Image to ASCII Art Generator
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ASCII Art Generator
This ASCII art generator converts any image into monochrome ASCII characters that you can copy and paste into text-based environments. Upload a photo, logo, or illustration, and the tool maps each region of the image to a character based on its brightness. Darker areas are represented by dense characters like @ and #, while lighter areas use dots, spaces, or thin punctuation marks. The result is a text-based reproduction of the original image.
Use the "output width in characters" input to control how many characters span the width of the output. A higher width produces more detail but requires a wider display area, while a lower width creates a compact version suited to narrower text fields. Once the art is generated, you can copy it to your clipboard or download it as a text file. ASCII art works well in GitHub README files, code comments, terminal banners, forum posts, email signatures, and social media bios. For text-to-ASCII banners using figlet-style fonts, see the big text generator. To extract readable text from an image instead, try the image to text converter.
::::::::::::::::::::: .................... .................... .................... .................... .....@@@@....@@@@... ....@@@@@...@@@@@... ...@@......@@....... ...@@......@@....... ...@-......@*....... ...@.......@+....... ...@@......@@....... ...@@......@@....... ....@@@@@@..@@@@@@.. .....@@@@....@@@@... .................... .................... .................... .................... ....................
How does the ASCII art generator work?
The generator analyzes each pixel region of your uploaded image and assigns a character based on brightness. Characters with more visual weight (like @, #, and %) represent darker areas, while lighter characters (like ., :, and spaces) represent brighter areas. When the characters are combined together in a monospaced font, they recreate the shape and shading of the original image. Adjusting the output width changes how many characters are used per row, which directly affects the level of visible detail.
How do I convert an image to ASCII art?
- Drag and drop an image from your computer into the upload area, or click the area to browse for a file.
- The generator automatically converts the image into ASCII characters below.
- Adjust the output width field if you need more or less detail.
- Click the copy button or download the result as a text file.
- Paste the ASCII art into your destination, making sure it uses a monospaced font for proper alignment.
What image formats are supported?
The tool accepts common image formats including JPG, PNG, GIF, and WebP. For the clearest results, use images with good contrast between the subject and background. Simple logos and high-contrast photos tend to produce the most recognizable ASCII output, while low-contrast or very busy images may lose detail in the conversion.
What output width should I use?
The right width depends on where you plan to paste the result. For terminal windows and code comments, 60 to 100 characters is a common range. For GitHub README files viewed on desktop, 80 to 120 characters works well. If you are posting in a chat or forum with limited width, try 40 to 60 characters. Higher widths capture more detail but require a wider display area. You can experiment by adjusting the value and previewing the output in real time.
Where can I use ASCII art?
ASCII art can be used anywhere that displays text in a monospaced font. Common uses include GitHub and GitLab README files, terminal startup banners, code comments, forum posts, email signatures, and Discord or Slack messages formatted as code blocks. It is also used for retro-style graphics in games and creative projects. The key requirement is that the display uses a monospaced (fixed-width) font so that all characters align correctly. If the destination uses a proportional font, the art will appear distorted.
Last reviewed: March 2026