ASCII art is a graphic design technique that uses printable characters from the ASCII standard to construct images and text effects. figlet-style ASCII art creates large banner text by building each letter from a grid of smaller characters like slashes, pipes, and underscores.

How do I use ASCII art in a GitHub README?

Copy the generated art and paste it inside a fenced code block in your README.md file. Use triple backticks before and after the ASCII art to ensure the monospace spacing is preserved when rendered on GitHub.

Does the ASCII art generator support special characters?

figlet fonts are designed around the ASCII character set (letters A–Z, digits 0–9, and common punctuation). Accented or non-ASCII characters may be skipped or substituted depending on the font. For best results, use standard Latin letters, numbers, and basic punctuation.

figlet (FIGure LEtters) is a program originally written for Unix in 1994 that generates large text banners from plain-text input using special font files (.flf). It became a staple of developer culture with 200+ font styles. This tool uses figlet.js, a faithful JavaScript port, so the output is identical to running the native figlet command in your terminal.

Does the ASCII art generator work on mobile devices?

Yes. The tool runs entirely in the browser with no app install required, so it works on any modern mobile browser. For the best experience when viewing wide output, rotate your phone to landscape mode - wide fonts like ANSI Shadow or 3-D can exceed the width of a portrait viewport.

Free Online ASCII Art Generator - Text to figlet Art

Q: Which figlet font is best for GitHub READMEs?

Standard and Doom are the most commonly used on GitHub because they render cleanly in monospace fonts at any zoom level. ANSI Shadow creates the most visually impressive result if you want your README to stand out. Always wrap ASCII art in a fenced code block (triple backticks) in Markdown to preserve spacing.

Q: Why is my ASCII art output very wide?

figlet art expands each input character to roughly 5–10 characters wide, so a 10-character input can produce 80–100 characters of output width. For GitHub READMEs, aim for 1–3 words to stay within the default rendered width. The tool displays the output width in the stats so you can adjust accordingly.

Q: Can I use ASCII art in Discord or Slack?

Yes. Both Discord and Slack render messages in a proportional font by default, which distorts ASCII art. To preserve spacing, wrap the art in a code block using triple backticks (``` ... ```) in both platforms. This switches to a monospace font and the art displays exactly as generated.

Convert any word or phrase into ASCII art in one click using figlet.js - the same engine behind the classic Unix figlet command. Choose from 10 fonts including Standard, Doom, Ghost, Graffiti, and ANSI Shadow, then copy the result straight into your GitHub README, terminal welcome message, or social bio. Runs entirely in your browser - nothing is sent to a server.

10 figlet fonts • instant preview • one-click copy • browser-only

Perfect for developers writing GitHub READMEs, CLI banners, terminal art, and creative social media bios.

Your text

Font:

Type your text, pick a font, and click Generate to create ASCII art.

Last updated: June 5 2026

Reviewed by Marek Mihalčin , Lead Technical Architect & Founder of QuickTooly

ASCII Art Generator Guide

What Is ASCII Art and Why Use an Online Generator?

ASCII art uses printable characters from the ASCII character set to create visual text designs. The most popular format for developers is figlet art - large banner-style text built from letters, slashes, underscores, and pipes. It's used in GitHub READMEs to create eye-catching section headers, in CLI tools for startup banners, in terminal welcome messages, and in creative social media bios.

This tool uses the figlet.js library - the JavaScript port of the classic Unix figlet command - which supports 200+ font styles. We've curated 10 of the most popular for instant use.

How to Generate ASCII Art – 3 Steps

Type your text into the input above. Short phrases (1–3 words) produce the best results; very long strings create very wide output.
Pick a font - Standard is the safe default; Doom is popular for CLI tools; Ghost gives a hollow outline effect; ANSI Shadow adds depth with drop-shadow characters.
Click Generate, then Copy - paste directly into your README, shell script, or wherever you need it.

All 10 figlet Font Styles - Quick Reference

Font	Style	Best For
Standard	Clean, solid letters	General purpose, README headers
Big	Larger solid letters	Prominent headings, section banners
Doom	Bold, high-contrast	CLI tool banners, terminal art
Slant	Italic-style diagonal	Modern project names, stylish headers
Ghost	Hollow outline letters	Decorative text, open/airy aesthetic
Graffiti	Street art inspired	Creative projects, informal headers
Banner3	Hash-character fill	High-visibility labels, emphasis
ANSI Shadow	3-D drop shadow effect	Premium READMEs, eye-catching intros
3-D	Extruded 3-D block letters	Dramatic headings, art projects
Block	Thick block capitals	Bold announcements, game text

ASCII Art Use Cases: GitHub READMEs, CLI Banners & More

GitHub README headers: Replace flat text project names with ASCII art banners to make repositories instantly recognizable. Paste directly inside a fenced code block.
CLI tool startup banners: Add an ASCII art splash screen to your Node.js, Python, or Go CLI tools. A good banner makes a tool feel polished and memorable.
Terminal welcome messages: Paste ASCII art into your .bashrc or .zshrc to display a custom greeting every time you open a terminal.
Social media bios: Many platforms render plain text as-is - ASCII art in your Twitter/X or LinkedIn bio catches the eye in a way that formatting alone cannot.
Code comments and section dividers: Use ASCII art to create visual section breaks inside large configuration files or scripts, making them easier to navigate.

Why Use QuickTooly's ASCII Art Generator?

Unlike many online tools that rely on server-side rendering or third-party APIs, this generator runs entirely in your browser using figlet.js - the official JavaScript port of the battle-tested Unix figlet library. That means zero latency, complete privacy (your text never leaves your device), and identical output to what you'd get running figlet locally. We curated 10 of the most widely used font styles so you spend less time scrolling through 200+ options and more time building.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ASCII art?

ASCII art is a graphic design technique that uses printable characters from the ASCII standard to construct images and text effects. figlet-style ASCII art specifically creates large banner text by building each letter from a grid of smaller characters like slashes, pipes, and underscores.

Which font is best for GitHub READMEs?

Standard and Doom are the most commonly used on GitHub because they render cleanly in monospace fonts at any zoom level. ANSI Shadow creates the most visually impressive result if you want your README to stand out. Always wrap ASCII art in a fenced code block (triple backticks) in Markdown to preserve spacing.

How do I use the output in a GitHub README?

Copy the generated art and paste it inside a fenced code block in your README.md:

```
 _   _      _ _        __        __         _     _ _
| | | | ___| | | ___   \ \      / /__  _ __| | __| | |
| |_| |/ _ \ | |/ _ \   \ \ /\ / / _ \| '__| |/ _` | |
|  _  |  __/ | | (_) |   \ V  V / (_) | |  | | (_| |_|
|_| |_|\___|_|_|\___/     \_/\_/ \___/|_|  |_|\__,_(_)
```

Does it support special characters and accents?

figlet fonts are designed around the ASCII character set (letters A–Z, digits 0–9, and common punctuation). Accented or non-ASCII characters (like é or ü) that are not defined in a given font are skipped or substituted. For best results, stick to standard Latin letters, numbers, and basic punctuation.

Why is my output very wide?

figlet art expands each character to roughly 5–10 characters wide plus spacing, so a 10-character input can produce 80–100 characters of output width. For GitHub READMEs, aim for 1–3 words to stay within the default rendered width. The tool shows the output width in the stats grid so you can adjust accordingly.

Is my text sent to a server?

No. All ASCII art generation runs entirely in your browser using figlet.js. Your text is never transmitted to any server, stored in a database, or shared with any third party. You can safely use confidential project names or internal tool names.

What is figlet?

figlet (FIGure LEtters) is a program originally written for Unix in 1994 that generates large text banners from a plain-text input using special font files (.flf). It became a staple of developer culture and its font library has grown to 200+ styles. This tool uses figlet.js, a faithful JavaScript port, so the output is identical to running the native figlet command in your terminal.

Can I use ASCII art in Discord or Slack?

Yes, with a caveat. Both Discord and Slack render messages in a proportional font by default, which distorts ASCII art. To preserve the spacing, wrap the art in a code block: use ``` ... ``` in both platforms. This switches to a monospace font and the art displays exactly as generated. Smaller fonts like Standard or Big tend to work best in chat interfaces.

Does the generator work on mobile devices?

Yes. The tool runs entirely in the browser with no app install required, so it works on any modern mobile browser. For the best experience when viewing the output, rotate your phone to landscape mode - wide fonts like ANSI Shadow or 3-D can exceed the width of a portrait viewport.

Looking for related tools? Try our Case Converter, the Slug Generator, Morse Code Translator, Find & Replace, or the full Text Tools suite.