#get raw image data #my $image_data = `cat image.png`; # easy shell out my $image_data; open (FH,"< image.png"); read( FH, $image_data, -s FH ); close FH; my $pixbuf = do { my $loader = Gtk2::Gdk::PixbufLoader->new(); $loader->write( $image_data ); $loader->close(); $loader->get_pixbuf(); }; #you can then make your thumbnails with the pixbuf methods my $pixbuf_smaller = $pixbuf->scale_simple(50,50,'bilinear'); my $img_smaller = Gtk2::Image->new_from_pixbuf($pixbuf_smaller);