Converting Images to Base64 in Python

Sometimes, you might need to include images directly in your HTML or CSS files. One way to do this is by converting the image to a Base64 string. In this blog post, Let’s learn how to do this in Python.

What is Base64?

Base64 is a way to convert binary data (like images) into text. This is helpful when you need to include the image data directly in your web pages.

Why Use Base64?

• Embed Images in HTML/CSS: You can put the image data directly into your code.
• Simplify Your Files: No need to load image files separately.
• Reduce Requests: Fewer files mean fewer HTTP requests, which can speed up your website.

How to Convert an Image to Base64 in Python

1. Python has a built-in library called base64 that makes this easy. Here’s a simple guide:
   1. Import the LibraryFirst, you need to import the base64 library:

      import base64
      

   2. Read and Encode the ImageYou need to read the image file in binary mode and then encode it to Base64:

      def image_to_base64(image_path):
          with open(image_path, "rb") as image_file:
              encoded_string = base64.b64encode(image_file.read())
          return encoded_string.decode('utf-8')
      

      Here’s what this code does:

      • image_path is the path to your image file.
      • open(image_path, "rb") opens the image in binary mode.
      • base64.b64encode() encodes the image data to Base64.
      • .decode('utf-8') converts the Base64 bytes to a string.
   3. Use the FunctionNow, use the function to convert your image to Base64:

      image_path = "path/to/your/image.jpg"
      base64_string = image_to_base64(image_path)
      print(base64_string)
      

   Please find the complete code below:

   import base64
   
   def image_to_base64(image_path):
       with open(image_path, "rb") as image_file:
           encoded_string = base64.b64encode(image_file.read())
       return encoded_string.decode('utf-8')
   
   # Convert image to Base64
   image_path = "path/to/your/image.jpg"
   base64_string = image_to_base64(image_path)
   print(base64_string)
   

   Below is the output of our program,

   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