In this article, the contrast imaging problem in nuclear magnetic resonance is modeled as a Mayer problem in optimal control. The optimal solution can be found as an extremal, solution of the Maximum Principle and analyzed with the techniques of geometric control. This leads to a numerical investigation based on so-called indirect methods using the HamPath software. The results are then compared with a direct method implemented within the Bocop toolbox. Finally lmi techniques are used to estimate a global optimum.