Intervention/image · error · Intervention\Image\Exceptions\InvalidArgumentException

Image source must be of type

Error message

Image source must be of type 

What it means

Thrown by EncodedImageObjectDecoder::decode() when the input is not an EncodedImageInterface (the interface behind EncodedImage — the object toBytes()/encode() return). This decoder only re-ingests previously encoded image objects; any other value is rejected up front.

Source

Thrown at src/Drivers/Imagick/Decoders/EncodedImageObjectDecoder.php:41

    public function supports(mixed $input): bool
    {
        return $input instanceof EncodedImageInterface;
    }

    /**
     * {@inheritdoc}
     *
     * @see DecoderInterface::decode()
     *
     * @throws InvalidArgumentException
     * @throws DriverException
     * @throws StateException
     * @throws ImageDecoderException
     */
    public function decode(mixed $input): ImageInterface
    {
        if (!$input instanceof EncodedImageInterface) {
            throw new InvalidArgumentException('Image source must be of type ' . EncodedImage::class);
        }

        try {
            return parent::decode($input->toString());
        } catch (DecoderException) {
            throw new ImageDecoderException(EncodedImage::class . ' contains unsupported image type');
        }
    }
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 5598b9e397)

Solutions

1. Pass the EncodedImage object itself, not ->toString() output (strings route to the binary decoder)
2. Type-hint the parameter as EncodedImageInterface so PHP rejects mismatches earlier
3. After upgrading the library, flush cached/queued EncodedImage payloads

Example fix

// before: string passed where the decoder wants the object
$decoded = $manager->read($image->toPng()->toString());

// after: pass the EncodedImage object
$decoded = $manager->read($image->toPng());

if (!$input instanceof EncodedImageInterface) {
    throw new InvalidArgumentException('expected EncodedImageInterface, got ' . get_debug_type($input));
}
$image = $manager->read($input);

function isEncodedImageObject(mixed $value): bool
{
    return $value instanceof EncodedImageInterface;
}

use Intervention\Image\Exceptions\InvalidArgumentException;

try {
    $image = $manager->read($input);
} catch (InvalidArgumentException $e) {
    // pass the EncodedImage object itself, or fix decoder chain wiring
    throw $e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling this decoder (directly, or in a hand-wired decoder chain) with a plain string, an Imagick object, or an EncodedImage from a different major version whose class no longer implements the interface. Note: through ImageManager::read() the supports() check (instanceof EncodedImageInterface) prevents this error for non-matching input.

Common situations: Custom decoder pipelines that skip supports(); upgrading intervention/image across major versions while old EncodedImage instances circulate in caches/queues; passing the string from ->toString() where the object itself was expected.

Related errors

• Image source must be binary data of type string or instance
• Image source must be data uri scheme of type string or
• Input is not valid Base64-encoded data
• Image source must be of type Intervention\Image\EncodedImage
• Unable to Base64-decode image from string

AI-assisted analysis of Intervention/image@5598b9e397 (2026-08-23). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ae82b2097cbbae27. Report an issue: GitHub.