How to use the ASCII art generator
- Type or paste up to 20 characters in the input box.
- Pick a font from the chip row — Standard is loaded instantly, others lazy-load.
- Use the Copy button to grab the result, or Download .txt for a file.
- Paste into your README, terminal banner script, or Discord code block.
About the fonts
Each font is a figlet definition file (.flf) — a plain-text format describing how to render every ASCII character as a multi-line block. They date back to the late 80s and early 90s when ASCII art was a primary expressive medium on BBS systems and Usenet.
Our included roster:
- Standard — the default figlet font, balanced and readable.
- Slant — italic version of Standard, good for emphasis.
- Big — taller letters, dramatic for headers.
- Block — chunky solid blocks, good for short tags.
- Banner — wide horizontal lettering, classic email signature look.
- Doom — bold horror-game inspired typeface.
- Mini / Small — compact, fits more text in a line.
- Shadow — drop-shadow effect for retro vibes.
When to use ASCII art
GitHub README headers
A short ASCII banner at the top of a README adds personality without dependencies. Wrap it in a code fence to preserve alignment.
Terminal startup banners
Add a small banner to your .zshrc or .bashrc with echo for a personalized terminal greeting. Use the Mini or Small fonts to avoid pushing your prompt off-screen.
Discord and Slack
Wrap the output in a triple-backtick fenced block to preserve the monospace layout in messages. Works in IRC, Slack, Discord, and most chat tools. For creative ways to use ASCII art in Discord servers, see our ASCII art for Discord guide.
CLI tool splash screens
Print a banner when a CLI tool starts up. It announces the brand without color or graphics — works on every terminal.
Tips
- Use very short words (4–8 chars) for the most readable banners.
- If you need narrower output, prefer Mini or Small.
- For 24-bit color terminals you can pipe the output through tools like
lolcatfor rainbow effects. - Combine ASCII banners with markdown headings — both can coexist in a README.
Where ASCII art renders correctly
ASCII art depends entirely on monospace font rendering. Platforms that use a proportional font (Instagram, Twitter) collapse the spacing and break the letter shapes. Use a code block wherever the platform supports it.
| Platform | Renders correctly | How to paste | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub README | ✅ | Wrap in ` ```text ``` ` code fence | Use Mini/Small fonts for narrow terminals |
| Discord | ✅ | Wrap in ` ``` ``` ` code block | 2000-char message limit; use Mini for longer banners |
| Reddit posts | ✅ | Indent 4 spaces or use code block | Old Reddit and new Reddit both support code blocks |
| Terminal / .bashrc | ✅ | Download .txt, pipe with cat or echo | Use Mini/Small to keep the prompt visible |
| Slack | ✅ | Wrap in ` ``` ``` ` code block | Works in channels and DMs |
| Twitter / X | ❌ | Screenshot and post as image | Proportional font breaks spacing; image is the only option |
| ❌ | Screenshot and post as image | Plain-text fields use proportional font |
Related guides
- ASCII art for Discord — how to use ASCII banners in Discord servers, channels, and bots effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is figlet?
- Figlet is a classic Unix utility from the 1990s that turns text into large ASCII letters. The "fonts" used are not real typefaces — they are character maps that arrange ASCII symbols (#, /, |, _) into letter shapes. We use a JavaScript port (figlet.js) so the rendering happens entirely in your browser.
- Where does ASCII art still show up today?
- GitHub README banners, terminal welcome screens (oh-my-zsh splash, neofetch), Discord bots, retro BBS message boards, code comments for visual section breaks, and CLI tool startup screens. It is one of the few internet aesthetics older than the web that is still actively used.
- Why is the output limited to 20 characters?
- Figlet output grows quickly — at 8 characters wide and 6 lines tall per letter, a 20-char Standard banner is already ~160 columns. Beyond that the output overflows even wide terminals. If you need a longer banner, copy 20 characters at a time and paste in chunks.
- Can I use the output in a Markdown file?
- Yes — wrap it in a fenced code block with ```text or ``` to preserve monospace alignment. GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and most static site generators render it correctly.
- Why does loading the font take a moment?
- The Standard font is bundled and instant. Other fonts (Slant, Big, Doom, Banner, Block, Mini, Shadow, Small) lazy-load on demand to keep the initial page weight small. The first switch to a new font may pause briefly while the font definition downloads — subsequent uses are cached.