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bas3line/ascii

Animated ascii art pieces for React, Next.js, Astro, plain HTML tags, SVG and the terminal, with 240 ready-made pieces.

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What is it?

ascii.rest is a TypeScript library that draws animated ascii art on web pages. It ships 240 ready-made pieces, from text effects, charts and spinners to 3D shapes, physics simulations, scenes, and logos for programming languages, Linux distributions and companies.

The pieces can be used in several ways: as a React or Astro component, as a custom `<ascii-art>` HTML tag with no build step, or through `mount()` in plain TypeScript. A kit API builds new pieces from named looks, motions and widgets, and the same pieces can be exported as animated SVG for GitHub READMEs or played in a terminal, including as a splash screen.

The library also generates animated text banners through a URL query interface, and can convert an uploaded image into an ascii animation in the browser.

Key features

  • 01Ready-made pieces for scenes, charts, spinners, 3D shapes, physics and logos.
  • 02React and Astro components, plus a plain `<ascii-art>` HTML tag.
  • 03Animated SVG export for embedding in GitHub READMEs.
  • 04Terminal playback with a splash-screen API that uses only Node built-ins.
  • 05Image-to-ascii conversion that runs in the browser.

Use cases

  • Adding a small animated ascii element to a minimalist personal or docs site.
  • Showing a loader or ascii banner in a CLI tool's startup output.
  • Putting an animated logo or banner at the top of a GitHub README.
  • Generating custom ascii art pieces with the kit API for a project's branding.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the package from npm

    npm install ascii.rest
  2. 2

    Try it in the terminal without installing

    npx ascii.rest rust
  3. 3

    Use a piece in a React component

Things to know

  • Most colourful pieces need 24-bit colour in a terminal, or fall back to a single ink with the mono option.
  • Some features, such as the image-to-ascii tool, depend on the ascii.rest website.

Topics

#ascii-art#animation#react#nextjs#astro#web-components#typescript#ascii

FAQ

What is ascii?
Animated ascii art pieces for React, Next.js, Astro, plain HTML tags, SVG and the terminal, with 240 ready-made pieces. ascii.rest is a TypeScript library that draws animated ascii art on web pages. It ships 240 ready-made pieces, from text effects, charts and spinners to 3D shapes, physics simulations, scenes, and logos for programming languages, Linux distributions and companies.
Is ascii free to use? What license does it have?
ascii is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is ascii still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to ascii was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use ascii for?
Adding a small animated ascii element to a minimalist personal or docs site. Showing a loader or ascii banner in a CLI tool's startup output. Putting an animated logo or banner at the top of a GitHub README. Generating custom ascii art pieces with the kit API for a project's branding.
How do I install ascii?
Install the package from npm: npm install ascii.rest Try it in the terminal without installing: npx ascii.rest rust Use a piece in a React component
Where can I get ascii?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/bas3line/ascii

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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