How to use the ascii art text generator
- Type your text. Letters, digits, space and the marks . , ! ? - : ' + / = are in the font.
- Pick the ink character, the background character, the size and the space between letters, and set where long lines wrap.
- Copy the art or download it as a text file. Paste it into a monospace font to keep the shape.
- To turn a picture into text, choose a picture in the second section, set the width in characters and copy the result.
How the block letters are made
Every letter is a grid 5 columns wide and 5 rows tall. The grids are in a font table written for this site, so the shapes are not copied from any other generator. A hash mark in the grid becomes your ink character and a gap becomes your background character. The size setting repeats every column and row two or three times.
For example the word HI at normal size and one column of spacing is five rows, with the H and the I side by side. Lowercase letters are drawn as capitals. A character that is not in the table is drawn as a question mark and listed in a message, so you always know what was replaced.
Pictures as text
For a picture the tool shrinks the image to the width you ask for, reads the brightness of each pixel and picks a character from a ramp, which runs from light to dark. The default ramp is a space, then . : - = + * # % @. Because characters are taller than they are wide, the number of rows is scaled by the character width to height ratio, which you can change if the picture looks stretched.
The reverse option swaps light and dark, which suits light text on a dark background. Photos with strong contrast work best. The result is only as sharp as the number of columns you allow, up to 300.
Using the output
ASCII art lines up only in a monospace font, such as the one in a code editor, a terminal or a plain text email. Proportional fonts break the alignment. Related tools are the ASCII table, the Morse code translator and the binary translator. Text and pictures are processed in your browser and are not uploaded.
Assumptions and limits
- The font is 5 by 5 characters per letter and covers A to Z, 0 to 9, space and a few marks.
- Lowercase letters are drawn as capitals.
- Unsupported characters are drawn as a question mark and listed.
- Picture output depends on the width, the ramp and the character shape ratio you choose.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn text into ASCII art?
Type the text and the block letters appear straight away. Choose the ink character and size, then copy the result.
Why does the art look broken when I paste it?
ASCII art needs a monospace font. Paste it into a code editor, a terminal or a plain text field with a fixed-width font.
Can I use an emoji as the ink?
The ink and background must each be one character. A simple symbol such as @ or * works best.
How do I make a picture into text?
Choose a picture, set the width in characters and copy the output. A higher width gives more detail.
Are my pictures uploaded?
No. The picture is shrunk and read in your browser and is never sent anywhere.