Reference

ASCII character density chart

Character density controls how dark or light your ASCII output feels. This is the tiny lever that makes the difference between a readable portrait and typographic compost.

Common dark-to-light ramps

RampBest for
@%#*+=-:. Balanced image conversion
█▓▒░ Block-style output
#*+=-. Cleaner logos and icons
10Binary-style visual effect
MWN$@%#*+=-:. Dense portraits and high-detail images

How to choose a charset

Use more characters when your image has many brightness levels. Use fewer characters when the source is simple, such as a logo or silhouette. If the output looks noisy, reduce the charset complexity and raise contrast.

Dark-to-light direction

Most converters expect characters from darkest to lightest. If your output looks inverted, enable invert brightness or reverse the ramp.