# ImageRenderer An object that creates images from SwiftUI views. ``` final class ImageRenderer where Content : View ``` ## Overview Use `ImageRenderer` to export bitmap image data from a SwiftUI view. You initialize the renderer with a view, then render images on demand, either by calling the [`render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)) method, or by using the renderer’s properties to create a , , or . By drawing to a [`Canvas`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Canvas) and exporting with an `ImageRenderer`, you can generate images from any progammatically-rendered content, like paths, shapes, gradients, and more. You can also render standard SwiftUI views like [`Text`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Text) views, or containers of multiple view types. The following example uses a private `createAwardView(forUser:date:)` method to create a game app’s view of a trophy symbol with a user name and date. This view combines a [`Canvas`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Canvas) that applies a shadow filter with two [`Text`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Text) views into a [`VStack`](/documentation/SwiftUI/VStack). A [`Button`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Button) allows the person to save this view. The button’s action uses an `ImageRenderer` to rasterize a `CGImage` and then calls a private `uploadAchievementImage(_:)` method to encode and upload the image. ``` var body: some View { let trophyAndDate = createAwardView(forUser: playerName, date: achievementDate) VStack { trophyAndDate Button("Save Achievement") { let renderer = ImageRenderer(content: trophyAndDate) if let image = renderer.cgImage { uploadAchievementImage(image) } } } } private func createAwardView(forUser: String, date: Date) -> some View { VStack { Image(systemName: "trophy") .resizable() .frame(width: 200, height: 200) .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, maxHeight: .infinity) .shadow(color: .mint, radius: 5) Text(playerName) .font(.largeTitle) Text(achievementDate.formatted()) } .multilineTextAlignment(.center) .frame(width: 200, height: 290) } ```  Because `ImageRenderer` conforms to , you can use it to produce a stream of images as its properties change. Subscribe to the renderer’s [`objectWillChange`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/objectWillChange) publisher, then use the renderer to rasterize a new image each time the subscriber receives an update. > Important: `ImageRenderer` output only includes views that SwiftUI renders, > such as text, images, shapes, and composite views of these types. It > does not render views provided by native platform frameworks (AppKit and > UIKit) such as web views, media players, and some controls. For these views, > `ImageRenderer` displays a placeholder image, similar to the behavior of > ``doc://com.apple.SwiftUI/documentation/SwiftUI/View/drawingGroup(opaque:colorMode:)``. ### Rendering to a PDF context The [`render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)) method renders the specified view to any . That means you aren’t limited to creating a rasterized `CGImage`. For example, you can generate PDF data by rendering to a PDF context. The resulting PDF maintains resolution-independence for supported members of the view hierarchy, such as text, symbol images, lines, shapes, and fills. The following example uses the `createAwardView(forUser:date:)` method from the previous example, and exports its contents as an 800-by-600 point PDF to the file URL `renderURL`. It uses the `size` parameter sent to the rendering closure to center the `trophyAndDate` view vertically and horizontally on the page. ``` var body: some View { let trophyAndDate = createAwardView(forUser: playerName, date: achievementDate) VStack { trophyAndDate Button("Save Achievement") { let renderer = ImageRenderer(content: trophyAndDate) renderer.render { size, renderer in var mediaBox = CGRect(origin: .zero, size: CGSize(width: 800, height: 600)) guard let consumer = CGDataConsumer(url: renderURL as CFURL), let pdfContext = CGContext(consumer: consumer, mediaBox: &mediaBox, nil) else { return } pdfContext.beginPDFPage(nil) pdfContext.translateBy(x: mediaBox.size.width / 2 - size.width / 2, y: mediaBox.size.height / 2 - size.height / 2) renderer(pdfContext) pdfContext.endPDFPage() pdfContext.closePDF() } } } } ``` ### Creating an image from drawing instructions `ImageRenderer` makes it possible to create a custom image by drawing into a [`Canvas`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Canvas), rendering a `CGImage` from it, and using that to initialize an [`Image`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Image). To simplify this process, use the `Image` initializer [`init(size:label:opaque:colorMode:renderer:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/Image/init(size:label:opaque:colorMode:renderer:)), which takes a closure whose argument is a [`GraphicsContext`](/documentation/SwiftUI/GraphicsContext) that you can directly draw into. ## Topics ### Creating an image renderer [`init(content:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/init(content:)) Creates a renderer object with a source content view. ### Providing the source view [`content`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/content) The root view rendered by this image renderer. ### Accessing renderer properties [`proposedSize`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/proposedSize) The size proposed to the root view. [`scale`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/scale) The scale at which to render the image. [`isOpaque`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/isOpaque) A Boolean value that indicates whether the alpha channel of the image is fully opaque. [`colorMode`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/colorMode) The working color space and storage format of the image. [`allowedDynamicRange`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/allowedDynamicRange) The allowed dynamic range of the image, or nil to mark that the dynamic range of the image should be unrestricted. This property defaults to `sdr`, i.e. HDR content will be tone mapped to SDR. ### Rendering images [`render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/render(rasterizationScale:renderer:)) Draws the renderer’s current contents to an arbitrary Core Graphics context. [`cgImage`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/cgImage) The current contents of the view, rasterized as a Core Graphics image. [`nsImage`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/nsImage) The current contents of the view, rasterized as an AppKit image. [`uiImage`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/uiImage) The current contents of the view, rasterized as a UIKit image. ### Producing a stream of images [`objectWillChange`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/objectWillChange) A publisher that informs subscribers of changes to the image. [`isObservationEnabled`](/documentation/SwiftUI/ImageRenderer/isObservationEnabled) If observers of this observed object should be notified when the produced image changes. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)