keras-team/keras · error · ValueError

Invalid images rank: expected rank 3 (single image) or rank

Error message

Invalid images rank: expected rank 3 (single image) or rank 4 (batch of images). Received input with shape: images.shape={images.shape}

What it means

Error "Invalid images rank: expected rank 3 (single image) or rank 4 (batch of images). Received input with shape: images.shape={images.shape}" thrown in keras-team/keras.

Source

Thrown at keras/src/backend/tensorflow/image.py:56

}
SCALE_AND_TRANSLATE_METHODS = {
    "linear",
    "bilinear",
    "trilinear",
    "cubic",
    "bicubic",
    "tricubic",
    "lanczos3",
    "lanczos5",
}


def rgb_to_grayscale(images, data_format=None):
    images = convert_to_tensor(images)
    data_format = backend.standardize_data_format(data_format)
    channels_axis = -1 if data_format == "channels_last" else -3
    if len(images.shape) not in (3, 4):
        raise ValueError(
            "Invalid images rank: expected rank 3 (single image) "
            "or rank 4 (batch of images). Received input with shape: "
            f"images.shape={images.shape}"
        )
    if images.shape[channels_axis] not in (1, 3):
        raise ValueError(
            "Invalid channel size: expected 3 (RGB) or 1 (Grayscale). "
            f"Received input with shape: images.shape={images.shape}"
        )
    if images.shape[channels_axis] == 1:
        return tf.identity(images)
    # Convert to floats
    original_dtype = images.dtype
    compute_dtype = backend.result_type(images.dtype, float)
    images = tf.cast(images, compute_dtype)

    # Ref: tf.image.rgb_to_grayscale
    rgb_weights = convert_to_tensor(

View on GitHub (pinned to 7a34a03db6)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at keras/src/backend/tensorflow/image.py:56 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of keras-team/keras@7a34a03db6 (2026-08-25). Data as JSON: /api/errors/398b9da88f5a1b57. Report an issue: GitHub.