ANSI art

lightbulb

ANSI art

ANSI art refers to text-based images created using the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) escape codes, which allows for the customization of text color, background, and cursor position. It is a form of digital art that exploits the limitations of early computer terminals and teletypewriters.

What does ANSI art mean?

ANSI art, short for American National Standards Institute art, refers to a form of digital art created using only Text characters. It originated as a way to create images on computer terminals that lacked graphical capabilities. ANSI art utilizes escape codes defined by ANSI, allowing artists to control the cursor position, text color, and other visual attributes within a terminal window.

ANSI art provides a unique aesthetic characterized by its blocky, pixelated style. It requires meticulous planning and execution, as each Character must be carefully placed to form the desired image. Despite its technical limitations, ANSI artists have created a wide Range of intricate and visually striking works of art.

Applications

ANSI art has various practical applications in the tech industry:

  • Terminal User Interfaces (TUIs): Before graphical user interfaces (GUIs) became prevalent, ANSI art was widely used to create user interfaces for text-based applications and games. It allowed developers to present information and menus in a visually appealing and interactive manner.

  • Computer Art and Graphics: ANSI art remains a popular Medium for computer art and graphics. Its simplicity and accessibility make it ideal for creating art on platforms with limited graphics capabilities.

  • ASCII Emoticons and Symbols: Many of the ASCII emoticons and symbols commonly used in digital communication, such as the smiley face (:)) and the heart (❤), originated as ANSI art.

  • Cybersecurity and Forensics: In cybersecurity and forensics, ANSI art is sometimes used for Steganography, the practice of hiding messages within seemingly innocuous files.

History

The origins of ANSI art can be traced back to the early days of computing. In the 1970s, mainframe computers and teletype terminals used escape codes to control text formatting. These escape codes allowed users to specify text color, cursor position, and other attributes.

In the early 1980s, hobbyist programmers began experimenting with these escape codes to create images and animations on text-based terminals. One of the earliest notable ANSI artists was Ken Knowlton, who created a series of ASCII portraits in 1983.

As personal computers became more popular, ANSI art gained wider adoption. Bulletin board systems (BBSs) and online forums provided platforms for ANSI artists to share and showcase their works. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, ANSI art reached its peak of popularity, with numerous artists creating complex and elaborate works of art.