ASCII Image
A picture redrawn entirely as text characters, each one picked by the brightness underneath. It types itself in the moment the picture has loaded, settling into a two-colour duotone with the colour arriving a beat behind, and a click sweeps the characters out to the picture's own colours and back. Unlike ASCII Overlay, which adds characters on top of a photo that stays a photo, this one replaces the picture completely.
One of 100 GSAP components in React, Vue and HTML.
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Where this component came from.
We built it for good-fella.com, our own site, and kept it in the library once it earned its place. The same code runs in production today.
What you'll need.
Install
- GSAP
- three
Attributes, tips, use cases and full code are part of access.
The preview and provenance stay public. Tune-it docs, the data-anm-* attribute table, real-world use cases and the copy-ready code unlock the moment you sign in.
Frequently asked
- Does ASCII Image work with React and Vue?
- ASCII Image ships as React (Next.js included), Vue 3 (Nuxt included), plain HTML/CSS/JS - the same animation in each format. The React version uses the official useGSAP hook with cleanup handled; the Vue version is a real single-file component with <script setup>.
- Do I need GSAP to use ASCII Image?
- Yes. ASCII Image is built on GSAP directly, and GSAP has been 100% free for commercial use, including every plugin, since version 3.13. The component page lists exactly what to install.
- Can I customize ASCII Image without editing code?
- ASCII Image exposes 20 tunable controls in the Customize panel on this page - drag the values, watch the live preview respond, and the code you copy carries your exact settings.
- Is ASCII Image free?
- ASCII Image is part of the Annnimate Library, a paid subscription (from EUR 20/month billed quarterly, or EUR 199/year). The live preview and customization run free on this page; the paste-ready code is for members.
- What if ASCII Image is not right for my project?
- Annnimate comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. If ASCII Image or the library does not fit your project, reply to your receipt within 14 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
- Can I use ASCII Image in client projects?
- Yes. The Annnimate license covers commercial and client work - ship ASCII Image on as many projects as you build, with no attribution required.
- Does ASCII Image respect prefers-reduced-motion?
- Yes. Every Annnimate component handles prefers-reduced-motion via gsap.matchMedia, so users who opt out of motion get an effectively instant, readable state.
