ImageJ Software From NIH Image

ImageJ is a Java based software program available as freeware for download from the ImageJ homepage. It was written and is maintained by Wayne Rasband of NIH. ImageJ software is used for image analysis and processing. One of the great things about the software is that it works with all operating systems: Mac, Linux and Windows. It is fast and fairly easy to use with plenty of online tools. There is a whole community of users with a forum and available plugins and all sorts of online help.

ImageJ incorporates a whole host of features, such as the ability to open several types of files (TIFF, JPEG, ASCII, LSM, GIF, etc), adjust image display, image enhancements, measuring, histograms, calibration, editing, color processing, stacks, data types and much more. There is really almost any image application that one would desire. If there is a feature needed that the program doesn’t have, there are over 300 plugins available for download as well as the option to create a new plugin. There is also the ability to create macros to customize functions and speed up data analysis. ImageJ can also be used as a toolkit to develop applets and servlets.

I have used ImageJ for several image analysis needs. I have used it to analyze my confocal Zeiss LSM images as well as several other fluorescent images. There is the ability to open these files in the original LSM as well as other formats and to view them as z stacks. Files can then be analyzed and saved as individual tiffs and figures can be created to display results. Another function that I have utilized is the kymograph plugin. This enables one to take a stack of images and create a time-distance kymograph with the ability to measure the angle of the line and determine velocity. While the ImageJ software did not do everything, it was able to create a basic kymograph. If I had the capability or the time, I’m sure I could have easily written a program to automate the kymograph analysis and angle measurements. I did have some problems in the capabilities of the software to process all my images and to get rid of the background. It definitely does not work as well as some other programs I have found with built in functions specifically for my purposes, but those programs also cost several thousand dollars.

I could never explain in this short of space the many available analysis and processing options of this software. If you have any understanding of software and Java or how to write any type of code, this program is exactly what you are looking for. It is also useful for the average user who needs to analyze and create figures or data for publication. However, for some advanced applications, some effort and toggling is required. I found the software not as user-friendly as I would like and I spent a lot of time teaching myself how to perform various functions. However, it comes down to price for most people. For most things, I think ImageJ would be more than adequate for image processing needs and there’s a lot one can give up to save some money.