Image to ASCII Art Converter
This tool converts an image into ASCII art - a picture made entirely of text characters
This tool converts an image into ASCII art - a picture made entirely of text characters
How to use Image to ASCII Art Converter
- Drop an image onto the box or click to browse and select a file from your device.
- Adjust the width, character set, contrast, brightness, and invert until the art reads clearly.
- Copy the text or download it as a .txt or .png file.
About Image to ASCII Art Converter
This tool converts an image into ASCII art - a picture made entirely of text characters. It draws your image onto a small canvas, measures the brightness of each pixel using a perceptual luminance formula, and maps each brightness level to a character from a light-to-dark ramp. Dark areas become dense characters like @ and #, while bright areas become light ones like periods and spaces.
You control the result: set the width in characters (wider means more detail but a bigger block of text), choose a character set (a classic 70-shade ramp, a compact standard ramp, Unicode block shading, or a minimal set), and adjust contrast, brightness, and inversion. Invert is useful for light subjects on dark backgrounds. Because monospace characters are roughly twice as tall as they are wide, the row count is automatically halved so your art keeps the correct proportions.
Everything runs locally in your browser - the image is decoded and processed on your own device and is never uploaded to a server. You can copy the ASCII text, download it as a .txt file to paste into a code editor, README, or terminal, or export a rendered .png image of the art. The on-screen preview uses a very small font so the whole picture fits; view it in any monospace font to see it at full size.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I convert an image to ASCII art?
- Drop an image onto the box or click to browse, then adjust the width and character set. The ASCII art updates instantly. When it looks right, copy the text or download it as a .txt or .png file.
- Is my image uploaded anywhere?
- No. The image is read and processed entirely in your browser using the Canvas API. Nothing is sent to any server, so it works offline and keeps your images private.
- Which image formats are supported?
- Any format your browser can display, including PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, BMP, and usually SVG and AVIF. Animated GIFs are converted using their first frame.
- Why does my ASCII art look stretched or squished?
- Text characters are taller than they are wide, so the tool automatically scales the number of rows to compensate. If proportions still look off, try a different width or use a monospace font when viewing the output - proportional fonts will distort the art.
- How do I get more detail in the output?
- Increase the width slider for more characters across, switch to the detailed 70-shade character set, and use the contrast slider to separate light and dark regions. High-contrast images with a clear subject convert best.
- Can I use the ASCII art on a website or in a terminal?
- Yes. Copy the text and paste it into any monospace context - a README, code comment, terminal banner, or a <pre> block on a web page. For sharing as a picture, use the Download .png option instead.