Javascript image -> ASCII converter. Years later, this project led to a much improved typewriter art generator
Is a picture worth a 1000 word ASCII image?
I have been tooling around with typewriter “ASCII art” style image reproduction for some time, well, since I acquired my typewriter.
I found several problems with existing image to ASCII generators for my application (reproducing digital images on a typewriter):
- Character set too small (lack of color depth)
- Character set too large (slows typing and adds false textures if asymmetrical characters are used, adds error)
- No custom font (assumes all fonts have same character gradient)
- Character set not weighed at all (character brightnesses should be measured and colors indexed for correct gamma)
- No image adjustments in-converter (monochrome balance, contrast, crop)
- No realtime preview of settings (such as line spacing, font, and line length)
- No dithering option (losing color depth, especially in highlights)
So, I decided to write an ASCII image generator of my own.
- Calibrates character weights per font / size
- Greyscale conversion presets and adjustment
- Realtime preview of ASCII output
- Line spacing adjustment (try < 1.0)
- Floyd-Steinberg dithering
Use monospace fonts!