Ascii85

Ascii85 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that converts binary data into a printable ASCII format, using a base-85 numeral system. It is commonly used for embedding binary data in text-based protocols like PDF files, PostScript, and Adobe Illustrator documents. The encoding is more space-efficient than Base64, typically reducing the size by about 25%.

Also known as: Base85, Adobe Ascii85, btoa, ASCII85, Ascii 85

Why learn Ascii85?

Developers should learn Ascii85 when working with file formats that require binary data to be stored as text, such as in PDF generation or PostScript processing. It is particularly useful in scenarios where storage or transmission efficiency is critical, as it compresses data better than Base64, making it ideal for embedding images or other binary content in documents.

Learning Resources

• docs: RFC 1924 - A Compact Representation of IPv6 Addresses
• docs: Ascii85 Encoding on Wikipedia
• tutorial: Base85 Encoding Tutorial on GeeksforGeeks
• docs: Ascii85 Implementation in Python