Library tutorials & articles

Image Generation on the FLY using PHP

Changing the font

Changing the font of our random number

To control the look and style attributes of our random number, we can replace the imagestring function with the imagettftext function, which lets us control some of the aspects of the font used to render the text.

The imagettftext function takes eight arguments, as described below:

array Imagettftext (int im, int size, int angle, int x, int y, int col, string fontfile, string text)

im: A reference to an image canvas created using the imagecreate function
size: The height of the font, in pixels
angle: The rotation of the font. Use 0 for standard horizontal display
x: The starting x co-ordinate of where the text will be drawn
y: The starting y co-ordinate of where the text will be drawn
col: A reference to a color created using the imagecolorallocate function
fontfile: The path and filename to the font that the text will be rendered in (more on this in a minute)
text: The actual string of text to be drawn

So, for our example, we would used the imagettftext function instead of the imagestring function, like this:

Imagettftext($img_number, 30,0,10,33,$black,'trebuchet.ttf',$number);

Notice the seventh argument? It's the location of the true-type font file that will be used to render our text onto the image. In our example, the file trebuchet.ttf is in the same directory as our script. Trebuchet.ttf is contained in the support material at the end of this article.

The Imagettftext file uses the FreeType font support, which is built-in to all of the latest releases of the GD image library. You can read more about the FreeType project here.

Once you have saved the random_number.php file with the new Imagettftext function instead of the imagestriing function, reload the page in your browser. You should see something like this:

Comments

  1. 02 Apr 2005 at 04:12

    Hi


    I saw them using a image-on-the-fly script as (at www.worldspaceasia.com):
    <a href="modules.php?name=Content&pa=listpagescategories&cid=2"><img src="includes/img.php?title=Western Classical/Jazz&textsize=8&border=1&imgype=randomTTF" border="0" alt="Western Classical/Jazz"></a>


    The :
    title=
    imgype=randomTTF


    are crucial!


    So whts the secret of the img.php?


    Regards

  2. 06 Nov 2004 at 04:32

    Very good tutorial and useful. But am wondering, if it can be converted to be used as a counter in a website, to get the number of visitors to the site. It will then start from a certain number and count sequencially upwards. It could start from 1 or 10.


    Thanks

  3. 03 Sep 2004 at 14:58
    after installing the gd.dll am i suppose to uncomment it in the php.ini file and if so do i restart my server to get it to load??? after putting it in my php.ini file and uncommenting it nothing came up? can you give me more detial instructions on fixing this  problem or installing this gd.dll? i am using windows xp iis5 and php5 just got it all working and jumping in for soome more, lol, well hope you can help .... altimastr
  4. 18 Aug 2004 at 02:09

    I used the script it was good. The random script is accessed as an image in another script, then how to access the number displayed on the image so that i can check that the user entered the correct displayed number.

  5. 05 Aug 2004 at 13:58

    very well-written & useful javascript:smilie('')

  6. 23 Jul 2003 at 12:49
    want to display an image on a  form when an item is selected from a ComboBox. the image will be stored on the a:\drive (floppy). there will be multiple items in the combobox, each 1 relating to a specific picture. i just need the  basic code to get the img to appear after selecting the item from the combobox. if n e 1 could email me the  code or tell me where to  get  it, that would be  great! oz_utester@hotmail.com

    thanx 4 ur time!
  7. 23 Jul 2003 at 12:47
    want to display an image on a  form when an item is selected from a ComboBox. the image will be stored on the a:\drive (floppy). there will be multiple items in the combobox, each 1 relating to a specific picture. i just need the  basic code to get the img to appear after selecting the item from the combobox. if n e 1 could email me the  code or tell me where to  get  it, that would be  great! shb53@hotmail.com

    thanx 4 ur time!
  8. 30 May 2003 at 13:09

    hi:


    I copied your code to my PHP4.3.x+Windows2000Server+Apache2, The picture does not show at a browser, only white page.  I checked the sapce befor the "<?php"  carefully.


    In fact, befor I have a similar bad experience that I can't show picture at my machine. But If I put the code to a linux machine , it works. The situation is all my other php codes, including session,mysql, work fine. Only for this method, header(header("Content-type:image/jpeg"), the send out a image, it does not work.


    I guess there must be some setting parameters problem at apache2. Does anyone have any idea?


    Thanks



  9. 17 Apr 2003 at 04:51

    I think your posting in the wrong place buddy! this is for creating and showing PHP images on-the-fly not VB! If you DO really want to take a PHP created image and put it in a VB form you can either post back here or email me at webmaster@isgeeky.com

  10. 17 Apr 2003 at 04:48

    To my knowledge it is not possible to send an image created on-the-fly using PHP without the content-type header being modified. Why do you not want to use the "Header("Content-Type: Image/jpg")" code?

  11. 31 Jan 2003 at 06:17
    Hi,
       Actually I have seen your image generation on the fly and i have used it on my project. But i facing a problem is i don't want to use a Header("Content-Type: Image/jpg") . So if you have link please send me on sshti123@hotmail.com.

    Vivek
  12. 31 Jan 2003 at 06:16
    Hi,
       Actually I have seen your image generation on the fly and i have used it on my project. But i facing a problem is i do want to use a Header("Content-Type: Image/jpg") . So if you have link please send me on sshti123@hotmail.com.

    Vivek
  13. 31 Jan 2003 at 06:15
    Hi,
       Actually I have seen your image generation f\on the fly and i have used it on my project. But i facing a problem is i do want to use a Header("Content-Type: Image/jpg") . So if you have link please send me on sshti123@hotmail.com.

    Vivek
  14. 09 Aug 2002 at 01:47

    i want to display an image on a  form when an item is selected from a ComboBox. the image will be stored on the a:\drive (floppy). there will be multiple items in the combobox, each 1 relating to a specific picture. i just need the  basic code to get the img to appear after selecting the item from the combobox. if n e 1 could email me the  code or tell me where to  get  it, that would be  great! oz_utester@hotmail.com


    thanx 4 ur time!

  15. 01 Jan 1999 at 00:00

    This thread is for discussions of Image Generation on the FLY using PHP.

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Divyesh Jariwala A fellow who believes in simple things, simple way.

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