Laravel Class Imagick not found

The error "Class 'Imagick' not found" in Laravel typically indicates that the Imagick PHP extension is not installed or enabled on your server. Imagick is an image manipulation library that provides advanced capabilities for image processing. Here’s how you can resolve this issue:

What Causes the “Class 'Imagick' Not Found” Error in Laravel?

This error appears when the Imagick extension is either:

• Not installed on the server.
• Installed but not enabled in php.ini.
• Installed for a different PHP version than the one Laravel is using.
• Installed incorrectly on Windows (wrong DLL file).
• Not loaded due to misconfiguration after a PHP or server upgrade.
  
  

Install Imagick PHP Extension

First, you need to install the Imagick PHP extension on your server. The installation steps can vary depending on your operating system.

Install Imagick on Ubuntu or Debian

For Ubuntu or Debian-based servers, use the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install php-imagick

Once installed, PHP will automatically detect the extension, but you may still need to enable it or restart the server.

Install Imagick on CentOS or RHEL

For Red Hat or CentOS servers:

sudo yum install php-imagick

If the yum repository does not include Imagick, make sure EPEL or REMI repositories are enabled.

Install Imagick on Windows

Windows users need to follow a few manual steps:

1. Download the correct DLL file for your PHP version from PECL or windows.php.net.

2. Extract the DLL file and place it inside your PHP ext directory.

3. Edit your php.ini file and add the following line:
   
   

   extension=php_imagick.dll
   

   
   Ensure you download the DLL version matching:

   • Your PHP version (7.x, 8.x)

   • Thread Safety (NTS / TS)

   • System architecture (x64 or x86).

Enable the Imagick Extension

After installing, you need to enable the Imagick extension in your PHP configuration.Open your php.ini file.Add the following line:

extension=imagick

If you have multiple PHP versions, ensure you are modifying the php.ini file for the correct version.

Restart Your Web Server

After installing and enabling Imagick, restart your web server to apply the changes.

For Apache:

sudo service apache2 restart

Verify Installation

To verify that Imagick is installed and enabled, you can create a PHP file with the following content and navigate to it in your web browser:

phpinfo();

Look for the Imagick section in the phpinfo() output. If it's listed, then Imagick is successfully installed and enabled.

5. Restarting your web server

After installing and enabling Imagick, restart your server to load the extension.

Restart Apache
sudo service apache2 restart

Restart Nginx with PHP-FPM

sudo service php8.x-fpm restart
sudo service nginx restart

Restart Windows Services

If using XAMPP or WAMP:

Stop Apache.
Start Apache again.

Restarting is required so PHP can detect the newly installed extension.

In Conclusion

The “Class 'Imagick' not found” error in Laravel occurs because the Imagick PHP extension is missing or disabled. By installing Imagick, enabling it in your php.ini file, restarting your server, and verifying the installation, you can easily resolve this issue. Imagick is powerful and essential for advanced image processing tasks, and setting it up properly ensures your Laravel application can handle image manipulation smoothly and efficiently.

If you follow all steps in this guide, your Laravel project will be fully compatible with Imagick, improving performance and reducing errors related to image handling.