GDAL_TRANSLATE(1)

📦

version 3.4.3 · 2 versions

3.4.3 · epel 9 (latest)
3.4.3 · epel 10

🦋 NAME 🦋

okay bestie, welcome to GDAL_TRANSLATE(1) from the GDAL manual — this is literally the page for gdal_translate, and it converts raster data between different formats. no cap 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

          gdal_translate [--help-general]
              [-ot {Byte/Int16/UInt16/UInt32/Int32/Float32/Float64/
                      CInt16/CInt32/CFloat32/CFloat64}] [-strict]
              [-if format]* [-of format]
              [-b band]* [-mask band] [-expand {gray|rgb|rgba}]
              [-outsize xsize[%]|0 ysize[%]|0] [-tr xres yres]
              [-r {nearest,bilinear,cubic,cubicspline,lanczos,average,rms,mode}]
              [-unscale] [-scale[_bn] [src_min src_max [dst_min dst_max]]]* [-exponent[_bn] exp_val]*
              [-srcwin xoff yoff xsize ysize] [-epo] [-eco]
              [-projwin ulx uly lrx lry] [-projwin_srs srs_def]
              [-a_srs srs_def] [-a_coord_epoch <epoch>]
              [-a_ullr ulx uly lrx lry] [-a_nodata value]
              [-a_scale value] [-a_offset value]
              [-nogcp] [-gcp pixel line easting northing [elevation]]*
              |-colorinterp{_bn} {red|green|blue|alpha|gray|undefined}]
              |-colorinterp {red|green|blue|alpha|gray|undefined},...]
              [-mo "META-TAG=VALUE"]* [-q] [-sds]
              [-co "NAME=VALUE"]* [-stats] [-norat] [-noxmp]
              [-oo NAME=VALUE]*
              src_dataset dst_dataset

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so the gdal_translate utility can be used to convert raster data between different formats, potentially performing some operations like subsettings, resampling, and rescaling pixels in the process. it's giving main-character energy in the raster world 👑✨

`-ot <type>`

Force the output image bands to have a specific data type supported by the driver, which may be one of the following: Byte, UInt16, Int16, UInt32, Int32, Float32, Float64, CInt16, CInt32, CFloat32 or CFloat64. slay, but make it typed 💅

`-strict`

Don't be forgiving of mismatches and lost data when translating to the output format. it is strict, periodt 🚨

`-if <format>`

Format/driver name to be attempted to open the input file(s). It is generally not necessary to specify it, but it can be used to skip automatic driver detection, when it fails to select the appropriate driver. This option can be repeated several times to specify several candidate drivers.

✨ New in version 3.2.

`-of <format>`

Select the output format. Starting with GDAL 2.3, if not specified, the format is guessed from the extension (previously was GTiff). Use the short format name. cute and concise 🎀

`-b <band>`

Select an input band band for output. Bands are numbered from 1. Multiple -b switches may be used to select a set of input bands to write to the output file, or to reorder bands. band can also be set to "mask,1" (or just "mask") to mean the mask band of the first band of the input dataset.

`-mask <band>`

Select an input band band to create output dataset mask band. Bands are numbered from 1. band can be set to "none" to avoid copying the global mask of the input dataset if it exists. Otherwise it is copied by default ("auto"), unless the mask is an alpha channel, or if it is explicitly used to be a regular band of the output dataset ("-b mask"). band can also be set to "mask,1" (or just "mask") to mean the mask band of the 1st band of the input dataset. masked and booked, bestie 🫶

`-expand gray|rgb|rgba`

To expose a dataset with 1 band with a color table as a dataset with 3 (RGB) or 4 (RGBA) bands. Useful for output drivers such as JPEG, JPEG2000, MrSID, ECW that don't support color indexed datasets. The 'gray' value enables to expand a dataset with a color table that only contains gray levels to a gray indexed dataset. it's giving palette-to-party 🎨✨

`-outsize <xsize>[%]|0 <ysize>[%]|0`

Set the size of the output file. Outsize is in pixels and lines unless % is attached in which case it is as a fraction of the input image size. If one of the 2 values is set to 0, its value will be determined from the other one, while maintaining the aspect ratio of the source dataset. aspect ratio said not today 💀

`-tr <xres> <yres>`

set target resolution. The values must be expressed in georeferenced units. Both must be positive values. This is mutually exclusive with -outsize and -a_ullr. choose your fighter, bestie ⚔️

`-r {nearest (default),bilinear,cubic,cubicspline,lanczos,average,rms,mode}`

Select a resampling algorithm.

nearest applies a nearest neighbour (simple sampling) resampler.
average computes the average of all non-NODATA contributing pixels. Starting with GDAL 3.1, this is a weighted average taking into account properly the weight of source pixels not contributing fully to the target pixel.
rms computes the root mean squared / quadratic mean of all non-NODATA contributing pixels (GDAL >= 3.3).
bilinear applies a bilinear convolution kernel.
cubic applies a cubic convolution kernel.
cubicspline applies a B-Spline convolution kernel.
lanczos applies a Lanczos windowed sinc convolution kernel.
mode selects the value which appears most often of all the sampled points.

pick your vibe, the pixels are ready 🌈

`-scale [src_min src_max [dst_min dst_max]]`

Rescale the input pixels values from the range src_min to src_max to the range dst_min to dst_max. If omitted the output range is 0 to 255. If omitted the input range is automatically computed from the source data. Note that these values are only used to compute a scale and offset to apply to the input raster values. In particular, src_min and src_max are not used to clip input values. -scale can be repeated several times (if specified only once, it also applies to all bands of the output dataset), so as to specify per band parameters. It is also possible to use the "-scale_bn" syntax where bn is a band number (e.g. "-scale_2" for the 2nd band of the output dataset) to specify the parameters of one or several specific bands. glow-up for your pixel values ✨

`-exponent <exp_val>`

To apply non-linear scaling with a power function. exp_val is the exponent of the power function (must be positive). This option must be used with the -scale option. If specified only once, -exponent applies to all bands of the output image. It can be repeated several times so as to specify per band parameters. It is also possible to use the "-exponent_bn" syntax where bn is a band number (e.g. "-exponent_2" for the 2nd band of the output dataset) to specify the parameters of one or several specific bands. math but make it cute 🧮💖

`-unscale`

Apply the scale/offset metadata for the bands to convert scaled values to unscaled values. It is also often necessary to reset the output datatype with the -ot switch. undo the scale, bestie 🔄

`-srcwin <xoff> <yoff> <xsize> <ysize>`

Selects a subwindow from the source image for copying based on pixel/line location. crop era, but make it raster 🎀

`-projwin <ulx> <uly> <lrx> <lry>`

Selects a subwindow from the source image for copying (like -srcwin) but with the corners given in georeferenced coordinates (by default expressed in the SRS of the dataset. Can be changed with -projwin_srs).

NOTE: In GDAL 2.1.0 and 2.1.1, using -projwin with coordinates not aligned with pixels will result in a sub-pixel shift. This has been corrected in later versions. When selecting non-nearest neighbour resampling, starting with GDAL 2.1.0, sub-pixel accuracy is however used to get better results.

`-projwin_srs <srs_def>`

Specifies the SRS in which to interpret the coordinates given with -projwin. The <srs_def> may be any of the usual GDAL/OGR forms, complete WKT, PROJ.4, EPSG:n or a file containing the WKT.

WARNING: This does not cause reprojection of the dataset to the specified SRS.

it's just telling you where the coords live, not moving your whole dataset, okay? 🫶

`-epo`

(Error when Partially Outside) If this option is set, -srcwin or -projwin values that falls partially outside the source raster extent will be considered as an error. The default behavior is to accept such requests, when they were considered as an error before. boundary issues? we're calling them out 🚨

`-eco`

(Error when Completely Outside) Same as -epo, except that the criterion for erroring out is when the request falls completely outside the source raster extent. fully outside means fully nope 💀

`-a_srs <srs_def>`

Override the projection for the output file.

The coordinate reference systems that can be passed are anything supported by the OGRSpatialReference.SetFromUserInput() call, which includes EPSG Projected, Geographic or Compound CRS (i.e. EPSG:4296), a well known text (WKT) CRS definition, PROJ.4 declarations, or the name of a .prj file containing a WKT CRS definition.

NOTE: No reprojection is done.

assigning the SRS is not the same as reprojecting, bestie, don't get it twisted 😭

`-a_coord_epoch <epoch>`

✨ New in version 3.4.

Assign a coordinate epoch, linked with the output SRS. Useful when the output SRS is a dynamic CRS. time-sensitive SRS said periodt ⏳

`-a_scale <value>`

Set band scaling value (no modification of pixel values is done)

✨ New in version 2.3.

`-a_offset<value>`

Set band offset value (no modification of pixel values is done)

✨ New in version 2.3.

`-a_ullr <ulx> <uly> <lrx> <lry>`

Assign/override the georeferenced bounds of the output file. This assigns georeferenced bounds to the output file, ignoring what would have been derived from the source file. So this does not cause reprojection to the specified SRS. bounds assigned, no projection plot twist 🎯

`-a_nodata <value>`

Assign a specified nodata value to output bands. It can be set to none to avoid setting a nodata value to the output file if one exists for the source file. Note that, if the input dataset has a nodata value, this does not cause pixel values that are equal to that nodata value to be changed to the value specified with this option. labeling nodata ≠ rewriting pixels, iykyk 🫶

`-colorinterp_X <red|green|blue|alpha|gray|undefined>`

Override the color interpretation of band X (where X is a valid band number, starting at 1)

✨ New in version 2.3.

`-colorinterp <red|green|blue|alpha|gray|undefined[,red|green|blue|alpha|gray|undefined]*>`

Override the color interpretation of all specified bands. For example -colorinterp red,green,blue,alpha for a 4 band output dataset.

✨ New in version 2.3.

color-coded and iconic 💅🌈

`-mo META-TAG=VALUE`

Passes a metadata key and value to set on the output dataset if possible. metadata moment, bestie 🏷️✨

-co <NAME=VALUE> — okay so lots of formats have optional creation options that control little particulars about the file you're making. GeoTIFF, for example, has creation options for compression and whether the file should be tiled. ✨ The options you get depend on the format driver, and some simple formats have literally no creation options at all. You can peep a list of supported options with the --formats command line option, but the format's own documentation is the definitive source of truth on driver creation options. Check the raster_drivers format-specific docs for the legal creation options for each format. 💅
-nogcp — do not copy the GCPs from the source dataset into the output dataset. Not today, ground control points. 🚫
-gcp <pixel> <line> <easting> <northing> <elevation> — adds the indicated ground control point to the output dataset. You can drop this option multiple times to build up a whole set of GCPs. 🎀
-q — shhh 🤫 suppresses the progress monitor and other non-error output. Only the important error stuff gets through.
-sds — copies all subdatasets of this file into individual output files. Use it with formats like HDF that have subdatasets. 🦋
-stats — forces (re)computation of statistics. Math time, bestie. 🔥
-norat — do not copy the source RAT into the destination dataset. RAT stays home. 🙈
-noxmp — do not copy the XMP metadata from the source dataset to the output dataset when the driver is able to copy it. ✨ New in version 3.2.
-oo NAME=VALUE — dataset open option (format specific). iykyk.
<src_dataset> — the source dataset name. It can be a file name, a URL of a data source, or a subdataset name for multi-dataset files. 🌈
<dst_dataset> — the destination file name. That's where the magic lands. 💖

✨ C API ✨

This utility is also callable from C with GDALTranslate(). 👑

New in version 2.1.

🎀 EXAMPLES 🎀

gdal_translate -of GTiff -co "TILED=YES" utm.tif utm_tiled.tif

To create a JPEG-compressed TIFF with internal mask from a RGBA dataset:

gdal_translate rgba.tif withmask.tif -b 1 -b 2 -b 3 -mask 4 -co COMPRESS=JPEG -co PHOTOMETRIC=YCBCR --config GDAL_TIFF_INTERNAL_MASK YES

To create a RGBA dataset from a RGB dataset with a mask:

gdal_translate withmask.tif rgba.tif -b 1 -b 2 -b 3 -b mask

💜 AUTHOR 💜

Frank Warmerdam <warmerdam@pobox.com>, Silke Reimer <silke@intevation.de>

🌸 COPYRIGHT 🌸

1998-2026

okay that's the whole vibe, bestie 🫶 this page is from Jan 08, 2026, and you were reading GDAL_TRANSLATE(1) — go forth and translate slayfully 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from

epel 9: gdal3.4 3.4.3-5.el9 · MIT
💖 girlified by deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash-1017 on 2026-11-04: a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms