Creating Gradients Programmatically in Python ➹

import sys

def write_png(filename, width, height, rgb_func):

    import zlib
    import struct
    import array

    def output_chunk(out, chunk_type, data):
        out.write(struct.pack("!I", len(data)))
        out.write(chunk_type)
        out.write(data)
        checksum = zlib.crc32(data, zlib.crc32(chunk_type))
        out.write(struct.pack("!I", checksum))

    def get_data(width, height, rgb_func):
        fw = float(width)
        fh = float(height)
        compressor = zlib.compressobj()
        data = array.array("B")
        for y in range(height):
            data.append(0)
            fy = float(y)
            for x in range(width):
                fx = float(x)
                data.extend([int(v * 255) for v in rgb_func(fx / fw, fy / fh)])
        compressed = compressor.compress(data.tostring())
        flushed = compressor.flush()
        return compressed + flushed

    out = open(filename, "w")
    out.write(struct.pack("8B", 137, 80, 78, 71, 13, 10, 26, 10))
    output_chunk(out, "IHDR", struct.pack("!2I5B", width, height, 8, 2, 0, 0, 0))
    output_chunk(out, "IDAT", get_data(width, height, rgb_func))
    output_chunk(out, "IEND", "")
    out.close()

def linear_gradient(start_value, stop_value, start_offset=0.0, stop_offset=1.0):
    return lambda offset: (start_value + ((offset - start_offset) / (stop_offset - start_offset) * (stop_value - start_value))) / 255.0

def gradient(DATA):
    def gradient_function(x, y):
        initial_offset = 0.0
        for offset, start, end in DATA:
            if y < offset:
                r = linear_gradient(start[0], end[0], initial_offset, offset)(y)
                g = linear_gradient(start[1], end[1], initial_offset, offset)(y)
                b = linear_gradient(start[2], end[2], initial_offset, offset)(y)
                return r, g, b
            initial_offset = offset
    return gradient_function

## EXAMPLES

# normally you would make these with width=1 but below I've made them 50
# so you can more easily see the result

# body background from jtauber.com and quisition.com
write_png("test1.png", 50, 143, gradient([
    (1.0, (0xA1, 0xA1, 0xA1), (0xDF, 0xDF, 0xDF)),
]))

# header background similar to that on jtauber.com
write_png("test2.png", 50, 90, gradient([
    (0.43, (0xBF, 0x94, 0xC0), (0x4C, 0x26, 0x4C)), # top
    (0.85, (0x4C, 0x26, 0x4C), (0x27, 0x13, 0x27)), # bottom
    (1.0,  (0x66, 0x66, 0x66), (0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF)), # shadow
]))

# header background from pinax
write_png("test3.png", 50, 80, gradient([
    (0.72, (0x00, 0x26, 0x4D), (0x00, 0x40, 0x80)),
    (1.0,  (0x00, 0x40, 0x80), (0x00, 0x6C, 0xCF)), # glow
]))

# form input background from pinax
write_png("test4.png", 50, 25, gradient([
    (0.33, (0xDD, 0xDD, 0xDD), (0xF3, 0xF3, 0xF3)), # top-shadow
    (1.0,  (0xF3, 0xF3, 0xF3), (0xF3, 0xF3, 0xF3)),
]))