quickthumb

Thumbnails, social images, and slides from Python or JSON.
Describe the image as layers. The same input gives the same pixels every time.

Get started · Browse recipes · API reference

Quick start

Write a design once as code or JSON, then change the text, images, or colors and render it again as many times as you need.

pip install quickthumb

from quickthumb import Canvas

canvas = (
    Canvas.from_aspect_ratio("16:9", base_width=1280)
    .background(color="#F5F5F7")
    .text(
        "Make the message impossible to miss.",
        size=88,
        color="#1D1D1F",
        weight=700,
        position=(80, 180),
        max_width=820,
    )
    .shape(
        "rectangle",
        position=(80, 500),
        width=180,
        height=8,
        color="#0066CC",
    )
)

canvas.render("announcement.png")

The core workflow stays small:

1. Create a Canvas.
2. Add backgrounds, text, images, shapes, SVG, or auto-layout groups.
3. Call render().

Follow the five-minute guide →

What it does

• Layers are drawn in the order you add them, the same order you'd describe the image in.
• Every design can be written in Python or as a JSON spec, so a template or an LLM can produce it.
• One canvas exports to PNG, JPEG, WebP, SVG, HTML, PDF, PPTX, GIF, MP4, and WebM.
• diagnose() finds text that is too small, runs off the canvas, or has too little contrast, before you export.

Gallery

YouTube thumbnail	Commentary thumbnail	Tutorial cover

Instagram news card	Podcast promo

Vertical shorts cover	Animated product reel

Explore the examples and source files →

Output formats

canvas.render("creative.png")
canvas.render("creative.svg")
canvas.render("creative.html")
canvas.render("creative.pptx")
canvas.render("creative.pdf")
canvas.render("creative.gif")
canvas.render("creative.mp4")

Multi-slide Deck compositions can also render to numbered images, PDF, PPTX, HTML slideshows, GIF, WebM, and narrated MP4.

Some formats use optional dependencies. See Installation and Exporting for the exact setup and format behavior.

Where to go next

I want to…	Start here
Make my first graphic	Getting Started
Build a proven layout	Cookbook
Generate visuals with JSON or AI	JSON & AI Workflow
Build a multi-slide deck	Deck guide
Validate a composition	Diagnostics & CLI
Look up a class or option	API Reference

License

MIT