ASCII art

ASCII art, computer text art created with ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange) code. ASCII art uses ASCII characters to produce images ranging from simple and functional emoticons to elaborate works of art.

The ASCII code was established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in the early 1960s as a standardized way of presenting and reading Latin-based alphanumeric keyboard characters. ASCII art uses those characters to mimic pen lines, brushstrokes, benday dots, and so on. Some ASCII art relies on line characters, such as \, |, /, and –, but other pieces use the whole range of keys.

ASCII art is most commonly found in online chat environments, in e-mail, and as “signatures” at the end of e-mail or USENET messages. It is also found on dedicated Web sites, where users exhibit their work and provide links to other exhibitors. While ASCII emoticons continue to be a significant element of text-based communication, more complex artistic forms are a specialist or niche interest. The ease with which ASCII art can be developed means that it remains an entertaining staple of computer-mediated communication.