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Friday, November 6, 2026

GitHub README to Image: Make a PNG for Your Next Release

Import a public GitHub README, trim it to the changes readers care about, and export a PNG with a link back to the release or source.

GitHub README to Image: Make a PNG for Your Next Release

When you announce a release, a short README excerpt can show what the project does and what changed. Paste the repository URL into the GitHub README to Image converter, then turn the relevant section into a PNG for a post, slide or team update.

Import the README from GitHub

  1. Open a public repository on GitHub and copy its main URL. Try octocat/Hello-World to check the import.
  2. Paste the URL and click Fetch README. Check that the editor shows the README you expected.
  3. Keep the project name, release number and a few changes that matter to readers. Edit the working copy in the converter.
  4. Preview at your intended display width, choose PNG in the output settings and download the image.

If the import fails, open the repository in a signed-out browser and check that a README is visible. For a specific branch or a local file, open the version you want and paste the approved excerpt into the Markdown converter.

Try a release excerpt

After testing the public import above, we replaced the editor content with this original example. You can paste it into the editor to reproduce the layout. Before exporting an edited excerpt, check the author and date in the output settings.

# Trail Notes 1.2

A small command-line tool for organizing field notes.

## What's new

- Group notes by trip.
- Search by date or tag.
- Export a trip summary as Markdown.

**Quick start:** Open a notes folder, then choose a trip.

PNG showing the Trail Notes 1.2 title, three release changes and a quick-start line

Open the full PNG. This image came from the README tool's live preview and the site's export service, using an 800 px canvas and 2× output.

Check badges, images and line breaks

Use the preview to spot missing badges or screenshots. A relative path such as docs/demo.png depends on the source repository and file location. If it fails to load, replace it with a publicly accessible image URL for the version you are announcing. A card can also work with just text and a few bullets.

Open the downloaded PNG at the size readers will see. Trim long commands, wide tables and installation details if they make the image hard to read. Keep the full instructions on GitHub, where readers can copy them.

Share the card with a source link

Put the repository or release link next to the image. If the announcement describes a fixed version, use its release page or a README permalink for that commit. Include a short text caption so the update is still clear when the image is unavailable. When you're ready, convert a public README to an image.