Choose Approach to Display 2-D and 3-D Images

Image Processing Toolbox™ offers a variety of functions that display 2-D images, frames of image sequences, 2-D slices of 3-D (volumetric) images, and 3-D renderings of volumetric images. You can display images programmatically using functions or interactively using apps.

Display 2-D Images

You can display 2-D images captured by digital cameras in standard file formats such as JPEG, and you can display the images that result from an image processing pipeline. You can also display multiple 2-D images in the same figure.

2-D image display functions, such as imshow, support RGB, grayscale, and binary images. Nonstandard formats include RAW data, medical DICOM images, high dynamic range (HDR) images, and hyperspectral images. For 2-D images in a nonstandard format, you may need to convert the data to a standard format, depending on the display approach that you choose.

When to Use	Approach	Sample Display
You want to display a single 2-D image.	Use the `imshow` function for basic display of small images. This function enables customization of the display axes using MATLAB^® graphics functions. When viewing images in MATLAB Online™ or displaying larger images such as 12-Megapixel smartphone or DSLR camera images, consider using `imageshow` (since R2024b). This function is designed for fast performance, improved rendering quality, and smooth pan and zoom interactions. See Display an Image in Figure Window.
You want to display a single 2-D image and perform some common image processing tasks interactively.	Use the Image Viewer app. See Get Started with Image Viewer App.
You want to display multiple 2-D images next to each other. For example, you might want to compare an original image and a processed version of the image.	Use the `montage` function. See Display Multiple Images.
You want to display two 2-D images overlaid on each other. For example, you want to check the alignment of two images using falsecolor or alpha blending.	Use the `imshowpair` function. See Display Multiple Images.
You want to display the thumbnails of images in an image datastore or a folder.	Use the Image Browser app. See View and Edit Collection of Images in Folder or Datastore.
You want to display: A single 2-D image that is too large to fit in memory A multiresolution (or multilevel) 2-D image	Read the image as a `blockedImage` object, then display the image using `imageshow` (since R2024b). Before R2024b, or to display the image in an axes that can be customized using MATLAB graphics functions, use `bigimageshow`.
You want to display hyperspectral data, including color or false-color representations of hyperspectral images.	Use the Hyperspectral Viewer app (requires Hyperspectral Imaging Library for Image Processing Toolbox.) See Explore Hyperspectral Data in the Hyperspectral Viewer.

Display 2-D Slices and Frames

3-D volumes and image sequences are both collections of related 2-D images. The 2-D images (slices) in a 3-D volume are related along the third spatial dimension, depth. The 2-D images (frames) in an image sequence are related by a nonspatial dimension, such as time.

You can display individual slices of a 3-D volume or frames of an image sequence. To see changes in successive slices or frames, you can display the slices or frames sequentially or alongside each other in a montage. For 3-D volumes, you can also display cross-sections along the three orthogonal spatial planes.

When to Use	Approach	Sample Display
You want to display: A single frame of an image sequence A single slice of a 3-D volumetric image	Index into the numeric array representing the image sequence or 3-D volumetric image, then display the indexed frame or slice by using the `imshow` function. See Perform an Operation on a Sequence of Images.
You want to display: Multiple frames of an image sequence next to each other Multiple parallel slices of a 3-D volumetric image next to each other	Use the `montage` function.
You want to display a slice of a 3-D volume and change the selected slice interactively using a slider.	Use the `sliceViewer` function.
You want to animate an image sequence or successive slices of a 3-D volume as a video.	Use the Video Viewer app. See View Image Sequences in Video Viewer.
You want to display orthogonal slices of a 3-D volume along the x, y, and z dimensions.	Use the `orthosliceViewer` function. You can adjust the slices interactively by dragging the yellow lines that indicate the planes of each cross-section.
You want to display orthogonal slices of a volumetric image or labeled volumetric image, and adjust the display properties interactively.	Use the Volume Viewer app. See Explore 3-D Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer App and Explore 3-D Labeled Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer.

Display 3-D Renderings of 3-D Volumes

You can display a 3-D volumetric image in 3-D space. To improve the visibility of features within the volume, you can move the camera position within the scene, adjust the transparency of the data, or change rendering styles.

When to Use Approach Sample Display

You want to display a volumetric image or labeled volumetric image, and adjust the display properties interactively.

When to Use	Approach	Sample Display
You want to display a volumetric image or labeled volumetric image, and adjust the display properties interactively.	Use the Volume Viewer app. See Explore 3-D Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer App and Explore 3-D Labeled Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer.
You want to display a volumetric image using a 3-D rendering. You can optionally: Include pixel labels. Specify the rendering style of the data and overlays. Interactively crop the volume, or remove background objects using 3-D scissors.	Use the `volshow` function. Adjust the camera controls, scene lighting, and scene color using the `viewer3d` function. See Display Interior Labels by Adjusting Volume Overlay Properties and Display Interior Labels by Clipping Volume Planes.
You want to display: A single 3-D image that is too large to fit in memory. A multiresolution (or multilevel) 3-D image.	Read the image as a `blockedImage` object, then display the image using `volshow`. See Display Large 3-D Images Using Blocked Volume Visualization.

Use the Volume Viewer app.

See Explore 3-D Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer App and Explore 3-D Labeled Volumetric Data with Volume Viewer.

Volume Viewer app displays three orthogonal cross-sections and a 3-D rendering of a volumetric image, with controls to adjust aspects of the display.

You want to display a volumetric image using a 3-D rendering. You can optionally:

Include pixel labels.
Specify the rendering style of the data and overlays.
Interactively crop the volume, or remove background objects using 3-D scissors.

Use the volshow function. Adjust the camera controls, scene lighting, and scene color using the viewer3d function.

See Display Interior Labels by Adjusting Volume Overlay Properties and Display Interior Labels by Clipping Volume Planes.

Volumetric image data displayed with a gradient opacity rendering style to reveal internal label data.

You want to display:

A single 3-D image that is too large to fit in memory.
A multiresolution (or multilevel) 3-D image.

Read the image as a blockedImage object, then display the image using volshow.

See Display Large 3-D Images Using Blocked Volume Visualization.

Blocked volumetric data displayed in an interactive 3-D figure.

Related Examples

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