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