code: @Override
     public Image loadImage(URL image, float opacity) throws VectorPrintException {
        try {
           if (log.isLoggable(Level.FINE)) {
              log.fine(String.format("loading image from %s", String.valueOf(image)));
           }
           BufferedImage awtim = null;
           if ("file".equals(image.getProtocol())) {
              awtim = makeImageTranslucent(ImageIO.read(new File(image.getFile())), opacity);
           } else {
              awtim = makeImageTranslucent(ImageIO.read(image), opacity);
           }
           return Image.getInstance(awtim, null);
        } catch (BadElementException | IOException ex) {
           throw new VectorPrintException(String.format("unable to load image %s", image.toString()), ex);
        }
     }
docs: loads an image using {@link ImageIO }
  
  @param image
  @param opacity the value of opacity
  @throws VectorPrintException
  @return the com.itextpdf.text.Image