banner

Print the text message as a large banner (quotes are optional)

$ banner "[Hello World]"

$ banner [[-w|--width]] 50 "[Hello World]"

$ banner

banner [-t | -w width] message...

-t
    Use the current terminal width for the output. This option overrides any specified -w width.

-w width
    Specify the width of the output in characters. If this option is not given, the default width is often 132 characters (historically related to printer widths).

message
    One or more words or strings to be converted into large characters. Each word provided as an argument will typically be printed on its own line, or separated by a larger space if concatenated.

The banner command generates large, stylized ASCII art characters from input text, displaying them on standard output. Originally used for creating large-format printouts (e.g., banners for dot-matrix printers), it's now often employed to produce eye-catching messages directly in the terminal. Each character is typically constructed from a matrix of '#' or '*' symbols, making it highly visible. It's useful for drawing attention to specific messages in scripts, terminal sessions, or log files. The output format can vary slightly depending on the specific implementation, but the core function of large character rendering remains consistent.

Output can be very wide, potentially wrapping lines in smaller terminals if -t or an appropriate -w is not used.
Behavior and available options can vary significantly between different banner implementations (e.g., bsd-utils banner vs. sysvbanner).
It uses a fixed font, so character rendering is basic compared to modern ASCII art generators.
Not all characters or symbols may be supported or rendered correctly.

The behavior of banner can differ based on its specific implementation. Some Linux distributions include banner as part of bsd-utils, offering the -t and -w options. Other systems might provide sysvbanner (often symlinked as banner from sysvinit-utils), which typically doesn't have options and prints the entire input string on a single line using a fixed block font. Users should consult their system's man banner page for precise details of their installed version.

The banner command is a classic Unix utility, dating back to early BSD distributions. Its primary purpose was to print large, attention-grabbing text on continuous-form paper using dot-matrix printers. Over time, its use transitioned to the terminal, where it became a simple way to display prominent messages. While newer, more sophisticated ASCII art generators like figlet and toilet offer greater flexibility and font options, banner remains available on many systems as a lightweight, historical tool, often part of utility packages like bsd-utils or sysvinit-utils. Its simplicity ensures its continued, albeit niche, utility.

figlet(6), toilet(6), lolcat(1)