Javascript – How to save a PNG image server-side, from a base64 data URI

base64html5-canvasjavascriptPHP

I'm using Nihilogic's "Canvas2Image" JavaScript tool to convert canvas drawings to PNG images.
What I need now is to turn those base64 strings that this tool generates, into actual PNG files on the server, using PHP.

In short, what I'm currently doing is to generate a file on the client side using Canvas2Image, then retrieve the base64-encoded data and send it to the server using AJAX:

// Generate the image file
var image = Canvas2Image.saveAsPNG(canvas, true);   

image.id = "canvasimage";
canvas.parentNode.replaceChild(image, canvas);

var url = 'hidden.php',
data = $('#canvasimage').attr('src');

$.ajax({ 
    type: "POST", 
    url: url,
    dataType: 'text',
    data: {
        base64data : data
    }
});

At this point, "hidden.php" receives a data block that looks like data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAABE…

From this point on, I'm pretty much stumped. From what I've read, I believe that I'm supposed to use PHP's imagecreatefromstring function, but I'm not sure how to actually create an actual PNG image from the base64-encoded string and store it on my server.
Please aid!

Best Answer

You need to extract the base64 image data from that string, decode it and then you can save it to disk, you don't need GD since it already is a png.

$data = 'data:image/png;base64,AAAFBfj42Pj4';

list($type, $data) = explode(';', $data);
list(, $data)      = explode(',', $data);
$data = base64_decode($data);

file_put_contents('/tmp/image.png', $data);

And as a one-liner:

$data = base64_decode(preg_replace('#^data:image/\w+;base64,#i', '', $data));

An efficient method for extracting, decoding, and checking for errors is:

if (preg_match('/^data:image\/(\w+);base64,/', $data, $type)) {
    $data = substr($data, strpos($data, ',') + 1);
    $type = strtolower($type[1]); // jpg, png, gif

    if (!in_array($type, [ 'jpg', 'jpeg', 'gif', 'png' ])) {
        throw new \Exception('invalid image type');
    }
    $data = str_replace( ' ', '+', $data );
    $data = base64_decode($data);

    if ($data === false) {
        throw new \Exception('base64_decode failed');
    }
} else {
    throw new \Exception('did not match data URI with image data');
}

file_put_contents("img.{$type}", $data);

1. Approach: FileReader

Load the image as blob via XMLHttpRequest and use the FileReader API (readAsDataURL()) to convert it to a dataURL:

function toDataURL(url, callback) {
  var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
  xhr.onload = function() {
    var reader = new FileReader();
    reader.onloadend = function() {
      callback(reader.result);
    }
    reader.readAsDataURL(xhr.response);
  };
  xhr.open('GET', url);
  xhr.responseType = 'blob';
  xhr.send();
}

toDataURL('https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d50c83cc0c6523b4d3f6085295c953e0', function(dataUrl) {
  console.log('RESULT:', dataUrl)
})

This code example could also be implemented using the WHATWG fetch API:

const toDataURL = url => fetch(url)
  .then(response => response.blob())
  .then(blob => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    const reader = new FileReader()
    reader.onloadend = () => resolve(reader.result)
    reader.onerror = reject
    reader.readAsDataURL(blob)
  }))


toDataURL('https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d50c83cc0c6523b4d3f6085295c953e0')
  .then(dataUrl => {
    console.log('RESULT:', dataUrl)
  })

These approaches:

lack in browser support

have better compression
work for other file types as well

Browser Support:

2. Approach: Canvas

Load the image into an Image-Object, paint it to a nontainted canvas and convert the canvas back to a dataURL.

function toDataURL(src, callback, outputFormat) {
  var img = new Image();
  img.crossOrigin = 'Anonymous';
  img.onload = function() {
    var canvas = document.createElement('CANVAS');
    var ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
    var dataURL;
    canvas.height = this.naturalHeight;
    canvas.width = this.naturalWidth;
    ctx.drawImage(this, 0, 0);
    dataURL = canvas.toDataURL(outputFormat);
    callback(dataURL);
  };
  img.src = src;
  if (img.complete || img.complete === undefined) {
    img.src = "data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==";
    img.src = src;
  }
}

toDataURL(
  'https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d50c83cc0c6523b4d3f6085295c953e0',
  function(dataUrl) {
    console.log('RESULT:', dataUrl)
  }
)

In detail

Supported input formats:

image/png, image/jpeg, image/jpg, image/gif, image/bmp, image/tiff, image/x-icon, image/svg+xml, image/webp, image/xxx

Supported output formats:

image/png, image/jpeg, image/webp(chrome)

Browser Support:

http://caniuse.com/#feat=canvas
Internet Explorer 10 (Internet Explorer 10 just works with same origin images)

3. Approach: Images from the local file system

If you want to convert images from the users file system you need to take a different approach. Use the FileReader API:

function encodeImageFileAsURL(element) {
  var file = element.files[0];
  var reader = new FileReader();
  reader.onloadend = function() {
    console.log('RESULT', reader.result)
  }
  reader.readAsDataURL(file);
}

<input type="file" onchange="encodeImageFileAsURL(this)" />

Javascript – How to save an HTML5 Canvas as an image on a server

Here is an example of how to achieve what you need:

Draw something (taken from canvas tutorial)

<canvas id="myCanvas" width="578" height="200"></canvas>
<script>
  var canvas = document.getElementById('myCanvas');
  var context = canvas.getContext('2d');

  // begin custom shape
  context.beginPath();
  context.moveTo(170, 80);
  context.bezierCurveTo(130, 100, 130, 150, 230, 150);
  context.bezierCurveTo(250, 180, 320, 180, 340, 150);
  context.bezierCurveTo(420, 150, 420, 120, 390, 100);
  context.bezierCurveTo(430, 40, 370, 30, 340, 50);
  context.bezierCurveTo(320, 5, 250, 20, 250, 50);
  context.bezierCurveTo(200, 5, 150, 20, 170, 80);

  // complete custom shape
  context.closePath();
  context.lineWidth = 5;
  context.fillStyle = '#8ED6FF';
  context.fill();
  context.strokeStyle = 'blue';
  context.stroke();
</script>

Convert canvas image to URL format (base64)

var dataURL = canvas.toDataURL();
Send it to your server via Ajax

    $.ajax({
      type: "POST",
      url: "script.php",
      data: { 
         imgBase64: dataURL
      }
    }).done(function(o) {
      console.log('saved'); 
      // If you want the file to be visible in the browser 
      // - please modify the callback in javascript. All you
      // need is to return the url to the file, you just saved 
      // and than put the image in your browser.
    });

Save base64 on your server as an image (here is how to do this in PHP, the same ideas is in every language. Server side in PHP can be found here):

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Javascript – How to convert an image into Base64 string using JavaScript

1. Approach: FileReader

2. Approach: Canvas

3. Approach: Images from the local file system

Javascript – How to save an HTML5 Canvas as an image on a server

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