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Toohar Guide

How to Make ASCII Art (Text Banners & Images)

Two ways to create ASCII art: turn text into big banners or convert a photo into character art. Tips for sharp results.

ASCII art turns letters and images into blocks of characters. It is a classic craft for chat, README files, forum signatures and code comments. This guide shows you the two ways to make it with the ASCII Art Generator.

Method 1: Text to ASCII banner

The simplest way to make ASCII art is to convert your own text — your name, a word, a slogan — into a large banner of block letters:

  1. Open the ASCII Art Generator and switch to Text mode.
  2. Type your text (try shorter text first — each letter becomes several lines tall).
  3. The banner appears instantly in a monospace block.
  4. Copy it into a chat, README or comment.

Text banners work best for 1–15 characters, since each letter is around 5–7 rows tall.

Method 2: Image to ASCII art

To convert a photo into character-based art:

  1. Switch to Image mode in the generator.
  2. Upload a photo or graphic (a bordered PNG or a looped video thumbnail also works).
  3. Adjust the width — this controls how many characters wide the art will be, and therefore the detail.
  4. Choose a character ramp: dark-background art often reads better with light characters (@, %, #) on a dark theme, and vice versa.
  5. Copy the result.

Tips for good results

  • High-contrast photos convert best. A face lit from the side, a logo with few colors, or bold text on a plain background all convert cleanly.
  • Smaller is often sharper. A width of 60–100 characters usually reads better than 200 for a face.
  • Watch your font. ASCII art only lines up in a *monospace* font. Copy into a code editor or use the block formatting this generator applies.
  • Upside-down and mirror tricks are just about where you set your line breaks and direction — most generators (including ours) let you reverse characters if a section looks off.

What to do with it

  • README badges and package descriptions.
  • Forum signatures.
  • Discord nicknames are too short for banners — but you can mix ASCII art with fancy Unicode fonts for a signature line.
  • Plain email signatures (ASCII art renders perfectly in any email client).

Related: if your goal is invisible spacing rather than art, see how to use invisible text.

Tools for this guide

ASCII Art GeneratorText ToolsDiscord Fonts GeneratorText ToolsInvisible Text GeneratorText Tools