diff --git a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/ansi.rs b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/ansi.rs
index e24d14c31f..ea1209f790 100644
--- a/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/ansi.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-cli/src/commands/ansi.rs
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@ use crate::prelude::*;
 use ansi_term::Color;
 use nu_errors::ShellError;
 use nu_protocol::{ReturnSuccess, Signature, SyntaxShape, UntaggedValue, Value};
+use nu_source::Tagged;
 
 pub struct Ansi;
 
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 struct AnsiArgs {
     color: Value,
+    escape: Option<Tagged<String>>,
+    osc: Option<Tagged<String>>,
 }
 
 #[async_trait]
@@ -18,15 +21,70 @@ impl WholeStreamCommand for Ansi {
     }
 
     fn signature(&self) -> Signature {
-        Signature::build("ansi").required(
-            "color",
-            SyntaxShape::Any,
-            "the name of the color to use or 'reset' to reset the color",
-        )
+        Signature::build("ansi")
+            .optional(
+                "color",
+                SyntaxShape::Any,
+                "the name of the color to use or 'reset' to reset the color",
+            )
+            .named(
+                "escape", // \x1b
+                SyntaxShape::Any,
+                "escape sequence without the escape character(s)",
+                Some('e'),
+            )
+            .named(
+                "osc",
+                SyntaxShape::Any,
+                "operating system command (ocs) escape sequence without the escape character(s)",
+                Some('o'),
+            )
     }
 
     fn usage(&self) -> &str {
-        "Output ANSI codes to change color"
+        r#"Output ANSI codes to change color
+
+For escape sequences:
+Escape: '\x1b[' is not required for --escape parameter
+Format: #(;#)m
+Example: 1;31m for bold red or 2;37;41m for dimmed white fg with red bg
+There can be multiple text formatting sequence numbers
+separated by a ; and ending with an m where the # is of the
+following values:
+    attributes
+    0    reset / normal display
+    1    bold or increased intensity
+    2    faint or decreased intensity
+    3    italic on (non-mono font)
+    4    underline on
+    5    slow blink on
+    6    fast blink on
+    7    reverse video on
+    8    nondisplayed (invisible) on
+    9    strike-through on
+
+    foreground/bright colors    background/bright colors
+    30/90    black              40/100    black
+    31/91    red                41/101    red
+    32/92    green              42/102    green
+    33/93    yellow             43/103    yellow
+    34/94    blue               44/104    blue
+    35/95    magenta            45/105    magenta
+    36/96    cyan               46/106    cyan
+    37/97    white              47/107    white
+    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSI_escape_code
+
+OSC: '\x1b]' is not required for --osc parameter
+Example: echo [$(ansi -o '0') 'some title' $(char bel)] | str collect
+Format: #
+    0 Set window title and icon name
+    1 Set icon name
+    2 Set window title
+    4 Set/read color palette
+    9 iTerm2 Grown notifications
+    10 Set foreground color (x11 color spec)
+    11 Set background color (x11 color spec)
+    ... others"#
     }
 
     fn examples(&self) -> Vec<Example> {
@@ -49,6 +107,14 @@ impl WholeStreamCommand for Ansi {
                     "\u{1b}[1;31mHello \u{1b}[1;32mNu \u{1b}[1;35mWorld",
                 )]),
             },
+            Example {
+                description:
+                    "Use ansi to color text (rb = red bold, gb = green bold, pb = purple bold)",
+                example: r#"echo [$(ansi -e '3;93;41m') Hello $(ansi reset) " " $(ansi gb) Nu " " $(ansi pb) World] | str collect"#,
+                result: Some(vec![Value::from(
+                    "\u{1b}[3;93;41mHello\u{1b}[0m \u{1b}[1;32mNu \u{1b}[1;35mWorld",
+                )]),
+            },
         ]
     }
 
@@ -57,10 +123,41 @@ impl WholeStreamCommand for Ansi {
         args: CommandArgs,
         registry: &CommandRegistry,
     ) -> Result<OutputStream, ShellError> {
-        let (AnsiArgs { color }, _) = args.process(&registry).await?;
+        let (AnsiArgs { color, escape, osc }, _) = args.process(&registry).await?;
+
+        if let Some(e) = escape {
+            let esc_vec: Vec<char> = e.item.chars().collect();
+            if esc_vec[0] == '\\' {
+                return Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
+                    "no need for escape characters",
+                    "no need for escape characters",
+                    e.tag(),
+                ));
+            }
+            let output = format!("\x1b[{}", e.item);
+            return Ok(OutputStream::one(ReturnSuccess::value(
+                UntaggedValue::string(output).into_value(e.tag()),
+            )));
+        }
+
+        if let Some(o) = osc {
+            let osc_vec: Vec<char> = o.item.chars().collect();
+            if osc_vec[0] == '\\' {
+                return Err(ShellError::labeled_error(
+                    "no need for escape characters",
+                    "no need for escape characters",
+                    o.tag(),
+                ));
+            }
+            //Operating system command aka osc  ESC ] <- note the right brace, not left brace for osc
+            // OCS's need to end with a bell '\x07' char
+            let output = format!("\x1b]{};", o.item);
+            return Ok(OutputStream::one(ReturnSuccess::value(
+                UntaggedValue::string(output).into_value(o.tag()),
+            )));
+        }
 
         let color_string = color.as_string()?;
-
         let ansi_code = str_to_ansi_color(color_string);
 
         if let Some(output) = ansi_code {
@@ -74,6 +171,7 @@ impl WholeStreamCommand for Ansi {
                 color.tag(),
             ))
         }
+        // }
     }
 }