Image to ASCII
Turn a picture into text art โ right in your browser.
Drag & drop your image here, or click to choose. Everything runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
This free image to ASCII converter samples your picture and maps each cell to a character by brightness, producing text art you can paste into a terminal, a README, a code comment or a chat message. Choose the width, pick a character set, and invert it for dark backgrounds. It runs entirely in your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert an image to ASCII art?
Drop your image in, then set the width in characters. The art regenerates as you drag, so you can see immediately whether the subject is still recognisable. Copy it to your clipboard or download it as a .txt file.
Why does my ASCII art look stretched?
It should not โ terminal characters are roughly twice as tall as they are wide, and this tool compensates by sampling half as many rows as columns. If it still looks off, your target editor may use a font with different proportions; a monospace font is essential.
Which character set should I choose?
The classic 10-character ramp is the most readable at small sizes. The detailed 70-character ramp captures far more tonal subtlety but needs a bigger width to look right. Block shading uses solid Unicode blocks and gives the most photo-like result where those characters render.
Should I invert it?
Invert if you are pasting onto a dark background such as a terminal. The default assumes dark characters on white; without inverting, a dark-mode terminal shows the image as a negative.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is decoded and re-encoded directly in your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly, and never leaves your device. That is what makes it safe for private photos, client work and anything confidential, and it is why the tool keeps working with your network disconnected once the page has loaded.