Image Arithmetic

Arithmetic Operations between Two Images using

MATLAB Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Rovick P. Tarife
EECE Department, College of Engineering
Mindanao State University Iligan Institute of Technology
Iligan City, Lanao del Norte Philippines
rovicktarife@gmail.com
Abstract The basic concepts and application of arithmetic
operations in digital image processing are presented in this paper.
The process of different arithmetic operations between two
images is also shown in detail. A graphical user interface (GUI)
using MATLAB software was made to perform the different
arithmetic methods.
Index TermsImage addition, image subtraction, image
multiplication, image division

I. INTRODUCTION
Image arithmetic is the implementation of standard
arithmetic operations, such as addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division on images. Image arithmetic has
many uses in image processing both as a preliminary step in
more complex operations and by itself. For example, image
addition can be used to blend two or more images of the same
scene or object.
Using the MATLAB, arithmetic operations between two
images can be performed. The Image Processing Toolbox
software also includes a set of functions that implement
arithmetic operations for all numeric, nonsparse data types. The
toolbox arithmetic functions accept any numeric data type,
including uint8, uint16, and double, and return the result image
in the same format. The functions perform the operations in
double precision, on an element-by-element basis, but do not
convert images to double-precision values in the MATLAB
workspace. Overflow is handled automatically.
II. ARITHMETIC OPERATORS
There are four fundamental arithmetic operators in digital
image processing. These operators are addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division.
A. Image Addition

In its most straightforward implementation, this operator

takes as input two identically sized images and produces as
output a third image of the same size as the first two, in which
each pixel value is the sum of the values of the corresponding
pixel from each of the two input images. More sophisticated
versions allow more than two images to be combined with a
single operation.
A common variant of the operator simply allows a specified
constant to be added to every pixel.
The addition of two images is performed straightforwardly
in a single pass. The output pixel values are given by:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) + B(i,j)

(1)

Or if it is simply desired to add a constant value C to a

single image then:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) + C

(2)

If the pixel values in the input images are actually vectors

rather than scalar values (e.g. for color images) then the
individual components (e.g. red, blue and green components)
are simply added separately to produce the output value.
If the image format being used only supports, say 8-bit
integer pixel values, then it is very easy for the result of the
addition to be greater than the maximum allowed pixel value.
The effect of this depends upon the particular implementation.
The overflowing pixel values might just be set to the maximum
allowed value, an effect known as saturation. Alternatively the
pixel values might wrap around from zero again. If the image
format supports pixel values with a much larger range, e.g. 32bit integers or floating point numbers, then this problem does
not occur so much.
B. Image Subtraction

The subtraction of two images is performed

straightforwardly in a single pass. The output pixel values are
given by:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) - B(i,j)

(3)

Or if the operator computes absolute differences between

the two input images then:
R(i,j) = |A(i,j) - B(i,j)|

form is probably the more widely used and is generally called

scaling.
This graylevel scaling should not be confused with
geometric scaling.
The multiplication of two images is performed in the
obvious way in a single pass using the formula:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) B(i,j)

(6)

(4)
Scaling by a constant is performed using:

Or if it is simply desired to subtract a constant value C from

a single image then:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) - C

(5)

If the pixel values in the input images are actually vectors

rather than scalar values (e.g. for color images) then the
individual components (e.g. red, blue and green components)
are simply subtracted separately to produce the output value.
Implementations of the operator vary as to what they do if
the output pixel values are negative. Some work with image
formats that support negatively-valued pixels, in which case
the negative values are fine (and the way in which they are
displayed will be determined by the display colormap). If the
image format does not support negative numbers then often
such pixels are just set to zero (i.e. black typically).
Alternatively, the operator may `wrap' negative values, so that
for instance -30 appears in the output as 226 (assuming 8-bit
pixel values).
If the operator calculates absolute differences and the two
input images use the same pixel value type, then it is
impossible for the output pixel values to be outside the range
that may be represented by the input pixel type and so this
problem does not arise. This is one good reason for using
absolute differences.
C. Image Multiplication
Like other image arithmetic operators, multiplication comes
in two main forms. The first form takes two input images and
produces an output image in which the pixel values are just
those of the first image, multiplied by the values of the
corresponding values in the second image. The second form
takes a single input image and produces output in which each
pixel value is multiplied by a specified constant. This latter

R(i,j) = A(i,j) C

(7)

Note that the constant is often a floating point number, and

may be less than one, which will reduce the image intensities.
It may even be negative if the image format supports that.
If the pixel values are actually vectors rather than scalar
values (e.g. for color images) then the individual components
(e.g. ref{rgb}{red, blue and green components}) are simply
multiplied separately to produce the output value.
If the output values are calculated to be larger than the
maximum allowed pixel value, then they may either be
truncated at that maximum value, or they can `wrap around'
and continue upwards from the minimum allowed number
again.
D. Image Division
The image division operator normally takes two images as
input and produces a third whose pixel values are just the pixel
values of the first image divided by the corresponding pixel
values of the second image. Many implementations can also be
used with just a single input image, in which case every pixel
value in that image is divided by a specified constant.
The division of two images is performed in the obvious
way in a single pass using the formula:
R(i,j) = A(i,j) B(i,j)

(8)

Division by a constant is performed using:

R(i,j) = A(i,j) C

(9)

If the pixel values are actually vectors rather than scalar

values (e.g. for color images) than the individual components
(e.g. red, blue and green components) are simply divided
separately to produce the output value.
The division operator may only implement integer division,
or it may also be able to handle floating point division. If only
integer division is performed, then results are typically rounded
down to the next lowest integer for output. The ability to use
images with pixel value types other than simply 8-bit integers
comes in very handy when doing division.

III. ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS GUI

A graphical user interface (GUI) is a graphical display in
one or more windows containing controls, called components
that enable a user to perform interactive tasks. The user of the
GUI does not have to create a script or type commands at the
command line to accomplish the tasks. Unlike coding programs
to accomplish tasks, the user of a GUI need not understand the
details of how the tasks are performed.
A graphical user interface was made to perform different
arithmetic operations between two images. Figure 1 shows the
overall design and display of the GUI.

Figure 1. Overall appearance of the GUI

The GUI is composed four axes and nine pushbuttons.
The axes shown in Figure 1 are the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.

BACKGROUND displays the design background

of the GUI
IMAGE A displays the uploaded picture, Image A
IMAGE B displays the uploaded picture, Image B
RESULTING IMAGE displays the image result
of performed arithmetic operation

The pushbuttons used in the GUI with their corresponding

function are the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

UPLOAD A uploads the picture, Image A to be

used for arithmetic operation
UPLOAD B uploads the picture, Image B to be
used for arithmetic operation
SHOW FULL SIZE pops up a MATLAB figure
which displays the actual size of the image result
RESET resets the GUI to default appearance
ADD adds image A and B pixel by pixel
SUBTRACT subtracts Image B from Image A
pixel by pixel
MULTIPLY multiplies Images A and B pixel by
pixel
DIVIDE divides Image A with Image B pixel by
pixel
AXC multiplies Image A with a constant value, C

The GUI utilizes functions from the Image Processing

Toolbox of MATLAB. These are the functions used with their
corresponding description:
1.
2.
3.

imread read image from graphics file

imshow display image
imadd add two images or add constant to image

4.
5.
6.

imsubtract subtract one image from another or

subtract constant from image
immultiply multiply two images or multiply image
by constant
imdivide divide one image into another or divide
image by constant

IV. SAMPLE SIMULATIONS

Different arithmetic operations were performed using the
designed GUI.

B. Image Subtraction Simulation

For image subtraction, yellow.jpg and green.jpg were
used as input images. The pictures both have a resolution of
500 x 500 pixels. yellow.jpg and green.jpg are both plain
colored image having the RGB values (255,255,0) and
(0,255,0), respectively. Figure 3 shows the sample simulation.

A. Image Addition Simulation

The input images used for image addition were red.jpg
and blue.jpg. The pictures both have a resolution of 500 x
500 pixels. red.jpg and blue.jpg are both plain colored
image having the RGB values (255,0,0) and (0,0,255),
respectively. Figure 2 shows the sample simulation.

Figure 3. Sample simulation of image addition

The output image of the simulation has also a resolution of
500 x 500 pixels. It is plain colored and has an RGB values of
(255,0,0).
Figure 2. Sample simulation of image addition
C. Image Multiplication Simulation
As shown in Figure 2, the output image is a magenta
colored image having RGB value of (255,0,255). It also has a
resolution of 500 x 500 pixels.

To simulate multiplication between two images, the

pictures circlewithheart.jpg and check.jpg. Both images
have a resolution of 500 x 500 pixels. Figure 4 shows the
sample simulation of image multiplication.

Figure 5. Sample simulation of division

of two images

E. Scaling Simulation
To simulate scaling (multiplication of an image with a
constant value), plant.jpg was used as an input. It is a
grayscale picture of a plant having a resolution of 700 x 700
pixels. The value of constant, C used was 5. Figure 6 shows the
result of the simulation.

Figure 4. Sample simulation of multiplication

of two images

D. Image Division Simulation

For image division, circlewithheart.jpg and check.jpg
were also used. Figure 5 shows the sample simulation of
division of two images.

Figure 6. Sample simulation of scaling

The result showed a brighter version of the input image.
This is due to multiplying the value of each pixel by 5.

F.

The GUI also pops up an error message when input value

of constant, C is not a number. The error message is shown in
Figure 9

Error Messages

The GUI was designed to pop up different error messages

when the user places wrong inputs. For example, when the user
inputs images of different pixel sizes, an error message pops up
as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9. Error message stating the C input

is not a number
V. CONCLUSION

Figure 7. Error message stating inputs are of different

pixel sizes

When the user inputs images of different types, an error

message will pop up as shown in Figure 8.

Image arithmetic applies one of the standard arithmetic

operations or a logical operator to two or more images. The
operators are applied in a pixel-by-pixel fashion which means
that the value of a pixel in the output image depends only on
the values of the corresponding pixels in the input images.
Hence, the images normally have to be of the same size. One
of the input images may be a constant value, for example when
adding a constant offset to an image.
MATLAB provides functions for image arithmetic that are
easy to use. The GUI makes it easier for the user to perform the
tasks and visualize the results.
Although image arithmetic is the simplest form of image
processing, there is a wide range of applications. A main
advantage of arithmetic operators is that the process is very
simple and therefore fast.
REFERENCES

Figure 8. Error message stating input images

are of different types

[1] C. Solomon and T. Breckon, Fundamentals of Digital Image

Processing: A Practical Approach with Examples in Matlab, 1st
ed., John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2011, pp.5054.
[2] R. Fisher, S. Perkins, A. Walker, and E. Wolfart (2003). Imaage
Arithmetic
[Online].
Available:
http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/rbf/HIPR2/arthops.htm
[3] R. Gonzales and R. Woods Digital Image Processing, Addison
Wesley, 1992, pp47-51, 185-187.