Outputting temporary images

[markr]

I'm using Imagick to manipulate images that I want to output to HTML and I have a few questions:

1. Is it possible to output the images directly to HTML without first writing them back to the server? I'd like to bypass writing them to the server because that would generate thousands of temporary images that would no longer be needed (after they are output to the browser).

2. If it is possible, would it be faster to output directly to the browser than first writing them to the server?

3. How would it be coded?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[mkoppanen]

If the images are displayed more than once it makes sense to cache the images on the server. if the images are only displayed once you probably need to create them on the fly every time and that is going to be hard on your CPU depending on the amount of traffic.