Python OpenCV | cv2.imshow() method

OpenCV-Python is a library of Python bindings designed to solve computer vision problems. cv2.imshow() method is used to display an image in a window. The window automatically fits the image size.

Syntax: cv2.imshow(window_name, image)
Parameters:
window_name: A string representing the name of the window in which image to be displayed. 
image: It is the image that is to be displayed.
Return Value: It doesn’t returns anything. 

Image used for all the below examples:

Example #1:

Python3

# Python program to explain cv2.imshow() method

# importing cv2
import cv2

# path
path = r'C:\Users\Rajnish\Desktop\geeksforgeeks.png'

# Reading an image in default mode
image = cv2.imread(path)

# Window name in which image is displayed
window_name = 'image'

# Using cv2.imshow() method
# Displaying the image
cv2.imshow(window_name, image)

# waits for user to press any key
# (this is necessary to avoid Python kernel form crashing)
cv2.waitKey(0)

# closing all open windows
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

Output:

Example #2:

Python3

# Python program to explain cv2.imshow() method

# importing cv2
import cv2

# path
path = r'C:\Users\Rajnish\Desktop\geeksforgeeks.png'

# Reading an image in grayscale mode
image = cv2.imread(path, 0)

# Window name in which image is displayed
window_name = 'image'

# Using cv2.imshow() method
# Displaying the image
cv2.imshow(window_name, image)

# waits for user to press any key
# (this is necessary to avoid Python kernel form crashing)
cv2.waitKey(0)

# closing all open windows
cv2.destroyAllWindows()

Output:

Note: While using Google Colab, one may run into an error of “imshow disabled for collab”, in that case, it’s suggested to use imshow method from colabs patches by importing it first,

Python3

from google.colab.patches import cv2_imshow

window_name = "Image"

cv2_imshow(img)  # Pay special attention to "_" (underscore)