npmUtilsupdated 22 Sept 2026

jimp review

Q: Does jimp install cleanly?

Yes. In a fresh container with an empty cache, npm install jimp finished in 15 seconds, leaving 65 packages and 34 MB on disk. npm audit reported no known vulnerabilities.

Q: Does jimp work with both ESM and CommonJS?

Yes. Both import 'jimp' and require('jimp') worked in Node 22 in our run. The package is published as ESM with an exports map.

Our sandbox installed a full JavaScript image pipeline rather than a thin decoder. Jimp 1.6.1 reads PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF into an RGBA bitmap, then supplies resizing, cropping, compositing, text, color, blur, hashing, quantization, and pixel-level edits before encoding a result. It avoids native addons and works in Node, browsers, and workers. That portability shifts codec and transformation work onto JavaScript, so large or concurrent images can consume the same CPU and memory as the application serving them.

jimp · v1.6.1 · 2.6M/wk · 0.1 kB min+gz · ★ 14,662 · pushed 07 Apr 2026 · jimp-dev/jimp · docs · reviewed by Keyoor

Verdict

Jimp 1.6.1 took 14.7 seconds and 34 MB across 65 packages in our sandbox, despite having no native build. Choose it when pure-JavaScript portability beats throughput; use Sharp or an isolated image service for busy production pipelines and modern formats.

We installed it

npm install jimp (v1.6.1) on 22 Aug 2026, fresh sandbox (3 CPUs, 8 GB, Node 22, empty cache). How we test →

Lab card: what happened when we installed jimp

Install	✓ · 14.7s	65 packages on disk · 34 MB
Import	✓	ESM import works · require() works · ESM package with exports map
Browser	0.1 KB	gzipped (0 KB minified), bundled with esbuild
Types	✓	TypeScript types bundled
Known vulns	0	0 critical · 0 high · 0 moderate · 0 low (npm audit)

Answers from our run

Does jimp install cleanly?

Yes. In a fresh container with an empty cache, npm install jimp finished in 15 seconds, leaving 65 packages and 34 MB on disk. npm audit reported no known vulnerabilities.

How much does jimp add to a browser bundle?

0.1 KB gzipped (0 KB minified) when the whole package is bundled for the browser with esbuild. Importing only part of it is usually smaller.

Does jimp work with both ESM and CommonJS?

Yes. Both import 'jimp' and require('jimp') worked in Node 22 in our run. The package is published as ESM with an exports map.

Does jimp include TypeScript types?

Yes, type declarations ship inside the package, so no @types install is needed.

jimp or sharp: which should you use?

sharp: Use it for high-throughput server resizing, modern codecs, streaming, and libvips-backed memory behavior. Jimp 1.6.1 took 14.7 seconds and 34 MB across 65 packages in our sandbox, despite having no native build.

When should you not use jimp?

Large images or request-time throughput matter; Jimp's own setup guide warns that its JavaScript codecs are not optimized for performance and may use substantial memory

API stability3/5The 1.6.1 API is strongly typed around option objects, but the 1.0 migration was extensive. Named imports replaced the default export, constructors changed, positional transforms became object arguments, Async method suffixes disappeared, MIME constants moved, and encoder quality moved to output options. A pinned 1.x application is workable, while copied 0.x examples fail often enough that code review needs an explicit version check.

Docs4/5The official site has separate guides for Node setup, browsers, plugins, custom builds, WebP, and migration to version 1, plus generated references for methods and types. It openly warns about JavaScript codec speed and memory. Some generated snippets still use positional calls that conflict with the current 1.6.1 declarations, so developers need to prefer the migration page and compiler errors over isolated example blocks.

Maintenance4/5Jimp 1.6.1 and the repository's April 7, 2026 push show recent coordinated work across codecs, plugins, browser exports, and documentation. The repository is not archived and targets Node 18 or newer. GitHub reports 186 open issues and pull requests, a sizable backlog that reflects a wide codec and platform surface. Release activity is current, but the queue argues against treating every format edge case as settled.

Ecosystem4/5npm measured 3,456,043 downloads from August 18 through August 24, 2026, and the repository has 14,663 stars. The default package assembles 27 first-party dependencies for codecs and transformations, with documented browser and custom-build routes. Jimp's pure-JavaScript portability is distinctive, although Sharp and native image stacks have broader production throughput and modern-codec support.

Use it if

Native addons cannot be installed in the target Node 18+, browser, or worker environment
The workload is modest, such as test fixtures, avatars, social cards, or occasional thumbnails
You need direct RGBA access plus built-in bitmap transformations in JavaScript
Both CommonJS and ESM consumers need the same API with bundled TypeScript declarations

Skip it if

Large images or request-time throughput matter; Jimp's own setup guide warns that its JavaScript codecs are not optimized for performance and may use substantial memory
You need AVIF, HEIF, SVG rendering, color-profile handling, or default WebP support; the standard package documents PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF
Your codebase depends on pre-1.0 tutorials using a default import, positional resize calls, quality(), or writeAsync(); version 1 changed each of those APIs
A small browser payload is required: the convenience package declares 27 direct codec, core, utility, and plugin packages
Untrusted decoding must be isolated: oversized or malformed inputs consume CPU and memory inside the same JavaScript process

Setup reality

Our clean Node 22 install of Jimp 1.6.1 took 14.7 seconds and left 65 packages using 34 MB on disk. The top-level package has 27 direct dependencies, no peers, and 3,360 KB unpacked. npm audit reported 0 known vulnerabilities. It requires Node 18 or newer, ships MIT-licensed TypeScript declarations, and supports both require() and ESM import through an exports map.

No compiler, system image library, credential, or config file is required. Version 1 uses import { Jimp } from 'jimp', new Jimp({ width, height }), and options objects for resize, crop, contain, cover, flip, and print. write(), getBuffer(), and getBase64() are the async output methods; older Async suffixes and the quality() mutator are gone. Encoder options now travel with the output call.

Decoded files become uncompressed RGBA bitmaps, and codecs may allocate more working memory. Enforce byte and pixel limits before Jimp reads an upload, cap concurrency, and move expensive batches to worker threads or a job process. Our esbuild import probe produced 0 KB minified and 0.1 KB gzipped, an unusable indicator of real browser cost because conditional browser exports and runtime-loaded pieces prevented that probe from representing the installed 34 MB graph.

Remote browser reads still obey CORS, uploads must be converted to ArrayBuffer or Buffer data, and bitmap fonts must be loaded as assets. WebP is a custom assembly using @jimp/wasm-webp with @jimp/core, defaultFormats, and defaultPlugins; installing jimp alone does not add it. Output format follows the MIME passed to getBuffer or the write destination, while metadata preservation needs a fixture test for each codec you care about.

Patterns

Read, resize, and save one image read-resize-write

import {Jimp} from 'jimp';

const image = await Jimp.read('./input.png');
image.resize({w: 320});
await image.write('./output.png');

This read resize write example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Encode an in-memory image as JPEG convert-buffer-to-jpeg

import {Jimp, JimpMime} from 'jimp';

const image = await Jimp.fromBuffer(uploadBuffer);
const jpeg = await image.getBuffer(JimpMime.jpeg, {
  quality: 80,
});

This convert buffer to jpeg example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Allocate a blank RGBA bitmap create-empty-image

import {Jimp} from 'jimp';

const canvas = new Jimp({
  width: 1200,
  height: 630,
  color: 0xffffffff,
});
await canvas.write('./card.png');

This create empty image example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Crop with a version 1 options object crop-region

const image = await Jimp.read('./photo.jpg');
image.crop({x: 100, y: 60, w: 800, h: 600});
await image.write('./crop.jpg', {quality: 85});

This crop region example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Fill a fixed thumbnail with cover make-cover-thumbnail

const image = await Jimp.read('./photo.jpg');
image.cover({w: 400, h: 300});
await image.write('./thumbnail.jpg', {quality: 82});

This make cover thumbnail example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Fit an image inside a background contain-with-letterbox

const image = await Jimp.read('./logo.png');
image.background = 0xffffffff;
image.contain({w: 512, h: 512});
await image.write('./logo-square.png');

This contain with letterbox example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Composite a watermark at explicit coordinates composite-watermark

const [photo, mark] = await Promise.all([
  Jimp.read('./photo.jpg'),
  Jimp.read('./watermark.png'),
]);

mark.resize({w: 180}).opacity(0.6);
photo.composite(mark, photo.width - mark.width - 24, photo.height - mark.height - 24);
await photo.write('./watermarked.jpg', {quality: 85});

This composite watermark example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Render text with a loaded bitmap font print-bitmap-text

import {Jimp, loadFont} from 'jimp';
import {SANS_32_WHITE} from 'jimp/fonts';

const image = await Jimp.read('./banner.png');
const font = await loadFont(SANS_32_WHITE);
image.print({font, x: 24, y: 24, text: 'Release 1.6'});
await image.write('./labeled.png');

This print bitmap text example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Visit each pixel in the bitmap edit-pixels

const image = await Jimp.read('./input.png');

image.scan((x, y, idx) => {
  image.bitmap.data[idx] = 255 - image.bitmap.data[idx];     // red
  image.bitmap.data[idx + 1] = 255 - image.bitmap.data[idx + 1]; // green
  image.bitmap.data[idx + 2] = 255 - image.bitmap.data[idx + 2]; // blue
});

await image.write('./inverted.png');

This edit pixels example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Apply several color operations in sequence chain-color-filters

const image = await Jimp.read('./input.jpg');
image
  .greyscale()
  .contrast(0.2)
  .brightness(0.1)
  .rotate(90)
  .flip({horizontal: true});

await image.write('./processed.png');

This chain color filters example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Clone before making an alternate edit preserve-original-branch

const original = await Jimp.read('./source.png');
const small = original.clone().resize({w: 320});
const large = original.clone().resize({w: 1280});

await Promise.all([
  small.write('./small.png'),
  large.write('./large.png'),
]);

This preserve original branch example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Assemble a Jimp build with WebP add-webp-format

import {createJimp} from '@jimp/core';
import {defaultFormats, defaultPlugins} from 'jimp';
import webp from '@jimp/wasm-webp';

const WebpJimp = createJimp({
  formats: [...defaultFormats, webp],
  plugins: defaultPlugins,
});

const image = await WebpJimp.read('./input.webp');
await image.write('./output.webp');

This add webp format example follows Jimp 1.6.1. Check the current option types because pre-1.0 positional examples use a different API.

Alternatives

Package	Registry	Pick it when
sharp	npm	Use it for high-throughput server resizing, modern codecs, streaming, and libvips-backed memory behavior
pureimage	npm	Use it for a pure-JavaScript Canvas-like drawing surface without Jimp's complete plugin set
canvas	npm	Use it when server-side Canvas 2D paths, fonts, and drawing semantics justify a native dependency

More utils guides

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How this guide is made: grounded in the library's documentation, release notes, changelog, and issue history, on a fixed rubric — not a hands-on install of every release. The 50 most-downloaded entries are additionally install-verified in clean containers. Corrections: contact the desk.