Transform Your Text with FIGlet (with examples)

FIGlet is a command-line utility that transforms plain text into artistic ASCII art banners suitable for a variety of applications. It’s particularly useful for creating impact with text on a terminal or for enhancing scripts and programs with stylized text, offering a multitude of fonts and formatting options. This tutorial dives into several use cases of FIGlet, demonstrating the flexibility and creative potential of this tool.

Generate by directly inputting text:

Code:

figlet input_text

Motivation: You might want to quickly convert a simple piece of text into a decorative banner to display on a terminal or within a script, creating a visually appealing introduction or section header.

Explanation: In this straightforward example, figlet is invoked with the basic argument input_text, which is replaced by the text you want to transform into ASCII art. FIGlet uses the default font style to render your text.

Example Output:

Suppose the input_text is “Hello”. The output would resemble:

 _   _      _ _
| | | | ___| | | ___
| |_| |/ _ \ | |/ _ \
|  _  |  __/ | | (_) |
|_| |_|\___|_|_|\___/

Use a custom [f]ont file:

Code:

figlet input_text -f path/to/font_file.flf

Motivation: To give your text a unique appearance that aligns better with the theme or style of your project, you can utilize a custom font file.

Explanation: The -f flag specifies that a font file should be used. Following this flag, provide the path path/to/font_file.flf to indicate the specific font file you desire to apply. This allows for a much greater customization of the ASCII art output.

Example Output:

With a custom font applied, “Hello” might appear as:

 #     #                                  #
 #     # ###### #####  ########  ######   #
 ####### #      #     ##       ## #          #
 # #### #  #####  ##    ###    ##  #####     #
 #     # #    # #    #      #    #    #    #
 #     # #### # ##### #######   #####    #

Use a [f]ont from the default font directory (the extension can be omitted):

Code:

figlet input_text -f font_filename

Motivation: When the desired font file is already located in FIGlet’s default font directory, easily access it without specifying a path, leading to simpler commands.

Explanation: Again, using the -f option allows you to choose a font specific to the global FIGlet directory. The font_filename is the name of the font file sans extension, letting FIGlet locate and apply it effortlessly.

Example Output:

“Hello” with an available default font may render as:

  ______    _ _ _       
 /  ___|  | _   __ | 
| |        |  |  |   | |
| |     _  |  _  _  __/
\ \ |__  | |  |   _  \  
 \_____| |_| |_ | |

Pipe command output through FIGlet:

Code:

command | figlet

Motivation: For dynamically generated data or strings, you might want to automatically convert outputs from other commands into creative banners without manually typing it out.

Explanation: This use case leverages the pipe | operator, redirecting the output of command to FIGlet. Thus, the output of one command becomes the input text for FIGlet, enabling on-the-fly ASCII conversion.

Example Output:

If command generates the text “Dynamic”, you will see:

 _____                           _     
|  __ \                         | |    
| |  \/_   _  _ __    ___ _ __  | |__  
| | __| | | || '_ \  / _ \ '__| | '_ \ 
| |_\ \ |_| || | | ||  __/ |    | |_) |
 \____/\__,_||_| |_| \___|_|    |_.__/ 

Show available FIGlet fonts:

Code:

showfigfonts optional_string_to_display

Motivation: Discovering different font options can help determine which style best suits your needs, displaying the same string in various formats for easy comparison.

Explanation: The showfigfonts function lists all available FIGlet fonts. By appending optional_string_to_display, each font is demonstrated using your specified string, allowing you to preview the output directly.

Example Output:

If the optional string is “Hello”, the display might include:

  _   _      _ _
 | | | | ___| | | ___
 | |_| |/ _ \ | |/ _ \
 |  _  |  __/ | | (_) |
 |_| |_|\___|_|_|\___/

Next font:
#  #                              #
#  # #  # ####### ###### ######## 
## #   #     #    #      _  #    
###  #      ###   #####     #    
##     #  #  #   #     #      #  
#        ###   ######         #

Use the full width of the [t]erminal and [c]enter the input text:

Code:

figlet -t -c input_text

Motivation: Using the terminal’s full width and centering text can create a professional, polished appearance, especially useful for title screens or emphasized messages.

Explanation: The -t option commands FIGlet to utilize the full width of the terminal to render the text, ensuring it occupies as much space as possible. The -c option centers the ASCII art, aligning it aesthetically within the context of the terminal view.

Example Output:

For a wide terminal with “Welcome”:

  ____  _     _
 / ___|| |__ (_)_ __
 \___ \| '_ \| | '_ \
  ___) | | | | | | | |
 |____/|_| |_|_|_| |_|
                              

Display all characters at full [W]idth to avoid overlapping:

Code:

figlet -W input_text

Motivation: When complex fonts are used, overlapping can distort the output. Guaranteeing full character width prevents such visual mishaps.

Explanation: The -W argument prompts FIGlet to ensure that each letter in the resulting ASCII art is at maximum width, thus preventing any characters from overlapping, ensuring clarity in complex designs.

Example Output:

With “Overlap” and a complex font:

  __    _____
 /  |  |  _   
 |   |  | |  | 
 |   |  | |  '--.
 | .  . | |  |--' 
 |_|   \___/ 
               

Conclusion:

Through these diverse use cases, FIGlet demonstrates its utility as a versatile tool for creating eye-catching ASCII art banners. Whether for simple scripts or complex program interfaces, understanding these examples equips you with the flexibility to customize and enhance your textual presentations effectively.