libcaca ☆

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Description:
Convert pixel information into colored ASCII art

Type: Formula | Latest Version: 0.99b20@0 | Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025

Links: Homepage | formulae.brew.sh

Category: Multimedia

Tags: graphics ascii-art terminal library rendering

Install: brew install libcaca

About:
Libcaca is a graphics library that outputs colored ASCII art, text-based user interfaces, and Braille. It provides a robust API for rendering graphics and text in a terminal environment, supporting various output formats including ANSI, HTML, and raw text. Its primary value is enabling visual applications in environments where traditional graphics libraries are unavailable or impractical.

Key Features:

Cross-platform rendering to text, ANSI, HTML, and Braille
Support for both framebuffer and terminal output
Anti-aliased graphics and text rendering
Low-level API for direct pixel manipulation

Use Cases:

Displaying images and video in terminal emulators
Creating text-based user interfaces (TUIs)
Accessibility tools for converting visuals to Braille

Alternatives:

aalib – Aalib focuses specifically on ASCII art conversion, whereas Libcaca supports a wider range of text-based formats including color and Braille.
libcurses – Curses is for building text UIs, while Libcaca is better suited for rendering graphical content (images) into text.

Version History

Detected	Version	Rev	Change	Commit
Sep 11, 2025 6:11am	0.99b20	0	VERSION_BUMP	8a9cdd55
Jan 2, 2023 9:05am	0.99b20	0	VERSION_BUMP	6c570bcc