Image to ASCII

Convert photos and graphics into detailed ASCII art with control over character sets, density, contrast and color.

The Image to ASCII converter re-renders your image as text characters, from classic terminal-style monochrome art to rich colored output. Adjust resolution, character sets, brightness and contrast in real time until the result reads exactly how you want.

Export your ASCII art as plain text for terminals and READMEs, as an image for social media, or as HTML with color preserved. Everything is generated locally in your browser.

How to use it

1. Crop tight before you convert Each character carries one cell of detail, so a wide shot loses its subject entirely. Faces, logos and single objects survive the conversion far better than busy scenes.
2. Think in columns, not pixels Resolution here is the character count across. Around 80 columns matches a classic terminal; past 200 you keep facial detail but need a small font for it to read as a picture rather than text.
3. Choose a character set with enough steps More distinct characters means more gray levels. Block characters read as solid tone, punctuation ramps read as texture, and a deliberately short set gives a hard, posterised look.
4. Export text or image, depending where it goes Copy plain text for a README, a terminal or a chat window. Export PNG or SVG whenever spacing matters — most places re-flow text and break the picture apart.

FAQ