Avatar generator
Type a name and get a profile picture with its initials, the kind used when someone has not uploaded a photo. The colour is picked from the name, so the same name always gives the same avatar. Download it as a PNG or as a scalable SVG.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Type a name in Name.
- Choose a Shape: circle, rounded square or square.
- Keep Pick the colour from the name, or switch it off and choose a background colour yourself. Choose the text colour too.
- Pick a size and download the PNG or the SVG.
How it works
The initials are the first letters of the first and last word. The background hue is the 32-bit FNV-1a hash of the lower-case name modulo 360, with 55% saturation and 42% lightness, which is dark enough for white text. The picture is an SVG; the PNG is that SVG drawn onto a canvas at the size you chose.
Worked example
“Ada Lovelace” gives the initials AL. The text takes 40% of the size for two letters (50% for one), so in a 512 px avatar the font is about 205 px.
Tips
- Use the SVG when the avatar will be shown at several sizes; it stays sharp.
- A custom background helps match a brand, but check that the text colour is readable on it.
Frequently asked questions
How are the initials chosen?
The first letter of the first word and the first letter of the last word, in capitals: Ada Lovelace gives AL, and Mary Ann Smith gives MS. A single word gives one letter, and an empty field gives a question mark. Dots, dashes, underscores and spaces separate words.
Why is the colour always the same for a name?
The colour comes from a hash of the name in lower case, which sets the hue on the colour wheel while saturation and lightness stay fixed. The same name always produces the same colour, so you can regenerate it later.
Which font is used in the PNG?
The SVG asks for your device's system font, and the PNG is drawn from that SVG in your browser, so it uses the same font. Different devices may therefore render the letters slightly differently.
Is the name sent anywhere?
No. The avatar is built and converted to PNG in your browser.