Image to ASCII 🅰️

About the Image to ASCII converter

The Image to ASCII converter runs entirely in your browser. Drop or select an image, set the Output width (in characters), pick a Character set, and click Generate. The image is drawn to a hidden canvas and sampled in blocks sized so that the output width matches your choice; each block's average brightness is mapped to a character from the gradient — darker pixels become denser characters like @, lighter pixels become sparser ones like .. Because characters are roughly twice as tall as they are wide, vertical sampling is halved to preserve aspect ratio. Nothing is uploaded — all processing happens locally.

How to use it

1. Click the drop zone or drop an image file onto it.
2. Adjust Output width and choose a Character set.
3. Click Generate to render the ASCII art.
4. Click Download TXT to save the text, Copy to copy to clipboard, or Clear to start over.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my output look squished or stretched? ASCII characters are taller than they are wide. The tool compensates by sampling every other pixel row, but very wide or very tall images may still look slightly off. Try a different output width.

What is the output format? The download is a plain .txt file using a monospace font. Open it in any text editor.

Does this tool upload my images? No. All processing happens locally in your browser. Your image never leaves your device.

Which character set should I pick? "Detailed" works well for most photos. "Blocky" gives a retro look. "High detail" packs the most visual information into small areas but needs a tiny font.