapping pixels to a palette you supply and tracing each color region. Best for logos, icons, monograms, and flat illustrations — not photographs.

depicta process vectorize logo.png --color "#1d1d1d" --color "#df4a2a" --bg "#ffffff"

Or with the API:

curl -X POST https://api.depicta.ai/v1/process/vectorize \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer dpct_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"input_image_url": "https://media.depicta.ai/...", "colors": ["#1d1d1d", "#df4a2a"], "background_color": "#ffffff"}'

CLI flag	API field	Required	Description
`<input>`	`input_image_url`	yes	The PNG to vectorize: a file, URL or `-` for stdin (CLI); an HTTPS URL (API)
`--color`, `-c` (repeat)	`colors` (array)	yes	Foreground hex colors `#RRGGBB`, 1–20, in order
`--bg`, `-b`	`background_color`	no	Background hex color `#RRGGBB`, composited under transparent inputs
`--no-clip`	`clip: false`	no	For transparent (RGBA) inputs, keep interior light fills (green-key) instead of the default clip-mask silhouettes

The vectorize command needs CLI 1.3.0 or later.

Output is image/svg+xml — the saved file gets a .svg extension. When Content Credentials signing is enabled, the SVG carries an embedded C2PA manifest that preserves provenance from the source image.

metadata-strip

Strip EXIF and XMP metadata. C2PA Content Credentials are preserved — this operation only removes non-provenance metadata.

depicta process metadata-strip photo.jpg

Parameter	Type	Description
`keep_icc`	boolean	Preserve ICC color profile (default: true)

Compositing

overlay

Composite one image on top of another.

depicta process overlay background.png --overlay logo.png --x 20 --y 20 --opacity 0.8

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`overlay_image_url` (API) / `--overlay` (CLI)	URL / file	yes	Image to overlay
`x`	integer	yes	Left offset in pixels
`y`	integer	yes	Top offset in pixels
`opacity`	number	no	0.0–1.0 (default: 1.0)

alpha-to-color

Replace transparency with a solid color.

depicta process alpha-to-color icon.png --color "#FFFFFF"

Parameter	Type	Description
`color`	string	Hex color (default: `#FFFFFF`)

color-to-alpha

Make a specific color transparent.

depicta process color-to-alpha logo.png --color "#FFFFFF" --tolerance 30

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`color`	string	yes	Hex color to make transparent (`#RRGGBB`)
`tolerance`	integer	no	Color matching tolerance, 0–255 (default: 10)

Orientation

auto-orient

Apply EXIF orientation metadata and strip the tag. Useful for photos from phones that appear rotated.

depicta process auto-orient photo.jpg

No additional parameters.