How to Turn a Picture Into ASCII Art (Text Characters)

ASCII art draws a picture using letters, numbers and symbols, so that darker areas get dense characters (like @ or #) and light areas get sparse ones (like . or a space). It is a fun way to make a retro text portrait.

Quick answer

Choose a picture, set the number of characters wide, pick a character set (detailed or simple blocks), and copy the art or download it as a text file.

Settings

• Width. 80 to 120 characters gives a recognisable portrait; narrower is blockier.
• Character set. A long set ($@B%8&WM#*...) shows fine detail. A short set (#:.) is cleaner.
• Invert. Turn on if you will paste the text on a dark background, such as a terminal.

Steps

1. Open the tool and add a picture.
2. Adjust the width and character set.
3. Toggle invert if needed.
4. Copy or download.

Best pictures

• Portraits with clear contrast.
• Logos and simple icons.
• Pictures with a plain background.

Busy photos with low contrast turn into noise.

Using the result

• Paste into a chat; use a monospaced font or the spacing breaks.
• Use in an email signature (check how it looks in plain text).
• Print it as a poster.
• Put it in code comments or a README.

Tip

Increase the contrast of the picture in a photo editor before converting, and crop to the subject.