ASCII Magic
Open tool

ASCII text animation and animated lettering

These text animation examples are drawn entirely in characters, and each one is a different way for words to move: a title catching fire, letters icing over and shattering, a fountain pen writing in wet ink, a split flap board turning to the next flight and end credits rolling up a letterboxed screen. You can embed them live, export them as video or play them in a terminal.

49 pieces

View use cases
Blinking CursorLettering
Bouncing LettersLettering
Breaking News TickerLettering
Burning TitleLettering
Chalkboard LetteringLettering
Silent Film Title CardLettering
Constellation LetteringLettering
Countdown TimerLettering
Decode RevealLettering
Departures Hall BoardLettering
Digital ClockLettering
End Credits RollLettering
Extruded Word SpinLettering
Flip Dot BoardLettering
Terminal Fortune CookieLettering
Glitch Title SettleLettering
Group Chat TranscriptLettering
Shattering Ice LettersLettering
Karaoke LyricsLettering
Kinetic Word SlamLettering
Laser Engraved PlateLettering
LED Matrix ScrollerLettering
Liquid Fill LettersLettering
Marquee SignLettering
Morse SignalLettering
Neon Sign FlickerLettering
Nixie Tube ClockLettering
Odometer CounterLettering
Particle Rain LetteringLettering
Fountain Pen LetteringLettering
Perspective Text CrawlLettering
Quote Of The DayLettering
Written in RainLettering
Rainbow TextLettering
Ransom Note CutoutsLettering
Drone Sign CrewLettering
Letter Slot ReelsLettering
Split Flap BoardLettering
Stencil Spray PaintLettering
Subtitle CaptionsLettering
Syntax Highlight PassLettering
Teleprompter ScriptLettering
Text ScrambleLettering
TypewriterLettering
Unfolding PoemLettering
Vertical Haiku ScrollLettering
Wave TextLettering
Word ExchangeLettering
Word Ladder MorphLettering

Where to start

Use animated text where a still headline would fall flat: a video intro, a launch countdown, a stream break screen or the top of a README. Many pieces spell their own words, such as WATER, CHILL or CRAFT. For still ASCII art text in your own words, use the text to ASCII generator (text to ASCII generator), and for a README banner, the banner maker (README banner maker).

Burning TitleThe word IGNITE glows like hot coals while flames curl up from every letter, a dramatic intro for a launch video, a product reveal or a stream.Split Flap BoardEvery tile flaps through the alphabet to show the next flights, a mechanical text animation that suits travel sites, schedules and event lineups.TypewriterBig block letters type one key at a time behind a block cursor and wrap onto new lines, the classic animated text for a developer hero or a README.Glitch Title SettleA title tears into slices and red and cyan channels before settling into a clean word, ideal for tech launches, cyber themes and channel intros.Fountain Pen LetteringA fountain pen draws a word stroke by stroke in blue ink on ruled paper, a warm handwritten feel for invitations, stationery brands and journaling apps.End Credits RollCredits roll up a letterboxed screen with roles, names and section headings, a ready-made outro for short films, launch videos and team pages.

Text animation styles, from typewriters to neon

Pick a style by the feeling you want the words to carry.

  • Reveal and decode: Text Scramble, Decode Reveal, Glitch Title Settle and Word Ladder Morph turn noise, or one word, into another.
  • Typing and handwriting: Typewriter, Blinking Cursor, Fountain Pen Lettering, Chalkboard Lettering and Unfolding Poem write words out as you watch.
  • Signs and boards: Split Flap Board, Departures Hall Board, Flip Dot Board, LED Matrix Scroller, Marquee Sign and Neon Sign Flicker.
  • Physical and elemental: Burning Title, Shattering Ice Letters, Liquid Fill Letters, Written in Rain and Particle Rain Lettering.
  • Film and broadcast: End Credits Roll, Silent Film Title Card, Perspective Text Crawl, Subtitle Captions and Breaking News Ticker.
  • Playful motion: Bouncing Letters, Wave Text, Rainbow Text, Kinetic Word Slam and Letter Slot Reels.

Animated text for video intros, slides and streams

Most text animation tools render a video file, and these pieces do that too: export any of them as an MP4 or WebM at 1920 by 1080, or at 4K, and drop it into your editor as an intro, a lower third or an outro. Countdown Timer counts down from ten inside a draining ring before GO bursts out in green, which makes a tidy launch or stream starter. Kinetic Word Slam suits a punchy promo, and Breaking News Ticker gives you a ready lower third.

For slides, a GIF of Typewriter or Marquee Sign gives a title slide some life. For a stream, a page with one ascii-art element works as a browser source overlay.

ASCII art text, banners and the text to ASCII generator

Three tools solve three different jobs, so it helps to know which one you need. The pieces on this page are animated lettering effects with their own built-in words. The text to ASCII generator (text to ASCII generator) turns any words you type into still ASCII art text in many fonts, ready to copy. The banner maker (README banner maker) builds an animated SVG ASCII banner from your own text for GitHub READMEs, where scripts cannot run.

Want one of these effects with your own word? Open the piece's source on its page, change the word string, keep it about the same length so it fits the grid, and embed or render your copy.

Keeping moving text readable and accessible

Motion makes words harder to read, so a few habits help. Put the real message in normal HTML text as well, because the animation is announced as an image named after the piece, not as the words it spells. If the lettering carries meaning, such as a launch date, set an aria-label with the actual words.

Avoid fast loops behind body copy. Unfolding Poem, Vertical Haiku Scroll and Quote Of The Day move gently and suit reading pages. Visitors with reduced motion turned on see a still frame, so check that the still shows the whole word rather than a half-revealed one.

Ways to use ASCII lettering

Step-by-step guides with a live builder and code to copy.

All 18 use cases →
README

Animated ASCII art for a GitHub README

Put an animated ASCII banner, scene or loader at the top of your GitHub README. Copy a GIF or SVG, no build step, works in GitHub's dark and light themes.

YouTube

ASCII art for YouTube thumbnails

Export any animated ASCII piece as a 1280 by 720 YouTube thumbnail background, then add your title on top in any editor.

Slides

ASCII art for slides and presentations

Drop animated ASCII art into Keynote, PowerPoint or Google Slides as a GIF or video, for title slides and section breaks.

OBS

Animated ASCII overlays for OBS and streams

Use animated ASCII art as a browser source in OBS or Streamlabs for starting soon screens, borders and overlays.

/FAQS

ASCII lettering: frequently asked questions

Answers about using ASCII lettering on websites, in READMEs, in terminals and in exports.

Q. What is a text animation?
A text animation is any effect that moves words or letters over time, such as typing, scrolling, flipping, glowing or breaking apart. The examples on this page are drawn entirely in characters, so even the letters are made of text. They play live on a web page, in a terminal, or as an exported video.
Q. Where can I find text animation examples to embed on a website?
This page has dozens of text animation examples you can embed with one script tag and one ascii-art element. Open a piece such as Typewriter or Neon Sign Flicker, copy the HTML tab and paste it into your page. Every piece is MIT licensed, including for commercial sites.
Q. How do I make animated text for a video?
Export a lettering piece as a video and place it in your editor. On any piece page, choose Download video for an MP4 or WebM at 1920 by 1080, or pick the 4K size, then use it as an intro or outro clip. Silent Film Title Card, End Credits Roll and Kinetic Word Slam are built for exactly that job.
Q. What is ASCII art text?
ASCII art text is lettering built from characters, usually big block letters made of smaller symbols. It is popular in terminals, code comments and READMEs. To type your own words and get still ASCII art text, use the text to ASCII generator. The pieces on this page are the animated side of the same idea.
Q. How do I make an ASCII banner for my README?
Use the banner maker at README banner maker, which turns your own text into an animated SVG ASCII banner that GitHub READMEs can display. Type your text, download the SVG, commit it to your repository and reference it from your README. For ready-made animated lettering instead, download a GIF from any piece on this page.
Q. Can I change the word in a lettering animation?
Yes, by editing a copy of the source. The word or phrase is a plain string in the piece's JavaScript, which is shown on its page under an MIT license. Change it, keep the length similar so it fits the grid, and embed your copy. For your own banner without any code, use the banner maker.
Q. Is there an animated typewriter text effect?
Yes, Typewriter types big block letters one key at a time behind a block cursor and wraps onto new lines before the page clears. Blinking Cursor is a minimal version that types and erases a short word, and Syntax Highlight Pass types code as plain text before color sweeps down the file.
Q. Is there a split flap or departures board animation?
Yes, two. Split Flap Board flaps every tile through the alphabet to show the next flights, and Departures Hall Board is a full airport board whose times, gates and statuses flip as boarding opens and flights leave. Flip Dot Board is a related mechanical sign that turns yellow discs over in a sweeping wave.
Q. Can I use animated text in a terminal?
Yes, every lettering piece plays in a terminal, in color where supported. Run npx --yes https://www.ascii-magic.com/ascii/cli.tgz decode-reveal to watch a phrase decrypt out of noise, or run fortune-cookie-terminal for a playful command line moment. For a tool's own startup screen, the CLI splash screen guide shows how to draw frames from your code.
Q. Which lettering pieces work as a loading screen?
Countdown Timer, Liquid Fill Letters and Odometer Counter all carry a clear sense of progress, so they make good waiting moments. Liquid Fill Letters fills hollow glass letters with sloshing liquid and drains them again, and Odometer Counter rolls six digit wheels. Keep a short text status beside them for screen readers.
Q. Is there a neon sign text animation?
Yes, Neon Sign Flicker shows a two line neon tube sign glowing on a brick wall, buzzing and flickering with one tired letter. For other sign styles, Marquee Sign chases light bulbs around big warm letters, and LED Matrix Scroller scrolls a two color message across a shop window grid.
Q. Can I export animated text as a GIF?
Yes, every lettering piece has a Download GIF button on its page. Pick a look first, such as Blocks, Letters or Binary, to change the texture of the letters. GIFs are the right format for READMEs, emails and chat apps, where scripts and video do not always play.

Related categories

All categories