How to Convert Images to ASCII Art

Step 1: Choose the Right Image

Choose a source with a clear subject and distinct light and dark areas. Crop a busy background before uploading; small details may disappear in a character grid.

• Choose the feature you want to keep, such as a face or a logo outline.
• Crop around it in an image editor; retain an unedited source for comparison.
• Check whether its identity depends on small lettering, texture or color. Those details may not survive as plain text.
• Use a source you have permission to reproduce; conversion does not grant rights.

Step 2: Upload Your Image

Open the image editor. In Upload, select or drop a file, or paste an image URL and select Load URL. Choose one image up to 10 MiB (10,485,760 bytes) and 24 million decoded pixels. Use still PNG, JPG, single-frame GIF, WebP or uncompressed BMP. Animated PNG/WebP, multi-frame GIF and user SVG/other formats are rejected before image decoding; export one frame to a still PNG first. Bundled Twemoji SVG artwork is a trusted site-asset exception.

• Drag and Drop: Simply drag your image file from your computer directly onto the upload area
• File Selection: Click the upload area to browse and select a file from your computer
• URL Import: Paste an image URL and select Load URL. The host must allow browser access; use a local file if the request is blocked.

Step 3: Choose Your Settings

In Options, choose Generation Mode and width, then start with neutral adjustments. Change one control at a time and compare the generated result before keeping a change.

Basic Settings

• Output Width: Controls the detail level and final size
  • Try 40 columns for a compact comparison and 80 for a wider one; neither is a platform guarantee.
  • More columns sample more cells but need a wider text area. The default custom width is 100.
  • Emoji Sampling Width is the resized pixel width, not the final number of emoji columns.
• Character Set: Determines the visual style and detail level
  • Standard: @%#*+=-:. (ending with a space), the default ramp
  • Detailed: A longer printable-ASCII ramp with more mapping levels
  • Simple: #@%*+=-:. (ending with a space), a printable-ASCII ramp
  • Blocks: █▓▒░ (ending with a space), Unicode shading characters
  • Custom: Create your own character set for unique styles

Advanced Adjustments

• Brightness (0-200%):
  • Below 100%: Darkens the image, intensifies shadows
  • Above 100%: Brightens the image; highlights can lose detail
  • Recommended: Start at 100% and adjust based on preview
• Contrast (0-200%):
  • Below 100%: Reduces difference between light and dark areas
  • Above 100%: Pushes tones farther from the midpoint; shadows or highlights can merge
  • Start at 100%. Compare the rose example at 100% and 140% in the photo guide rather than assuming more contrast is better.
• Dithering Options:
  • None: Direct mapping without a dithering step
  • Floyd-Steinberg: Distributes quantization error to neighboring pixels
  • Ordered: Uses a repeating threshold pattern; compare texture in smooth areas

First check for a monospace font, preserved spaces and disabled wrapping. Character modes already compensate approximately for tall text cells with a fixed 0.55 row factor. Font and line spacing can still change apparent proportions; there is no separate aspect-ratio control. Reduce width to fit a wrapping text area, not to correct vertical stretching. Use PNG when the destination cannot preserve text layout.

Step 4: Generate and Save Your ASCII Art

In Options, choose a mode and width, then select Generate ASCII Art. Open Advanced image settings for adjustments, character sets and mode-specific controls. In Result, use Copy, Download TXT or Download PNG. Generate again after changing settings to update the full result.

ASCII Preview is reduced: up to 60 columns for character modes, or a fixed 32-pixel sampling width for Emoji Mosaic. Generate the full result to apply the selected Output Width or Sampling Width.

Copy and TXT preserve characters, spaces and line breaks, not the receiving app's styling. Use a fenced code block in a README or chat, or a preformatted monospace text area. Keep leading/trailing spaces and disable wrapping. Unicode blocks, lines and emoji need suitable fonts and may occupy different widths.

PNG renders the text onto its own canvas; it is not a screenshot of the preview. Use it when the destination changes text spacing. The image editor uses the selected display font at 14 px; example cards use 12 px monospace. PNG always uses black text on white with at least 1.2 line spacing and 20 px padding. Screen theme and preview zoom do not change the file. Invert Colors changes image processing, not the PNG background. Emoji glyph colors depend on browser fonts. Copy needs browser clipboard access, usually on HTTPS or localhost. If it is denied, select the result text or download TXT. PNG limits can require a smaller width or shorter text.

```text
                     :--:::::           
                    :=+++++++--.        
                   .==+**====**=        
....::::::::-------=-=+#*....=#-        
========-===--==--=--=+#*++++*#*-..     
==--:-=-:-=-:-=-:-==-==##****##****+++. 
==--:-=-:-=-:-=-:-==-=-##****##*******: 
==----=---=---=------=-*############*+. 
-===========+==+++++++=#######%%%%%%#*- 
 .+*####*+#%#%#+++-=+-=*#####%%%%%%%%#+-
 -*%*=+%#*%*=+%#=--==-==+=+++#%#+=*%%*=:
 --%*++#+-%*+*%+              +%*+*%-   
 . :=++-  :+++-                -+++:    
```

Related Pages

• ASCII encoding and art - Distinguish ASCII encoding, Unicode and character art
• Examples Gallery - Get inspired by our collection of ASCII art
• ASCII Art Generator - Open the shared image editor
• Frequently Asked Questions - Common questions about ASCII art creation