I want a custom image in my terminal made of characters, is there a program I can use?
Specifically, the gear within my school's roboticslogo.
2 Answers
One app you can try jp2a for jpg to ascii for terminal windows.
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jp2aThen just run jp2a filename.jpg
~$ jp2a 1Fy7Yz2.jpg
.dKKKKKl.....dKK000000OOOOkkkxxxxddoooooolloddxxxkO00k....................
'0KKKK0..'...oKKK000000OOOOOkkxxxdddooooollodxxxxkO00O....................
dKKKK0,....'.:KKKKK0000000OOOOkkxxxddddoooooxxxxkOO00O'...................
0KXK0. ........'',,,,,;;;;;;;;;;;,,,'''''.''''....'';;...................
O0O0o............ ...'l...................
0K0kkkxxxdol:. .,:;;..... . ... . .......................
d000kkOKKKKKKk. .dO000klooc;... . .':::ccood;... c,.....................
..oOkdx0KKK0KKx. ,,od.l'xdl. ':ldkkkkxxdxO0KXo. cc.....................
. :kxodk00O;0K0k, 'l,,.;;cok00OOkxxxkkxxxk0Kkkk:,,k.....................
..lxdookkOl.'OKKOd;,;coxO0000OkdoodkOOOkxddk0KkodOxdk.....................
loldccdxkk....oKKK00KK0OkxdolodkOO000OOkxddk00koddxkl.....................
dd,;coddxx'.....oxxddollodxkkOOOOOOOOOkkxddk000loO0d......................
::ldxxooodd,...;kxxxkkkkkkkkkkkOOOOOOOko:'...'oloxKo......................
olcldOOxolloo;,kkOOOkkkkkkkkkkkkOOko;. .. ,cdkx;.....................
l:ccl:odOkdccloxkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkxc. ..'',;.''odOd:....................
dxl::::;clkkxlccodxxkkkkxxxxd:. .':ldxkxdddxkOl.;dxld,...................
odddl:;;;;:cxkkdlcloddddol:,';coxxxkkkkxxdddxkOdllxkoll...................
clooddc;;;;;;okkkxdllloodddddxxxxxxkkkkxxdodxkkkllkOkk:...................
:cclloddc:,oxxxxdddoodddddddddxxxxxkkkxxxdoodxkOooxxkk:...................
;;:cclloodoollllloodddddoodddddddxxxxxxxdooldxkOoOxddxxc..................
.',;::ccccccccllloooddddddoooooodddxxxxo:,'',;:ddkdooodd:................. .',;;::cccllllllooooooodddoooooodddo;.. ...'okollllod................. .,':::ccclllllllloooooooodollooooo;. . ....cxlcclllo;................Or you can use --background=light if you have a light background in your terminal:
~$ jp2a 1Fy7Yz2.jpg --background=light
K:.....l0000K:........'''',,,;;;;::ccccccllc::;;;,'..,0000000KKKKKKKKKKKKK
O......00O00Kc.........''''',,;;;:::cccccllc:;;;;,'..'0000000KKKKKKKKKKKKK
:.....kK000O0d............'''',,;;;::::ccccc;;;;,''..'O000000KKKKKKKKKKKKK
.....KMNXXXXXX00OOkkkkkxxxxxxxxxxxkkkOOOOO0OOOO0000OOxxKKKK0KKKKKKKKKKKKKK
'.'.cKK0KKXXXXXXXNNNWWWWWWWWWMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMWNNNNNXXKOl0KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
...,,,;;;:cld0MMWW0kdxxKKXKXNNWWWWMMMMMXNNWK0XWXNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
:...,,'......,KMW0:'...,lccox00XNKWNKOdddoocc:x0X0NokKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
0Xc',:;.......;XWNkkc:0lO;:lKWNOdl:,,,,;;:;'...cXNNooKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
KNd,;c:,..'x...,kWNNOlkkKxxoc,..'',;;;,,;;;,..,,,dkk,0KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
0Xl;:cc,,'lXO'..':xkxoc;'....',:cc:,''',;::,..,c:';:,0KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
lcl:oo:;,,0KX0c........',;:clc:,''...'',;::,..,c::;,lKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
::kxoc::;;OKXXK0c;;::cllc:;,,''''''''',,;::,...lc'.:KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
ddl:;;ccc::kKKXx,;;;,,,,,,,,,,,''''''',cdOKKKOclc;.cKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKXXXXXX
clol:'';cllccxk,,''',,,,,,,,,,,,'',cx0NWMWNNX0Wko:,;xKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
ldooldc:',:oolc;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,;o0WNNNNNX0OOkxKOOc:':dKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
:;lddddxol,,;looc:;;,,,,;;;;:d0NNKOdl:;,;:::;,'lKx:;l:kKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
c:::ldxxxxdo;,,:lolc::::cldkOxoc;;;,,,,;;:::;,':ll;,cll00KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
olcc::oxxxxxxc,,,;:lllcc:::::;;;;;;,,,,;;:c:;,,,ll,',,d00KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
doollc::odkc;;;;:::cc:::::::::;;;;;,,,;;;:cc:;,'cc;;,,dKKKKKKKXXXXXKKKKKKK
xxdoollcc:cclllllcc:::::cc:::::::;;;;;;;:ccl:;,'c';::;;oKKKXXXXXXXXXKKKKKK
0Okxddoooooooolllccc::::::cccccc:::;;;;cdkOOkxd::,:ccc::dXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
WW0Okxxddooollllllccccccc:::cccccc:::cxXXNNNXK0Oc,cllllc:0XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
NWWKkOdddooollllllllcccccccc:cllcccccxKWNWKWX0K0o;loolllcxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXHere's what it would look like in a terminal window:
Hope this helps!
4Shameless plug here, but you can use my cli tool ascii-image-converter. It's available on snap:
sudo snap install ascii-image-converterOr you can visit the repo if you directly want the binaries or something:
Unlike jp2a, this tool supports jpeg, png, webp, bmp and tiff image formats so it'll work on most images you encounter. You can customize the output with a bunch of flags. There's also an option to directly save the ascii art as a png, to save you the hassle of taking screenshots. More documentation is available on the repo link above.
It's still relatively immature as command-line tools go and doesn't have a sea of flags and options, but I'm working on improving it and integrating new features. Give it a try! :)
