Python OpenCV | cv2.imshow() method (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 23 Feb, 2026

The cv2.imshow() function in OpenCV is used to display an image in a window. It creates a window with a specified name and shows the given image. This function is commonly used to view images and verify image processing results.

For this article, a sample image is used name "logo.png", which is displayed below:

logo.png

**Example: In this example, the sample image is loaded and displayed in a window.

Python `

import cv2

img = cv2.imread("logo.png") cv2.imshow("Image", img) cv2.waitKey(0) cv2.destroyAllWindows()

`

**Output

Output

**Explanation:

• cv2.imread("logo.png") reads the image and stores it in img.
• cv2.imshow("Image", img) displays the image in a window named "Image".
• cv2.waitKey(0) waits until a key is pressed.
• cv2.destroyAllWindows() closes the window.

Syntax

cv2.imshow(window_name, image)

**Parameters:

• **window_name: Name of the window where the image will be displayed.
• **image: The image that needs to be displayed.

Examples

**Example 1: In this example, an image is loaded in grayscale mode and displayed.

Python `

import cv2

img = cv2.imread("logo.png", 0) cv2.imshow("Gray Image", img) cv2.waitKey(0) cv2.destroyAllWindows()

`

**Output: The grayscale image is displayed in a window.

Grayscale Image

**Explanation:

• cv2.imread("logo.png", 0) loads the image in grayscale.
• cv2.imshow("Gray Image", img) displays the grayscale image.

**Example 2: In this example, the image is resized before displaying it.

Python `

import cv2

img = cv2.imread("logo.png") res = cv2.resize(img, (300,300)) cv2.imshow("Resized", res) cv2.waitKey(0) cv2.destroyAllWindows()

`

**Output: resized image (300×300) is displayed.

Resized Image

**Explanation:

• cv2.resize(img, (300,300)) resizes the image.
• cv2.imshow("Resized", res) displays the resized image.

**Example 3: The same image is displayed in two different windows with different window names. This shows how cv2.imshow() can create multiple display windows.

Python `

import cv2

img = cv2.imread("logo.png") cv2.imshow("Window 1", img) cv2.imshow("Window 2", img) cv2.waitKey(0) cv2.destroyAllWindows()

`

**Output: The same image is displayed in two separate windows named "Window 1" and "Window 2".

same image is displayed in two different windows

**Explanation:

• cv2.imshow("Window 1", img) displays the image in the first window.
• cv2.imshow("Window 2", img) displays the image in the second window.