How to
How to convert PNG to ICO
- Add your PNG. A square image of 256 pixels or more gives the sharpest icons. JPG, WebP, GIF and SVG work too.
- Tick the sizes. All six common sizes are ticked: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels. Untick the ones you do not need.
- Choose how to fit it. Fit inside keeps the whole picture; Crop to square fills the icon. Add padding if the logo touches the edges.
- Pick the background. Transparency in your PNG is kept. White or a color gives the icon a solid tile.
- Download the .ico. One file holds every size.
How each size is made
Every size is scaled down from your original on its own, in steps of one half, so thin lines stay as clean as the pixels allow. A detailed logo can still turn to mush at 16 pixels; for the small sizes a simpler mark, like the first letter or the symbol alone, reads better. The preview shows each size enlarged with hard pixel edges, the way it will really look.
Inside the ICO file
Sizes up to 128 pixels are stored as 32-bit bitmaps with an alpha channel, which every version of Windows and every browser reads. The 256 pixel size is stored as a PNG inside the file, the way Windows expects it. Tick Store every size as PNG for a much smaller file if you only target Windows Vista or later and current browsers.
Making icons for a website? The favicon generator builds the ICO together with the PNG favicons, the Apple touch icon, the Android icons and the HTML to paste. Starting from a vector logo, the SVG to ICO converter draws each size from the vector.
Questions people ask
Is ICO the same as PNG?
No. A PNG holds one image at one size. An ICO is a container that holds several images of the same icon, such as 16, 32, 48 and 256 pixels, so Windows and browsers can pick the size they need. Modern ICO files can store each of those sizes as a PNG inside, which keeps them small.
Can I use a PNG file as an icon?
On the web, yes: browsers accept a PNG favicon through a link tag in the page head. Windows is stricter: shortcut, folder and program icons must be ICO files. The file at /favicon.ico is still requested by many browsers and tools on their own, so most sites keep an ICO alongside the PNG icons.
How to generate a .ico file?
Start from a square image at least 256 pixels wide, ideally a PNG with a transparent background. Drop it on this page, tick the sizes you want in the file and download. Each size is resized from your original separately, and they are all packed into one .ico, with no software to install.
How can I convert an image to an ICO file?
This converter takes PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF and SVG. A JPG has no transparency, so pick a background color or crop it close. For a picture that is not square, choose Fit inside to keep all of it with empty space around, or Crop to square to fill the icon. The conversion runs on your device.
What sizes should an ICO file have?
For a website favicon, 16, 32 and 48 pixels are enough. A Windows program, shortcut or folder icon should also include 256 pixels, which Windows uses for large icon views, plus 64 and 128 for the sizes in between. Every size you add makes the file bigger, so leave out the ones you do not need.