Base85 (Ascii85) Encode/Decode

Convert text to and from Ascii85, more compact than Base64 (4 bytes → 5 chars)

Encode Decode
Chars: {{ inputText.length }}
{{ error }}
Base64 Encode →

About Base85 (Ascii85)

Base85 (a.k.a. Ascii85) uses 85 printable ASCII characters (from ! to u) to represent data, encoding every 4 bytes into 5 characters — about 25% more compact than Base64 (4 bytes → 6 chars). It was first used in Adobe's PostScript and PDF formats and is common for textual transmission of binary data.

This tool uses the standard Adobe Ascii85 alphabet: a 4-byte all-zero group is compressed to a single z; trailing groups shorter than 4 bytes are truncated by the rules. On decode, optional <~ and ~> delimiters are automatically stripped.

Examples

Input: Hello → Output: 87cURDZ

Input: \0\0\0\0 → Output: z (zero-group compression)

FAQ

Q: Decode says "contains illegal Base85 characters"?
A: Ascii85 only uses 85 characters between ASCII 33 (!) and 117 (u). If the input contains spaces, newlines, or characters outside that range (such as symbols other than lowercase), it is rejected. Please clean the text first.
Q: What is the difference between Base85 and Base64?
A: Both are binary-to-text encodings, but Base85 uses 85 characters at a 4→5 ratio (smaller), while Base64 uses 64 characters at a 3→4 ratio (broader compatibility). Choose as needed.