Needed to do this to be able to post to another forum with very limited file type support. Thanks to all above for the hints. Wanted to share my proof of concept code for the next one needing to do this.

Update: Added Wx GUI version below.

#! /usr/bin/perl

# text_to_png.pl - Convert a text file into a png format image
# James M. Lynes, Jr. - January 15, 2015

# Proof of concept. File names hard coded. Expand to read command line
+ arguments
#    or move to Wx gui app.

# Tab expansion regex from The Perl Cookbook

use strict;
use warnings;
use GD;

open INFILE, "<", "text_to_png.pl" || die;

my $image = GD::Image->new(700, 700) || die;
my $white = $image->colorAllocate(230,230,230);            # backgroun
+d color - Lt Gray
my $black = $image->colorAllocate(0,0,0);            # text color - Bl
+ack

my $x = 5;
my $y = 0;

while(<INFILE>) {
    chomp;
    1 while s/\t+/' ' x (($+[0] - $-[0]) * 8 - $-[0] % 8)/e;    # do t
+ab expansion regex here
    $image->string(gdMediumBoldFont, $x, $y, $_, $black);
    $y += 14;
}

my $png_data = $image->png;
open OUTFILE, ">", "text_to_image.png" || die;
binmode OUTFILE;
print OUTFILE $png_data;
close OUTFILE;
[download]

Wx Version

#! /usr/bin/perl

# Name:                 wxtext_to_png.pl
# Author:               James M. Lynes, Jr.
# Created:              February 11, 2015
# Modified By:          James M. Lynes, Jr.
# Last Modified:        February 11, 2015
# Change Log:           2/11/2015 - Program Created - Wx version using
+ sizers
#                                     and filepicker control.
#                                     Based on wxtabexpand.pl structur
+e.
# Description:          Convert a single page text file into a png for
+mat image.
#                         Allows conversion of multiple files.
#                         Tab expansion regex from The Perl Cookbook.

package main;
use strict;
use warnings;
my $app = App->new();
$app->MainLoop;

package App;
use strict;
use warnings;
use base 'Wx::App';
sub OnInit {
    my $frame = Frame->new();
    $frame->Show(1);
}

package Frame;
use strict;
use warnings;
use Wx qw(:everything);
use base qw(Wx::Frame);
use GD;
use Data::Dumper;

sub new {
    my ($class, $parent) = @_;

    my $frame = $class->SUPER::new($parent, -1, "Text File to png File
+ Converter", wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize);

    #Create controls
    # Fields
    my $pdfLabel=Wx::StaticText->new($frame, wxID_ANY,"Select a Text F
+ile to Convert to png", wxDefaultPosition, wxDefaultSize);

    my $pdfFilePicker=Wx::FilePickerCtrl->new($frame, wxID_ANY, "", "S
+elect an Input File","*.*",
                          wxDefaultPosition, [400,-1], wxDIRP_DIR_MUST
+_EXIST|
                          wxDIRP_CHANGE_DIR|wxDIRP_USE_TEXTCTRL);
    $pdfFilePicker->SetPath("~/");
    $frame->{inpath} = "default";

    # Buttons
    my $okButton = Wx::Button->new($frame, wxID_OK, "", wxDefaultPosit
+ion, wxDefaultSize);
    my $exitButton = Wx::Button->new($frame, wxID_EXIT, "", wxDefaultP
+osition, wxDefaultSize);

    # Create sizers.
    my $verticalSizerFrame = Wx::BoxSizer->new(wxVERTICAL);
    $frame->SetSizer($verticalSizerFrame);
    my $verticalSizerControls = Wx::BoxSizer->new(wxVERTICAL);
    my $horizontalSizerButtons = Wx::BoxSizer->new(wxHORIZONTAL);

    # Lay 'em out.
    $verticalSizerFrame->Add($verticalSizerControls,0,0,0);
    $verticalSizerFrame->Add($horizontalSizerButtons,0,0,0);

    $verticalSizerControls->AddSpacer(15);              # Spacer
    $verticalSizerControls->Add($pdfLabel,0,0,0);
    $verticalSizerControls->Add($pdfFilePicker,0,0,0);
    $verticalSizerControls->AddSpacer(15);              # Spacer 

    $horizontalSizerButtons->Add($okButton,0,0,0);
    $horizontalSizerButtons->Add($exitButton,0,0,0);

    # Event handlers
    Wx::Event::EVT_BUTTON($frame, $okButton, sub {
                          my ($self, $event) = @_;
                          #print "\nOK Button\n";

                          open INFILE, "<", $self->{inpath} || die;

                          my $image = GD::Image->new(700, 700) || die;
                          my $white = $image->colorAllocate(230,230,23
+0);       # background color - Lt Gray
                          my $black = $image->colorAllocate(0,0,0);   
+          # text color - Black

                          my $x = 5;
                          my $y = 0;

                          while(<INFILE>) {
                              chomp;
                              1 while s/\t+/' ' x (($+[0] - $-[0]) * 8
+ - $-[0] % 8)/e;  # do tab expansion regex here
                              $image->string(gdMediumBoldFont, $x, $y,
+ $_, $black);
                              $y += 14;
                           }

                          my $png_data = $image->png;
                          open OUTFILE, ">", $self->{inpath}.".png" ||
+ die;
                          binmode OUTFILE;
                          print OUTFILE $png_data;
                          close INFILE;
                          close OUTFILE;
                          });

    Wx::Event::EVT_BUTTON($frame, $exitButton, sub {
                          my ($self, $event) = @_; 
                          #print "\nEXIT Button\n";
                          $self->Close;
                          });

    Wx::Event::EVT_FILEPICKER_CHANGED($frame, $pdfFilePicker, sub {
                          my ($self, $event) = @_;
                          $self->{inpath} = $pdfFilePicker->GetPath;
                          });

    $verticalSizerFrame->Layout();

    return $frame;

}
1;
[download]

James

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