What is MIME type "text/x-ascii-art"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

text/x-ascii-art is a MIME type for plain text files that contain artwork made solely from ASCII characters. It marks files that hold images created with standard text symbols instead of pixels. These artworks are made with characters like letters, numbers, and punctuation.

This type is useful when graphic images are not practical or available. Content creators use it in environments that support only text. It is also popular in coding communities and forums where plain text is preferred.

• Creative Artwork: Enables building images using keyboard characters for artistic or humorous effects.
• Low-Resource Environments: Ideal for systems, terminals, or file logs that handle only text.
• Developer Signatures: Often used in readme files, email signatures, and code comments to add a creative touch.

Files using this MIME type are commonly saved with extensions such as TXT, ASC, or ASCII. The type signals that the content is plain text meant to be viewed as creative images without additional image processing.

For more technical details, check out the resources on ASCII art.

Associated file extensions

.txt, .asc, .ascii

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:

    Content-Type: text/x-ascii-art
  

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:

    <a href="file.dat" type="text/x-ascii-art">Download file</a>
  

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:

    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/x-ascii-art');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);
  

Associated file extensions

.txt, .asc, .ascii