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Base85 (Ascii85) Encoder / Decoder

System ideaMissing a tool?

Encode or decode Ascii85 / Base85 text locally

Convert text to and from Base85 (the Adobe Ascii85 variant), including the 'z' shortcut for all-zero groups. All conversion happens locally in your browser.

Result
9Q+ELCb975EcZ=FFDl)6F!,(5EZeq:ATE'7DIi

Everything on this page is processed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

What this tool does

Base85 packs 4 bytes into 5 printable ASCII characters, giving a denser encoding than Base64 at the cost of a wider character set. It shows up in PDF and PostScript files and in some binary-to-text pipelines. This tool implements the classic Adobe Ascii85 alphabet ('!' through 'u').

How to use it

  1. Type or paste text, or switch to Decode and paste Base85 text.
  2. The result updates as you type.
  3. Copy the encoded or decoded text.

Privacy

This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your input is never uploaded, stored or shared — closing the tab removes it.

Frequently asked questions

Is my text uploaded anywhere?
No. Encoding and decoding run in JavaScript in your browser; nothing is sent anywhere.
Which Base85 variant does this use?
The Adobe Ascii85 alphabet, the same one used in PDF and PostScript files, including the 'z' shortcut for a fully zero 4-byte group.
Why is Base85 output shorter than Base64?
Base85 encodes 4 bytes into 5 characters (a 25% increase) versus Base64's 4-into-3-bytes-to-4-characters (a 33% increase), so Base85 output is somewhat more compact.

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