diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 498c645..13e282a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 CC=cc
-PREFIX=/usr/local
+PREFIX=
 LIBS=-lncurses
 
 all: build
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ ascii: ascii.c
 build: ascii
 	
 install: ascii
-	install -d $(PREFIX)/bin
-	install -m 755 ascii $(PREFIX)/bin
-
+	@prefix="$(PREFIX)"; \
+	if [[ ! $$prefix ]]; then \
+		read -p $$'\033[1mWhere do you want to install? (default: /usr/local) \033[0m' prefix; \
+	fi; \
+	if [[ ! $$prefix ]]; then \
+		prefix="/usr/local"; \
+	fi; \
+	mkdir -pv $$prefix/bin $$prefix/share/man/man1 \
+	&& cp -v ascii $$prefix/bin/ \
+	&& cp -v doc/ascii.1 $$prefix/share/man/man1/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 136b826..95077a1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,9 +5,13 @@ manually output ASCII sequences.
 
 ## Usage
 
-Just run `ascii` to launch the ascii table viewier or `ascii N1 N2...` to print
-the ASCII characters listed by number, e.g. `ascii 72 105` will print `Hi`. In
-the ASCII table viewer, you can navigate with arrow keys or h/j/k/l. Pressing
-`enter` will append to the output buffer and `backspace` will delete from the
-output buffer.  Pressing `q` or `escape` will exit and print the output buffer
-to stdout. Hitting control-c will quit without printing the output buffer.
+Just run `ascii` to launch the ascii table viewier. Any text piped in will be
+appended to an output buffer, followed by the ASCII values of any numbers
+passed as arguments.
+
+## Controls
+In the ASCII table viewer, you can navigate with arrow keys or h/j/k/l.
+Pressing `enter` will append to the output buffer and `backspace` will delete
+from the output buffer. Pressing `q` or `escape` will exit and print the output
+buffer to stdout. Hitting control-c will quit without printing the output
+buffer.
diff --git a/ascii.c b/ascii.c
index 783d37d..0edf804 100644
--- a/ascii.c
+++ b/ascii.c
@@ -181,12 +181,8 @@ void draw_output(char *start, char *stop)
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {	
-    // If any command line args, treat them as numbers
-    // and print them as ASCII characters
-    if (argc >= 2) {
-        for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
-            putc(atoi(argv[i]), stdout);
-        }
+    if (argc > 1 && (strcmp(argv[1], "--help") == 0 || strcmp(argv[1], "-h") == 0)) {
+        printf("ASCII table viewer/editor, Usage: ascii [N...]\n");
         return 0;
     }
 
@@ -237,6 +233,17 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
     }
 
+    // If any command line args, treat them as bytes to append to
+    // the output buffer
+    for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
+        long c = strtol(argv[i], NULL, 0);
+        outbuf[buf_i++] = (char)c;
+        if (buf_i >= buf_size) {
+            buf_size *= 2;
+            outbuf = realloc(outbuf, buf_size);
+        }
+    }
+
     int selected = 0;
     while (1) {
         redraw(selected);
diff --git a/doc/ascii.1 b/doc/ascii.1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bfc5131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/ascii.1
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+.\" Manpage for ascii.
+.\" Contact bruce@bruce-hill.com to correct errors or typos.
+.TH man 8 "3 January 2019" "1.0" "ascii man page"
+.SH NAME
+ascii \- An ASCII table viewer
+.SH SYNOPSIS
+.B ascii
+[
+.I N1 N2...
+]
+.SH DESCRIPTION
+This will display an interactive ASCII table, with the byte numbers and
+descriptions.  You can also build up raw ASCII output, which will be printed to
+stdout when the program closes.
+.SH INPUT
+.TP
+If any input is piped to \fBascii\fR, it will appear in the output buffer.
+.SH OPTIONS
+.B \--help
+Print the command line usage.
+
+.B N...
+If decimal or hex numbers are passed as extra arguments, the corresponding raw
+ASCII values will be appended to the output buffer after any piped input.
+
+.SH CONTROLS
+.B Navigating:
+In the ASCII table, arrow keys or h/j/k/l can be used to navigate.
+
+.B Editing:
+You can use 'enter' to append to the output buffer and 'backspace' to delete from the output buffer.
+
+.B Exiting:
+\'q' or 'escape' will quit and print the output buffer. Control-c can be used
+to quit without printing the output buffer.
+
+.SH EXAMPLES
+.TP
+.B
+ascii
+Open the ASCII table.
+
+.TP
+.B
+printf "h" | ascii 105 | base64
+Open the ASCII table with "hi" in the buffer, and pipe the output to base64
+when the program closes.
+
+.SH AUTHOR
+Bruce Hill (bruce@bruce-hill.com)