---
name: "aview"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "aview"
version: "1.3.0rc1-11"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/aview"
---

# aview(1)

A high quality ASCII art image viewer

## NAME

aview - A high quality ASCII art image viewer

## SYNOPSIS

**aview** \[**options**\] filename.p\[ngbp\]m\
 **asciiview** \[**options**\] filename.xxx

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page was written for the Debian GNU/Linux distribution because the original program does not have a manual page.

**aview/asciiview** is an image viewer which displays the images in ASCII art...

**aview** supports zooming/unzooming, three dithering modes, inversion, contrast, brightness, gamma control and can save into many formats (html, text, ansi, more/less etc.).

**aview** can only show files in the PNM file format. But **asciiview** automatically converts the file formats to PNM (with extern programs like NetPBM and ImageMagick) and then runs **aview**.

It supports the usual aalib drivers (e.g. slang, x11 and stdout) as well as the mousedrivers X11 and gpm.

## CONTROLS

- **a**,**w**,**d**,**x**

  Move the image one row/column.

- **A**,**W**,**D**,**X**

  Move the image one page.

- **Z**,**+**

  Zoom in.

- **z**,**-**

  Zoom out.

- **s**

  Save image.

- **m**

  Change dithering mode.

- **q**

  Quit the viewer.

- **i**

  Turn inversion on.

- **I**

  Turn inversion off.

- **u**

  Select attributes.

- **f**

  Select font.

- **SPACE**

  Redraw screen.

- **.**

  Increase contrast (dot).

- **,**

  Decrease contrast (comma).

- **'**

  Increase gamma (single quote).

- **;**

  Decrease gamma (semicolon).

- **\>**

  Increase brightness.

- **\<**

  Decrease brightness.

## OPTIONS

For a complete description, type **aview --help**. This shows all options.

## BUGS

Please report any bugs you find to Jan Hubicka \<hubicka@freesoft.cz\>.

## LICENSE

**aview** is covered by the GNU General Public License (GPL).

## SEE ALSO

[**aafire**(1)](/aafire/1.md), [**aainfo**(1)](/aainfo/1.md), [**aasavefont**(1)](/aasavefont/1.md), [**aatest**(1)](/aatest/1.md), [**aaflip**(1)](/aaflip/1.md), [**aa3d**(1)](/aa3d/1.md), [**aatv**(1)](/aatv/1.md), [**bb**(1)](/bb/1.md), [**xaos**(6)](/xaos/6.md).

## AUTHOR

Jan Hubicka \<hubicka@freesoft.cz\>

This manual page was written by Michael Bramer \<grisu@debian.org\>, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others).