ImageMagic or GD

[Eagle Eye]

which is better for making thumbnails, resize images and watermarking images?

ImageMagic or GD  :

[TheOracle]

GD is definitely the best choice.

[V@no]

GD works twice faster, but produces images with larger filesize compare to IM, Also, with IM its possible to preserve IPTC/EXIF data while GD erase it without questions asked.

[Eagle Eye]

but produces images with larger filesize compare to IM.

what if image quality is set 75 ( yes if image quality is set to 100, insted of preserving the source image quality and size, it produces images as big as 8 times the orginal )

what is the recomended image quality settings for GD :

is it ok if we set this same (for eg 75) for all making thumbnails (auto thumbnail mod) , resize images (auto resize mod) and watermarking images (auto watermarking mod)?

[V@no]

I was comparing the two with the same settings, so no metter what quality you set and compare GD with IM using same setting, GD will produce larger filesizes (very little difference though).

In my experience, quality 75-85 is the optimal. Personaly I use 85

[Zyga]

I heard some times ago
GD work without antialiasing so crete thumbnails with lower quality
but i cant run imagemagick and cant compare

[TheOracle]

GD work without antialiasing so crete thumbnails with lower quality

Believe me, it is worth the try comparing to imagemagick.

[V@no]

I heard some times ago
GD work without antialiasing so crete thumbnails with lower quality

That was v1.x now v2.x has antialias and the visual quailty is the same as any other tools.