Image to ASCII art
Convert any image to ASCII art, free and in your browser with no upload. Set the width from 20 to 200 characters, pick a character set or type your own, keep the colors if you like, and copy the text or save a PNG.
Each character stands in for the brightness of a block of pixels. Copy the text, or save it as an image.
In detail
This tool renders an image as text: it divides the picture into a grid of character cells, averages the pixels in each cell, and picks a character whose weight matches that cell's brightness. Rows are sampled at half the horizontal rate, because a monospace character is about twice as tall as it is wide; without that correction a circle would come out squashed.
You can set the width from 20 to 200 columns, choose one of four character ramps or type your own, and keep the original colors. Then copy the text, download a .txt file, or save the whole thing as a PNG.
Image to ASCII art at a glance
- Input
- JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, GIF (first frame), BMP, TIFF, SVG and other image formats
- Output
- Plain text, a .txt file or a PNG
- What it does
- 20 to 200 columns
- Four character ramps, or your own
- Optional color
- Invert for dark backgrounds
- Copy, .txt or PNG output
- Who it is for
- Anyone making text art for a terminal, a README, a chat or a retro design.
- Limits
- More columns than the image has pixels add characters, not detail.
- Privacy
- Runs entirely in your browser: the file is never uploaded, and nothing is kept after you close the tab.
How to turn an image into ASCII art
- Drop an image Drop or browse for one image. It is decoded in the tab and drawn into a working copy no larger than 1024 pixels on its long edge, which every later setting change reuses.
- Set the columns The Columns slider runs from 20 to 200 and sets how many characters wide the art is. The number of rows follows from the image's shape.
- Choose a ramp Pick Standard, Blocks, Minimal or Binary, or choose Custom and type your own characters ordered darkest first. Invert swaps the ends of the ramp for light characters on a dark background.
- Choose monochrome or color Monochrome uses one ink color from the theme. Keep original colors gives each character the color of the pixels it stands for.
- Take the output Copy text puts the whole grid on the clipboard, Download .txt saves it as a text file, and Save as PNG draws the characters onto an image using the current theme's ink and paper colors.
Image to ASCII art: common questions
What happens if I set more columns than the image has pixels?
The tool warns you. Once the column count passes the source image's width, neighboring characters start reading the same pixels, so the extra columns add characters without adding detail. The warning names the image's actual pixel width so you know where that limit is.
Can I use my own characters instead of the built-in ramps?
Yes. Choosing Custom opens a field that takes any characters you type, read darkest first and left to right. A leading space leaves the highlights blank, which is how the four built-in ramps are written too.
Is the image sent anywhere to be converted?
No. The image is decoded and sampled inside your browser tab, and the text, the .txt file and the PNG are all produced there. There is no upload and no account.