ASCII Art Generator
Convert images into beautiful text-based art
Upload Image
Click or drag an image here
Supports JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP
Options
ASCII Art
Upload an image to generate ASCII art...
ASCII art turns an image into pure text: every pixel’s brightness becomes a character, so a photo becomes something you can paste into a terminal or README. This generator converts JPG, PNG, GIF, and WebP images entirely in your browser.
How Image-to-ASCII Conversion Works
The idea predates graphical displays — people once printed pictures via teletype — and flourished in BBS culture. The algorithm is elegant. The image is scaled down to a grid, then each cell’s brightness is mapped onto a ramp of characters ordered dark to light: dark pixels become @ or #, mid-tones + or ., bright pixels a space. A longer ramp means smoother gradients.
One complication: characters are roughly twice as tall as wide, so the generator uses fewer rows than columns to keep the proportions right.
How to Use
- Choose an image: Pick a JPG, PNG, GIF, or WebP file.
- Adjust settings: Set the width, pick a character set (Standard, Detailed, Blocks), toggle invert or color.
- Preview: The rendering updates immediately.
- Copy: Grab the resulting text.
Features
- Local-only processing via Canvas API — images never leave your device
- Three charsets: Standard (10 chars), Detailed (70 chars), Unicode Blocks
- Adjustable width with aspect-ratio compensation
- Grayscale or colored output, plus invert
Use Cases
- Terminals and READMEs: Add a banner to CLI tools and GitHub projects.
- Code comments: Drop an Easter egg into a source file.
Pick simple, high-contrast images — a logo or portrait beats a busy landscape — and always view the result in a monospaced font.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is my image uploaded to a server?
No. All image processing is done locally in your browser using the Canvas API. Your images never leave your device and are never stored or transmitted anywhere.
Which charset should I choose?
Standard uses 10 simple characters and works well for small outputs. Detailed uses 70 characters for highly detailed art. Blocks uses Unicode block characters for a different visual texture. Try each to see which style you prefer.
What image formats are supported?
The generator supports JPG, PNG, GIF, and WebP image formats. For best results, use images with good contrast and simple compositions rather than highly detailed photographs.
Why does my ASCII art look stretched?
ASCII characters are taller than they are wide. The generator accounts for this by adjusting the row count relative to columns. For best results, adjust the columns slider to find the right balance for your output context.