Image pasters: Difference between revisions

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[[File:1052 art.png|thumb|165x165px|By [[Guest-1052]]]]Image paste abuse is one of the most obtrusive forms of spam on OWOT and also one of the most common. By late 2024/early 2025, images have begun to regularly outnumber other forms of text at [[Spawn]], prompting several users to jokingly call the site "Our World of Image Pastes."

Furthermore, image pasters are frequently used to display offensive and/or graphic content. Pornographic spam has always been a recurring problem on OWOT and the lack of measures against it have led to fierce criticism against the site's [[moderation]]. This ~~problem~~ was only made worse in November 2024, when image pastes achieved significantly higher resolutions with the ~~implementation~~ of customizable cell colors on the front page. A breaking point was reached in December 2025, when [[FP]] made the decision to [[The Great Color Ban of 2025/2026|disable color]] on the front page until he is able to implement a feature that ~~can~~ automatically ~~hide image pastes~~ from the canvas.

Furthermore, image pasters are frequently used to display offensive and/or graphic content. Pornographic spam has always been a recurring problem on OWOT and the lack of measures against it have led to fierce criticism against the site's [[moderation]]. This issue was only made worse in November 2024, when image pastes achieved significantly higher resolutions with the addition of customizable cell colors to the front page. A breaking point was reached in December 2025, when [[FP]] made the decision to [[The Great Color Ban of 2025/2026|disable color]] on the front page in order to limit the clarity of NSFW image pastes. The color ban will stay in place until he is able to implement a feature that automatically hides images from the canvas.

Despite all these issues, image ~~pastes~~ are not outright despised by the community. Many scripters still enjoy finding new ways to render images on the canvas, and the creation of new image pasters is usually received positively so long as it doesn't result in more spam. Nevertheless, there is an informal ban on the distribution of such scripts which [[Lemuria]] refers to as the "OWOT Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Image Pasters."

Despite all these issues, image pasters are not outright despised by the community. Many scripters still enjoy finding new ways to render images on the canvas, and the creation of new image pasters is usually received positively so long as it doesn't result in more spam. Nevertheless, there is an informal ban on the distribution of such scripts which [[Lemuria]] refers to as the "OWOT Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Image Pasters."

At the same time, there are many users who tolerate image pasters even when they are used for spam, seeing it as an example of spammers exercising their freedom on the canvas.

At the same time, there are many users who tolerate image pasters even when they are used for spam, seeing it as an example of spammers exercising their freedom on the canvas.<blockquote>''I want to be clear about something. Image pasters are not a bad thing. Neither are colors. Both of these encourage more valuable members of the community who dilute some of the more toxic people.''

''It might seem counter-intuitive to have images on a text site, but I need to point to what happened during the color ban. The amount of racism, bullying, calling people pedos for no reason, etc… increased, and it slowly decreased as images started coming back. General anti-empathy propaganda was thriving.''

''As it is, the people using image pasters as a coding experiment or to show artistic creations are helping dilute the anti-empathy crowd, which does ruin a website. I think by now, images have proven to be the egg that holds OWOT together.''

''(I also suspect that some of the people making inappropriate image pastes are doing it specifically to target this)''

'''— [[WindowToaster]] on February 10th, 2026'''</blockquote><blockquote>''i have a theory (which i think i only mentioned once, long ago and briefly; the bs happening in ⁠scripting reminded me about it once again) it's about why there's more spammers dedicated to images than any other form of spam i think those image spammers see owot as some sort of imageboard at this point they see image pasting as an intentional feature they think their image pasting is the same as writing text (not considering that any image paste is inherently spam) like they actually don't realize they're spamming few want to spam for the sake of spamming, but a lot more people want to "just share images"''

''new users see the front page filled with images and think this is the norm''

''so they start doing the same thing''

'''— [[KKosty4ka]] on February 19th, 2026'''</blockquote>

== Types of image pasters ==

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=== Octant ===

Using [[Octant|octant characters]], it is possible to divide each text cell into eight pixels, though only two colors can be present in any given cell. Octants allow for higher resolution images than half blocks, though the two color limitation means that some amount of distortion will be visible at smaller scales.<gallery mode="packed" heights="300">

Using [[Octant|octant characters]], it is possible to divide each text cell into eight pixels, though only two colors can be present in any given cell. Octants allow for higher resolution images than half blocks, though the two color limitation means that some amount of distortion will be visible at smaller scales.

Octant pasters were rare at first, but have become the most common type of image pasters by mid 2025.<gallery mode="packed" heights="300">

File:Octant paste 1.png

File:Octant paste 2.png

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The images they produce look similar to full/half block pastes at large scales, but turning off color will reveal distinct horizontal patterns.

Unlike half and full block pastes, these images are fully discernible even without color.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="By Banksy">

Unlike half and full block pastes, these images are fully discernible even without color.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="By [[Banksy]]">

File:Banksy image paster january 14 2026 2.png

File:Banksy image paster january 14 2026 3.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Test">

File:Banksy image paster january 14 2026 4.png

File:Banksy image paster january 14 2026 5.png

</gallery>

=== Vertical fractional blocks ===

Also extremely rare.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="By Banksy">

File:Banksy image paster january 15 2026 1.png

File:Banksy image paster january 15 2026 2.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Mixed fractional blocks (also by Banksy)">

File:Banksy image paster january 15 2026 3.png

File:Banksy image paster january 15 2026 4.png

</gallery>

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This type of image paster renders coloured images using URL and coordinate links. This allows coloured images to be pasted in worlds where coloured text is disabled, albeit you are limited to 4 colours: black, white, blue, and green.

First began popping off during the [[2025 color ban]].<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

First began popping off during the [[2025 color ban|2025/2026 color ban]].<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Egg dithering.png|By [[e_g.]], red emojis are added in an attempt to render other colors via trichromatic [[wikipedia:Dither|dithering]]

File:Kesherian skies 3.png|By [[Catzcute4]], dithering is used to render different (shades of) colors

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File:Sorrow for a bygone era.webp|alt=In pixel art, a crying stickman is against a blue & green checkerboard pattern. Tears are coming out of his eyes, more so from his closed left eye, and he says "The world used to be so colourful... now it's monochrome."|"Sorrow for a bygone era"

</gallery>

=== Trichroma pasters ===

Image pasters that use red, green, and blue to create the impression of other colors. This type of image paster briefly became widespread at the end of the color ban, when colors were being re-enabled one at a time. The term "trichroma paster" was coined by a user at Spawn on February 4th, 2026.

[[File:Green dithering.png|center|thumb|By [[Grr.Z]] (February 2nd, 2026)]]

=== More unorthodox characters ===

Many unicode sets contain characters with varying amounts of negative space, allowing them to create different shades for image pastes. Most of these are incredibly fuzzy and stylistic.[[File:~~Banksy card paste~~.png|center|thumb|Using card unicode, by [[Banksy]]]]

Many unicode sets contain characters with varying amounts of negative space, allowing them to create different shades for image pastes. Most of these are incredibly fuzzy and stylistic.[[File:Weird thing made out of unicode.png|center|thumb|405x405px|Using various unicode and SLC, by [[Haster]]]]<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Using card unicode, by [[Banksy]]">

[[File:~~Weird thing made out of unicode~~.png|center|thumb|~~405x405px~~|~~Using various unicode and SLC, by~~ [[~~Haster~~]]]]

File:Banksy card paste 2.png

File:Banksy card paste.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Using horizontal blocks, also by Banksy">

File:Banksy image paster january 16th 2026 1.png

File:Banksy image paster january 16th 2026 2.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Cuneiform and [[wikipedia:CJK_characters|CJK]], Banksy">

File:Banksy cuneiform paste 1.png

File:Banksy cuneiform paste 2.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Circles, Banksy">

File:Banksy circle paste 1.png

File:Banksy circle paste 2.png

=== Hybrid pasters ===

Using multiple types of characters.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Black and white full block pastes that also use other symbols">

File:This man paste.png

File:W image paste.png

File:This man paste.png|[[wikipedia:Code_page_437|Code page 437]]

File:Rubiks cube paste.png|From YWOT

File:Apple paste.png|From YWOT

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The paster was mainly used to render photos of cats on the canvas, though on several occasions [[Crazy Cat Lady|CCL]] also used it to post face reveals at Spawn.

CCL had planned to release the script to the community, though several users (including [[Fp|FP]]) advised her not to.<gallery mode="packed" heights="~~300~~">

CCL had planned to release the script to the community, though several users (including [[Fp|FP]]) advised her not to.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:~~Ccl_image_paste_color~~.png|Colors on

File:Ccl image paste color.png|Colors on

File:~~Ccl_image_paste_no_color~~.png|Colors off

File:Ccl image paste no color.png|Colors off

</gallery>

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Comes with the ability to rotate images.

The creator of this ~~image paster was~~ also ~~responsible for~~ a series of [[Spam#SLC spam|SLC-based spam scripts]].<gallery mode="packed" heights="~~300~~">

The creator of this script, an anon who would later be known as [[Banksy]], also made a series of [[Spam#SLC spam|SLC-based spam scripts]] at around the same time.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Slc paste blue coral.png

File:Slc paste blue coral no color.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="~~250~~">

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Slc paste goldship.png

File:Slc paste goldship no color.png

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Leaked in an image paster leak and saved by [[NextOS]], given to [[PixelMess]] on November 20th 2025.

Uses full blocks and the occasional letter/unicode symbol.<gallery mode="packed" heights="~~300~~">

Uses full blocks and the occasional letter/unicode symbol.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Pixelmess paste color.png

File:Pixelmess paste no color.png

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</gallery>

=== ~~Link~~ paster from ~~December 2025/January 2026~~ ===

=== [[JustAnOWOTUser|JustAnOWOTUser's]] 1SPaster ===

An image paster made by JustAnOWOTUser in 2023. Originally, it only supported full-block pastes, although half-block and link pasting were added to it in 2025.

The main feature that makes it stand out from other pasters is its ease of use and simplicity, as its controlled by only one button and invisibly guides you through the pasting process in stages.

[[File:1SPaster being used.gif|center|thumb|420x420px|1SPaster in action]]

=== WindowToaster's link paster ===

The most high quality link paster to have appeared as of early 2026. While the images it generates are hard to make out from up close, they can be startling lifelike when looked at from afar (i.e. at a lower zoom).

The creator of this script ~~is likely also responsible for the next image paster~~.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

The creator of this script was initially anonymous, but revealed themselves as [[WindowToaster]] on January 20th, 2026.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

~~File:Link paste forest.png|December 29th, 2025~~

File:Link paste beach.png|January 6th, 2026

File:Link paste telephone pole.png|January 6th, 2026

File:Link past forest 2.png|January 23rd, 2026

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="150">

File:Banksy shell.png|December 24th, 2025

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File:Jbl.png|January 10th, 2026

</gallery>

[[File:Beach paste colors.png|center|thumb|A colored version of the beach paste that utilizes red, green, blue (URL links), light green, yellow, and purple, which were all the colors that had been re-enabled by February 9th, 2026.]]

=== ~~Emoji~~ paster ~~from January 1st, 2026~~ ===

=== WindowToaster's emoji paster ===

Created during the color ban, which was intended to end on New Year but was extended into 2026.

The script overlays a sparse grid of colored emojis on top of a black and white octant paste, so as to give off the impression that it is fully colored. The quality of this illusion improves the farther you are zoomed out.

~~The user behind this~~ image ~~paster also made the green koopa shell from the link~~ pasters ~~section, though both that script and this one~~ were initially misattributed to Banksy.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

Both of WindowToaster's image pasters were initially misattributed to [[Banksy]], another scripter who had been experimenting with image pasters at the time.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Image paste january 1 2025.png|January 1st, 2026

File:Image paste january 5 2026.png|The creator of the script talking with Banksy on January 5th, 2026

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</gallery>

=== ~~Banksy's card paster~~ ===

=== Spawn Pokemon ===

~~Created~~ using ~~the playing cards unicode set~~. ~~The paster was first seen publicly on~~ January ~~10th~~, 2026, but ~~Banksy had been working~~ on ~~it for a few days before hand~~, as ~~evident by the card unicode lying around their worlds~~.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="~~From~~ [~~https~~:/~~/ourworldoftext~~.~~com~~/~~Banksy/b /Banksy/b~~]">

Large emoji pastes that were created and maintained by [[Jukwavion]] using a massive number of proxies/bots. This caused OWOT's user count to reach 500+ users at one point, though it later died down to 50 - 80 users, over half of which were bots.

File:~~Banksy card paste 2~~.png

File:~~Banksy card paste 3~~.png

Starting from January 31st, 2026, different Pokemon characters (primarily Eevees) would be swapped in and out of Spawn on a regular basis. The pastes were attacked frequently but managed to stay up 24/7 due to bot protection. Jukwavion removed them on February 4th, 2026, and stated on the [[OWOT Discord|Discord]] that they were using the Pokemon as a test for future endeavors. <gallery mode="packed" heights="200" caption="Timelapses of the Pokemon pastes being bombarded by griefers on February 2nd, 2026.">

File:Pokemon war 1.gif

File:Pokemon war 2.gif

File:Pokemon war 3.gif

</gallery>

[[File:Spawn pokemon timelapse.gif|center|thumb|Timelapse (January 31st, 2026 - February 4th, 2026)]]

=== Mr. Black's image paster ===

'''''<small>*Not all of these are confirmed to have been from [[Mr. Black]].</small>'''''

Mr. Black has an [[octant]] paster with a variety of different modes for rendering images.

The script was created during [[The Great Color Ban of 2025/2026]], so links were initially used for color. Individual text colors were incorporated into the paster one by one as they were gradually re-enabled on the front page.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Creepypasta spawn february 4 2026.png|Trichroma pastes in dark mode. (February 4th, 2026)

File:Mr black image paster modes.png|Different modes. Many of Mr. Black's image pastes can be identified from the stylistic patterns running through them. (February 5th, 2026)

File:Taj mahal pastes pink.png|Color on vs. color off. These were from February 11th, 2026, by which point several colors have been re-enabled but URL links still had to be substituted for blue text.

</gallery>

=== gimmickCellar's image paster ===

This paster does not support links. However, it does dynamically change based on the available palette. [[File:Gc Susie Paste.jpg|center|thumb|gimmickCellar's image paster being used.]]

=== Miscellaneous ===

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File:Octant paste 9.png

File:Octant paste 10.png

</gallery><gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Unknown densitybased image paster.jpg|Chooses characters based on a density system.

</gallery>

[[File:Test world.png|center|thumb|315x315px|Massive image pastes in [[/test]], the largest of which is 19 coordinates tall and 38 coordinates wide.]]

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File:The father.png|July 25th, 2025

File:Image paste eyes october 29 2025.png|October 29th, 2025

File:Sitting on owot.png|By [[Guest-1052]](''October 29th, 2025'')

File:Sitting on owot.png|By [[Guest-1052]] (October 29th, 2025)

File:Trump.png|By [[Rscr]](''November 2nd, 2025'')

File:Trump.png|By [[Rscr]] (November 2nd, 2025)

File:Trump shrine.png|Cont.

File:This cooler is for 2 things.png|By Rscr(''November 10th, 2025'')

File:This cooler is for 2 things.png|By Rscr (November 10th, 2025)

File:Orange teeth.webp|By Rscr(''November 16th, 2025'')

File:Orange teeth.webp|By Rscr (November 16th, 2025)

File:Orange eat earth.png|By Rscr(''November 17th, 2025'')

File:Orange eat earth.png|By Rscr (November 17th, 2025)

File:Screenshot 2025-11-22 at 9.16.09 PM.png|By Rscr(''November 22nd, 2025'')

File:Screenshot 2025-11-22 at 9.16.09 PM.png|By Rscr (November 22nd, 2025)

File:Fp plane.png|December 3rd, 2025

File:Three overpowered kings.png|December 7th, 2025

File:Owot manga.png|December 17th, 2025

File:Long legs.png|By Rscr (January 14th, 2026)

File:Kirk.png|By Rscr and one other user (January 24th, 2026)

File:Momo eye.png|February 5th, 2026

File:Loaf guy.png|By Rscr (February 7th, 2026)

File:Taj matall.png|February 17th, 2026

</gallery>

[[File:Nalani proctor evolution.png|center|thumb|358x358px|[https://ourworldoftext.com/archivetests#x:87987988,y:87987978799 /archivetests#x:87987988,y:87987978799], by Guest-1052]]

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=== Adding manual touches to image pastes ===

The following images were created by [[Banksy]] during the [[2025 color ban]], when (''excluding emojis'') only coordinate and URL links could be used for color. With this limited palette in mind, Banksy made purposeful decisions to highlight important parts of these monochrome image pastes, giving them an artistic quality in the process. The relative rarity of color would have also made these additions all the more eye-catching for users active during the color ban.<gallery mode="packed" heights="200~~" caption="~~">

tbd<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">

File:Banksy blue 1.png

File:Banksy blue 1.png|By Banksy (2025)

File:Banksy blue 3.png

File:Banksy blue 3.png|By Banksy (2025)

File:Banksy ~~green 1~~.png

File:Goo fp.png|By [[Rscr]] and Banksy (2025)

File:~~Banksy green 2~~.png

File:Moon face.png|February 2nd, 2026

File:~~Goo fp~~.png|~~Slime effect by~~ [[~~Rscr~~]]

File:Crazy looking woman.png|February 6th, 2026

~~File:Banksy blue 5.png~~

File:Kkb yo.png|By [[kkb]] (February 6th, 2026)

</gallery>

[[File:Banksy owot coloring book.png|center|thumb|Banksy coloring in a monochrome image paste using their [[Banksy#Blobby Paint|paint script]] (January 9th, 2026)]]

[[File:Top 10 relaxing activities on owot.png|center|thumb|From [[/main]]]]

== Text-based video players ==