What is the difference between asciiReadable and asciiDetail?

asciiReadable uses fewer grayscale levels for a clearer silhouette, while asciiDetail uses more levels for richer texture and nuance.

Does this support ANSI coloring?

Yes, you can enable ANSI256 coloring with the --ansi256 option; always provide a no-color fallback.

What are common failure modes and fixes?

Common issues include gradient noise, background clutter, and width mismatch. Fix by cropping, increasing contrast, choosing an appropriate width (80–120), and using a suitable charset; ensure lines do not exceed the target width and avoid trailing spaces.

ascii-image-to-ascii

Scanned

npx machina-cli add skill partme-ai/full-stack-skills/ascii-image-to-ascii --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

2.6 KB

When to use this skill

CRITICAL TRIGGER RULE

Use this skill ONLY when the user explicitly mentions the exact skill name: ascii-image-to-ascii.

Trigger phrases include:

"ascii-image-to-ascii"
"use ascii-image-to-ascii"
"用 ascii-image-to-ascii 把图片转字符画"
"使用 ascii-image-to-ascii 生成可读优先/细节优先两版"

Boundary

Default output is ASCII-only; ANSI coloring is optional.
The bundled script is for local conversion/verification only. Do not fetch/upload images on the user’s behalf.
Always give pre-processing advice (crop subject, raise contrast, simplify background) before generating the final ASCII art.

How to use this skill

Inputs

imagePath (local path, required)
width (default 100; common: 80/100/120)
charset (default .:-=+*#%@, from light to dark)
mode (readable | detail; if outputting both, this can be ignored)
background (light | dark | unknown, default unknown)
colorMode (none | ansi256, default none)

Outputs (required)

asciiReadable: readable-first (less noise, clearer silhouette)
asciiDetail: detail-first (more levels, richer texture)
paramsGuide: recommended width/charset + pre-processing tips
pitfalls: 3-5 common failure modes with fixes

Steps

Pre-processing advice (required):
- Crop the subject, remove irrelevant background
- Increase contrast to reduce gradient noise
- Target width usually 80–120 columns
Charset + mapping direction:
- Space is the lightest, @ is the darkest (or invert consistently)
Generate two variants:
- readable: fewer levels (less noise)
- detail: more levels (more texture)
Optional ANSI:
- Use color only as a hint; keep the silhouette readable
- Always provide a no-color fallback

Script

scripts/image_to_ascii.py
- Requires Python + Pillow (pip install pillow)
- Supports: readable/detail variants, optional --ansi256

Examples

examples/readable-vs-detail.md

Quality checklist

Lines are consistent and <= width
The readable variant must preserve the main silhouette
No trailing spaces (copy/paste safe)

Keywords

English: ascii-image-to-ascii, image to ascii, ascii art, terminal preview, charset, grayscale, dithering, ansi 中文: ascii-image-to-ascii, 图片转字符画, ASCII 字符画, 终端预览, 字符集, 灰度映射, 降噪, ANSI 彩色

Source

git clone https://github.com/partme-ai/full-stack-skills/blob/main/skills/ascii-image-to-ascii/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

ascii-image-to-ascii converts a local image into ASCII art suitable for terminal previews and plain-text substitutes. It supports readable and detail variants, configurable width and charset, and optional ANSI coloring, with a recommended pre-processing workflow to improve results.

How This Skill Works

The tool runs on Python 3.8+ with Pillow, crops and boosts contrast to reduce gradient noise, then maps grayscale values to a light-to-dark charset. It outputs two variants: asciiReadable (fewer levels) and asciiDetail (more texture), with an optional ANSI color mode and a no-color fallback by default.

When to Use It

Need a readable ASCII preview of an image in plain text
Want a detail-rich ASCII variant for texture and nuance
Produce terminal-friendly art for dashboards or logs without color
Use pre-processing (crop, contrast) to improve ASCII fidelity
Create ASCII examples for documentation or README demos

Quick Start

Step 1: Crop the subject, raise contrast, and set a width (e.g., 100)
Step 2: Run python scripts/image_to_ascii.py --image path --width 100 --charset ' .:-=+*#%@' --mode readable --ansi256
Step 3: Inspect asciiReadable and asciiDetail; adjust width or charset as needed

Best Practices

Pre-process: crop the subject, remove background, and increase contrast
Start with width in the 80–120 column range for balance
Choose a charset that maps light to dark (e.g., ' .:-=+*#%@') and stay consistent
Generate both readable and detail variants to compare silhouette and texture
Provide an ANSI option but also include a no-color fallback; test in a plain terminal

Example Use Cases

README with a logo rendered as ASCII art
Terminal dashboard preview of an image widget
CLI demo showing product screenshots in text form
Documentation showing grayscale mapping and ASCII layers
Art project converting photos to ASCII textures for inspiration

Frequently Asked Questions

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