ASCII Art Generator
Convert text to ASCII art with multiple fonts, or transform images into ASCII characters. All processing in your browser.
What is ASCII Art?
ASCII art is a graphic design technique that creates images and text banners from printable characters defined by the ASCII standard. Originating in the early days of computing when graphics hardware was limited, ASCII art remains popular for creative expression, terminal output, and retro-style designs.
Switch between Text mode and Image mode. In Text mode, type any message and select from dozens of FIGlet fonts to generate stylized text banners. In Image mode, upload a photo and the tool maps pixel brightness to characters of varying density, creating a text-based reproduction of the image. Adjust width and character set to fine-tune the output.
ASCII art is used for README headers and code comment decorations, terminal splash screens and CLI branding, creative social media posts and forum signatures, retro-themed website elements, and fun personalized text art for messaging. Developers especially love ASCII banners for making their projects stand out.
The text-to-ASCII engine uses FIGlet, an open-source program that renders text in over 100 artistic fonts. The image-to-ASCII converter divides the image into a grid, calculates the average brightness of each cell, and maps it to a character — dense characters like '@' and '#' represent dark areas, while spaces and dots represent light areas.