ASCII Magic
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MCP server · live now

ASCII Magic for AI agents

Ask your AI assistant for a look and get the finished image back. ASCII art, halftone, LEGO, voxel, pixel art and about 90 other styles, rendered by the same engine as the ASCII Magic editor. It works in Claude, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. No code, no API key, no sliders.

Set up in 2 minutes See examples
Works with these and any other MCP app
  • Claude
  • Claude Code
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
Your AI assistant
The photo being sent

Turn this portrait into ASCII art and keep the colours

ascii-magic · stylize_image done The portrait rendered as colour ASCII art

Here it is in colour ASCII. The full-size download link is good for 24 hours. Want a finer grid?

Ask for a look…
What is this?

A plug that lets your AI assistant use ASCII Magic

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is how AI apps connect to other tools. Add ASCII Magic once, and you can style images from inside the chat you already use. You describe the look in plain words. Your assistant does the rest.

01 · You

Ask in plain words

“Make this photo look like LEGO.” Add an image link and say what you want.

02 · Your AI app

It picks the right tool

Claude, Cursor or VS Code sees that ASCII Magic can do this and calls it for you.

03 · ASCII Magic

The real engine renders it

The same renderer as the editor, with a curated look, post effects and a size fitted to your image.

04 · Your image

You get the result

A preview right in the chat, plus a full-resolution download link. Ask for changes and it tries again.

No coding. Setup is pasting one link into your app. After that, you just talk.

No API key, no SDK. Nothing to wire up. You sign in with your ASCII Magic account in the browser, the same way you sign in on the site.

No guessing styles. Not sure what fits? Ask “which styles would suit this image?” and it ranks them for you.

The ASCII Magic MCP server, in 30 seconds
Examples

One sentence in, finished image out

Real renders from the ASCII Magic engine. Each card shows the prompt and the result. Press Show original to compare, and copy any prompt to try it yourself.

Portrait repeated in a nine panel pop art grid Original portrait photo Pop art grid
Original image sent with the prompt Make a pop art grid of this portrait in nine bright colours.
Close-up of an eye as a thermal camera image Original close-up of an eye Thermal
Original image sent with the prompt Make this eye look like a thermal camera shot.
Close-up of an eye printed as a risograph Original close-up of an eye Risograph
Original image sent with the prompt Print this close-up like a risograph poster.
Portrait in black and white halftone dots Original portrait in a white bucket hat Halftone
Original image sent with the prompt Black and white halftone with big dots, for a zine cover.
Portrait as colour ASCII art Original portrait photo ASCII art
Original image sent with the prompt Turn this portrait into colour ASCII art.
Ferris wheel rebuilt from LEGO bricks Original ferris wheel photo LEGO
Original image sent with the prompt Build this ferris wheel out of LEGO bricks.
Set up in two minutes

Setup: connect the ASCII Magic MCP server in two minutes

Every app needs the same single link. Pick your app below for the exact steps.

  1. Copy the linkThe one below. That is the whole server.
  2. Add it to your appOne command, one button or one settings field.
  3. Sign inYour browser opens. Click Connect on ASCII Magic.
  4. Ask for a lookPaste an image link and describe what you want.

The URL

https://www.ascii-magic.com/mcp

This one link is the whole server. Paste it into any app below and sign in.

Claude Desktop and claude.ai

  1. Open Connectors

    In the Claude desktop app or on claude.ai, open Settings, then Connectors.

  2. Add a custom connector

    Click Add custom connector. Name it ASCII Magic and paste the server link:

    https://www.ascii-magic.com/mcp

  3. Sign in

    Click Connect. Your browser opens on ASCII Magic. Click Connect again to approve.

  4. Ask for a look

    Start a new chat, make sure ASCII Magic is switched on in the tools menu, then ask.

Good to know: add it once and it shows up in both the desktop app and the web app at claude.ai. The chat apps have no terminal to send a file with, so share your image as a link.

Prompts to try

Asking for things

Talk to it like you would a designer. Plain language works. Add your image link at the end of any of these.

Start here

Which ASCII Magic account am I signed in as, and can I use Pro styles?

Explore

Which styles would suit this image? Render the top three so I can pick.

Classic

Turn this photo into ASCII art with a dark background.

Retro

Use the gameboy palette with atkinson dithering.

Adjust

Render it as LEGO instead, and make the bricks smaller.

Variations

That look is close. Try another variant of the same style.

Print

Make a halftone version at the biggest size you can for a poster.

Keep it

Give me that as a recipe code so I can open it in the editor.

Reuse

Apply this recipe to my new photo so it matches the last one.

Seven tools, picked for you

What your agent can do

You never call these by name. You ask for what you want and your assistant chooses. The names are here in case you are curious.

Style an image

stylize_image

Renders your image through the real engine and returns a preview plus a full-resolution download. Every render is dressed for quality by default: a curated look, post effects, a cell size fitted to the image, exposure rescue for dark or blown-out photos, and upscaling to at least 2560px on the long edge, up to 4K (3840px).

Suggest styles

suggest_styles

Looks at your image’s brightness, contrast, detail and colour and ranks the styles that will suit it best.

Browse every style

list_styles

Lists every style, dither palette and dither algorithm, and which plan each one needs.

Save a look as a code

encode_recipe

Turns a look into a recipe code you can share, reopen in the editor, or use again later.

Read a recipe code

decode_recipe

Opens a recipe code back up into its settings, so a look can be reproduced exactly or tweaked.

Check your account

account_status

Tells you which account is connected and whether Pro styles will render.

Send a local file

create_upload

Gives the assistant a one-time link to send a file from your computer. This needs a terminal, so it works in apps like Claude Code.

Plans

Who can use it

Any ASCII Magic account can connect. You sign in with the same account you use on the site. Your plan is checked as you go, so an upgrade applies within a minute with no reconnecting.

Ask for a Pro style without Pro and you get a clear message, never a different style passed off as the one you asked for.

Any accountSign in and go
ProEvery style and effectSee Pro plans
Connect from Claude, Cursor, VS Code and more
Styles you can use1591
Every dither palette and algorithm
Recipe encoding and decoding
Style suggestions for your image
All 28 post effects
Pro styles picked first for your image
Automatic levels on flat renders
Good to know

Things worth knowing

Use an image URL, not a file path

The renderer runs in the cloud and cannot open files on your computer. Paste an https image link. In apps where the assistant can run terminal commands, like Claude Code, it can send a local file for you.

The first call after a quiet spell is slow

The renderer sleeps when nobody is using it. The first request after a quiet spell can take around 20 seconds while it wakes up. Everything after that is quick.

Download links expire

A finished render comes back as a link that is good for 24 hours, so save it once you like it. Uploaded source images are only readable from inside the renderer, never publicly.

Recipes reproduce a look exactly

A recipe code renders exactly as saved, with none of the automatic touches. It is how you get the same result twice, or hand a look to someone else.

Privacy

Privacy and your images

Used for your render only. Images you send make your render and nothing else.

Links expire. Finished render links stop working after 24 hours.

Sources stay private. Uploaded images are only readable inside the renderer, never publicly.

No training. We do not train on your images. Details in the privacy policy.

Trouble

Troubleshooting

The server does not show up in Claude Code

Claude Code adds servers per folder. Start it from the folder you ran the command in, or add the server again with --scope user.

A style comes back locked

That style needs Pro. Ask your assistant which styles your account can use, or see Pro plans.

A file path was rejected

The renderer cannot see your disk. Paste an https image link instead.

The first render is slow

The renderer wakes up after a quiet spell. Give it about 20 seconds, then it is quick.

/FAQS

Questions about the MCP server, answered.

Setup, plans, privacy and what to do when something is not working.

Q. What is an MCP server, in plain words?
It is a way for an AI app to use another tool. Once you add ASCII Magic to Claude, Cursor or VS Code, your assistant can style images for you while you chat, instead of you opening the editor and moving sliders.
Q. Do I need to know how to code?
No. Setup is pasting one link (or clicking one button for Cursor and VS Code) and signing in. After that you describe what you want in normal sentences.
Q. Which apps does it work with?
Claude Code, the Claude desktop app, claude.ai, Cursor and VS Code, plus Windsurf, Zed and any other app that supports remote MCP servers with sign-in. The steps for each are in the setup guide.
Q. Do I need Pro?
No, any ASCII Magic account can connect and use the core styles, dithering and recipes. Pro unlocks every style and all post effects. See Pro plans.
Q. Is there an API key to manage?
No. Your app registers itself from the link, then you sign in with your ASCII Magic account in the browser. Nothing to copy, store or rotate.
Q. Can I use a photo that is on my computer?
Share it as a link. The renderer lives in the cloud and cannot see your disk. If your assistant can run terminal commands, as in Claude Code, it can send the file over for you. Chat apps like Claude Desktop and claude.ai have no terminal, so use a link there.
Q. What happens to my images?
They are used to make your render and nothing else. Uploaded sources are never public, and finished render links expire after 24 hours. We do not train on your images. The full detail is in the privacy policy.
Q. Does it work with video?
The MCP server styles still images today. For video, use the editor, which exports MP4 and GIF.
Q. The server does not show up in Claude Code.
Claude Code adds servers per folder. Start Claude Code from the folder you ran the add command in, or add it again with --scope user so it is available everywhere.
Q. A style came back locked.
That style needs Pro. Ask your assistant which styles your account can use, or upgrade.
Q. Something else is not working.
Reply to any of our emails or use the contact page. A solo founder reads every message. The MCP docs and tools reference go deeper.

Start making with ASCII Magic MCP

Included with every ASCII Magic account. Pro unlocks all 91 styles and 28 post effects.

https://www.ascii-magic.com/mcp

Paste it into Claude, Cursor or VS Code and sign in. Step-by-step setup