Image to Base64 Converter
Encode any image to a Base64 string. Get ready-to-use Data URI, CSS, and HTML snippets.
Drag & drop an image here
or click to select a file
What Is Base64 Image Encoding?
Base64 encoding converts binary image data into a text string of ASCII characters. This allows you to embed images directly in HTML, CSS, or JSON without needing a separate image file. The encoded string can be used as a data URI in an img tag's src attribute or as a CSS background-image value.
How Do I Convert an Image to Base64?
Upload your image by clicking or dragging it onto the upload area. The tool reads the file using the FileReader API, converts it to a Base64 string, and displays the result with the appropriate data URI prefix. Copy the string and paste it into your HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code. The process is instant and runs entirely in your browser.
When Should I Use Base64 Images Instead of Regular Files?
Base64 images are useful for small icons, logos, and graphics that you want to inline directly in your code to avoid extra HTTP requests. They are also handy for email HTML templates where external images may be blocked. For large images, regular files are more efficient because Base64 encoding increases the data size by approximately 33 percent.
Is There a Size Limit for Base64 Encoding?
There is no hard limit in this tool. However, Base64 strings for large images can be very long and may slow down page rendering. As a practical guideline, Base64 encoding works best for images under 20 KB. For larger images, linking to a separate file is the better approach.
What Is a Data URI and How Do I Use One?
A data URI embeds file content directly in HTML or CSS using the format data:[mediatype];base64,[data]. For an image, it looks like data:image/png;base64,iVBOR... This tool generates the complete data URI you can paste directly into an img tag's src attribute or a CSS background-image property. The browser decodes and displays the image without making an additional HTTP request.