Image to ASCII Art Converter

Runs in your browser — your files are never uploaded.

Turn a picture into text art. Each block of the image is measured for brightness and mapped to a character, from dense (@) for dark areas to blank for light ones. Because terminal characters are about twice as tall as they are wide, the row count is halved to compensate — without that correction every result comes out vertically stretched. Runs entirely in your browser.

How to convert Image to ASCII art

  1. 1

    Drop your PNG, JPG or WebP onto the box, or click to choose one.

  2. 2

    Set the output width in characters — 100 is a good start.

  3. 3

    Copy the art, or download it as a .txt file.

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Frequently asked questions

What width should I use?+

Around 80–120 characters suits a terminal or a code block. Higher widths capture more detail but need a wide screen or a small font to view without wrapping.

When should I invert?+

Invert when the art will be shown as dark text on a light background — a README, a document, a printout. The default assumes a dark terminal with light text.

Why does my image look unrecognisable?+

ASCII art relies on contrast, not detail. Photos with a busy background or soft lighting turn to mush; simple high-contrast subjects like logos, silhouettes and portraits work far better.

How is transparency handled?+

Transparent areas are composited onto white, so a logo with a transparent background comes out as blank space rather than a solid black block.