diff --git a/src/presenter.rs b/src/presenter.rs
index d0c75df..259f2e4 100644
--- a/src/presenter.rs
+++ b/src/presenter.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use crate::{
     },
     render::{
         ErrorSource, RenderError, RenderResult, TerminalDrawer, TerminalDrawerOptions,
+        ascii_scaler::AsciiScaler,
         engine::{MaxSize, RenderEngine, RenderEngineOptions},
         operation::RenderAsyncState,
         properties::WindowSize,
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ impl<'a> Presenter<'a> {
             self.resources.watch_presentation_file(path.to_path_buf());
         }
         self.state = PresenterState::Presenting(Presentation::from(vec![]));
-        self.try_reload(path, true);
+        self.try_reload(path, true)?;
 
         let drawer_options = TerminalDrawerOptions {
             font_size_fallback: self.options.font_size_fallback,
@@ -148,10 +149,11 @@ impl<'a> Presenter<'a> {
                         break;
                     }
                     CommandSideEffect::Reload => {
-                        self.try_reload(path, false);
+                        self.try_reload(path, false)?;
                         break;
                     }
                     CommandSideEffect::Redraw => {
+                        self.try_scale_transition_images()?;
                         break;
                     }
                     CommandSideEffect::NextSlide => {
@@ -326,9 +328,9 @@ impl<'a> Presenter<'a> {
         if needs_redraw { CommandSideEffect::Redraw } else { CommandSideEffect::None }
     }
 
-    fn try_reload(&mut self, path: &Path, force: bool) {
+    fn try_reload(&mut self, path: &Path, force: bool) -> RenderResult {
         if matches!(self.options.mode, PresentMode::Presentation) && !force {
-            return;
+            return Ok(());
         }
         self.slides_with_pending_async_renders.clear();
         self.resources.clear_watches();
@@ -344,12 +346,25 @@ impl<'a> Presenter<'a> {
                 }
                 self.slides_with_pending_async_renders = presentation.slides_with_async_renders().into_iter().collect();
                 self.state = self.validate_overflows(presentation);
+                self.try_scale_transition_images()?;
             }
             Err(e) => {
                 let presentation = mem::take(&mut self.state).into_presentation();
                 self.state = PresenterState::failure(e, presentation, ErrorSource::Presentation, FailureMode::Other);
             }
         };
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn try_scale_transition_images(&self) -> RenderResult {
+        if self.options.transition.is_none() {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        let options = RenderEngineOptions { max_size: self.options.max_size.clone(), ..Default::default() };
+        let scaler = AsciiScaler::new(options, self.resources.image_registry());
+        let dimensions = WindowSize::current(self.options.font_size_fallback)?;
+        scaler.process(self.state.presentation(), &dimensions)?;
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     fn is_displaying_other_error(&self) -> bool {
diff --git a/src/render/ascii_scaler.rs b/src/render/ascii_scaler.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd3f2b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/render/ascii_scaler.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+use super::{
+    RenderError,
+    engine::{RenderEngine, RenderEngineOptions},
+};
+use crate::{
+    ImageRegistry, WindowSize,
+    presentation::Presentation,
+    terminal::{
+        image::{Image, ImageSource},
+        printer::{TerminalCommand, TerminalError, TerminalIo},
+    },
+};
+use std::thread;
+use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthStr;
+
+pub(crate) struct AsciiScaler {
+    options: RenderEngineOptions,
+    registry: ImageRegistry,
+}
+
+impl AsciiScaler {
+    pub(crate) fn new(options: RenderEngineOptions, registry: ImageRegistry) -> Self {
+        Self { options, registry }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn process(self, presentation: &Presentation, dimensions: &WindowSize) -> Result<(), RenderError> {
+        let mut collector = ImageCollector::default();
+        for slide in presentation.iter_slides() {
+            let engine = RenderEngine::new(&mut collector, dimensions.clone(), self.options.clone());
+            engine.render(slide.iter_operations())?;
+        }
+        thread::spawn(move || Self::scale(collector.images, self.registry));
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn scale(images: Vec<ScalableImage>, registry: ImageRegistry) {
+        for image in images {
+            let ascii_image = registry.as_ascii(&image.image);
+            ascii_image.cache_scaling(image.columns, image.rows);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+struct ScalableImage {
+    image: Image,
+    rows: u16,
+    columns: u16,
+}
+
+struct ImageCollector {
+    current_column: u16,
+    current_row: u16,
+    current_row_height: u16,
+    images: Vec<ScalableImage>,
+}
+
+impl Default for ImageCollector {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self { current_row: 0, current_column: 0, current_row_height: 1, images: Default::default() }
+    }
+}
+
+impl TerminalIo for ImageCollector {
+    fn execute(&mut self, command: &TerminalCommand<'_>) -> Result<(), TerminalError> {
+        use TerminalCommand::*;
+        match command {
+            MoveTo { column, row } => {
+                self.current_column = *column;
+                self.current_row = *row;
+            }
+            MoveToRow(row) => self.current_row = *row,
+            MoveToColumn(column) => self.current_column = *column,
+            MoveDown(amount) => self.current_row = self.current_row.saturating_add(*amount),
+            MoveRight(amount) => self.current_column = self.current_column.saturating_add(*amount),
+            MoveLeft(amount) => self.current_column = self.current_column.saturating_sub(*amount),
+            MoveToNextLine => {
+                self.current_row = self.current_row.saturating_add(1);
+                self.current_column = 0;
+                self.current_row_height = 1;
+            }
+            PrintText { content, style } => {
+                self.current_column = self.current_column.saturating_add(content.width() as u16);
+                self.current_row_height = self.current_row_height.max(style.size as u16);
+            }
+            PrintImage { image, options } => {
+                // we can only really cache filesystem images for now
+                if matches!(image.source, ImageSource::Filesystem(_)) {
+                    let image =
+                        ScalableImage { image: image.clone(), rows: options.rows * 2, columns: options.columns };
+                    self.images.push(image);
+                }
+            }
+            ClearScreen => {
+                self.current_column = 0;
+                self.current_row = 0;
+                self.current_row_height = 1;
+            }
+            BeginUpdate | EndUpdate | Flush | SetColors(_) | SetBackgroundColor(_) => (),
+        };
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn cursor_row(&self) -> u16 {
+        self.current_row
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/render/mod.rs b/src/render/mod.rs
index cc892de..b4654ad 100644
--- a/src/render/mod.rs
+++ b/src/render/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+pub(crate) mod ascii_scaler;
 pub(crate) mod engine;
 pub(crate) mod layout;
 pub(crate) mod operation;
diff --git a/src/terminal/image/protocols/ascii.rs b/src/terminal/image/protocols/ascii.rs
index 355f22e..dbe0dc9 100644
--- a/src/terminal/image/protocols/ascii.rs
+++ b/src/terminal/image/protocols/ascii.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ pub(crate) struct AsciiImage {
     cached_sizes: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<(u16, u16), RgbaImage>>>,
 }
 
+impl AsciiImage {
+    pub(crate) fn cache_scaling(&self, columns: u16, rows: u16) {
+        let mut cached_sizes = self.cached_sizes.lock().unwrap();
+        // lookup on cache/resize the image and store it in cache
+        let cache_key = (columns, rows);
+        if cached_sizes.get(&cache_key).is_none() {
+            let image = self.image.resize_exact(columns as u32, rows as u32, FilterType::Triangle);
+            cached_sizes.insert(cache_key, image.into_rgba8());
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 impl ImageProperties for AsciiImage {
     fn dimensions(&self) -> (u32, u32) {
         self.image.dimensions()
@@ -91,20 +103,14 @@ impl PrintImage for AsciiPrinter {
     {
         let columns = options.columns;
         let rows = options.rows * 2;
-        let mut cached_sizes = image.cached_sizes.lock().unwrap();
+        // Scale it first
+        image.cache_scaling(columns, rows);
+
         // lookup on cache/resize the image and store it in cache
         let cache_key = (columns, rows);
-        let image = match cached_sizes.get(&cache_key) {
-            Some(image) => image,
-            None => {
-                let image = image.image.resize_exact(columns as u32, rows as u32, FilterType::Triangle);
-                cached_sizes.insert(cache_key, image.into_rgba8());
-                cached_sizes.get(&cache_key).unwrap()
-            }
-        };
-        // The strategy here is taken from viuer: use half vertical ascii blocks in combination
-        // with foreground/background colors to fit 2 vertical pixels per cell. That is, cell (x, y)
-        // will contain the pixels at (x, y) and (x, y + 1) combined.
+        let cached_sizes = image.cached_sizes.lock().unwrap();
+        let image = cached_sizes.get(&cache_key).expect("scaled image no longer there");
+
         let default_background = options.background_color.map(Color::from);
 
         // Iterate pixel rows in pairs to be able to merge both pixels in a single iteration.