File4Edit

PNG to ICO converter

Convert a PNG to an ICO icon file for free in your browser, with no upload. One .ico holds seven sizes from 16 to 256 pixels, and a picture that is not square is centered on a transparent square rather than stretched.

Pick a target format. Quality applies to the lossy formats; the others are exact.

What goes inside the ICO

An ICO file is a small container of square images at several sizes, which Windows uses for program and shortcut icons and browsers still read as favicon.ico. This page writes one .ico holding seven sizes, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, each stored as a PNG inside the file, so transparency comes through at every size.

A picture that is not square is scaled to fit and centered on a transparent square rather than stretched, so a wide logo keeps its shape. Every size is drawn from your PNG, 256 included, so start from an image at least 256 pixels square or the large sizes will look soft. For a website's full set of icons, with the web manifest and the HTML to paste, the favicon generator does more.

PNG to ICO converter at a glance

Input
PNG images, ideally square and at least 256 pixels on a side; other formats work too
Output
One .ico per image, holding 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixel versions
What it does
  • Seven icon sizes from 16 to 256 pixels in one file
  • PNG-compressed entries with full transparency
  • Non-square images centered on a transparent square, never stretched
  • Batch conversion: one .ico per PNG, zipped together
Who it is for
Windows users customizing a folder or shortcut icon, and developers who need an .ico for an app or a website.
Limits
  • The seven sizes are fixed here; the favicon generator makes a favicon.ico with 16, 32 and 48 only.
  • A small PNG is enlarged to fill the bigger sizes and will look soft.
  • A non-square image gets transparent padding rather than a crop.
Privacy
The icon is built in your browser from your PNG, and nothing is uploaded.

How to convert PNG to ICO

  1. Prepare a square PNG Crop the image to a square first if it should fill the icon edge to edge; otherwise it is centered with transparent space around it. 256 pixels or more gives the sharpest large icon.
  2. Drop it on the page ICO is already selected in the format list. There is no quality or background setting, because every entry is a lossless PNG with transparency.
  3. Save the icon Press Apply, then Download to save a .ico named with the source image's dimensions. Rename it favicon.ico, or whatever your program expects.
  4. Use the icon On Windows, right-click a shortcut, open Properties and choose Change Icon to pick the file. For a website, put it at the root of the site as favicon.ico.

PNG to ICO converter: common questions

Which sizes are inside the ICO?

Seven: 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels. Windows picks whichever fits where the icon is shown, from a title bar to a large desktop view.

Will a non-square image be stretched?

No. It is scaled to fit inside each square and centered, and the space around it stays transparent.

Is this the same as making a favicon?

It makes the .ico part. A website also wants PNG icons, an Apple touch icon and a web manifest, which the favicon generator makes in one go.

Does the ICO keep transparency?

Yes. Each size is stored as a PNG inside the ICO with its alpha channel, a form Windows has read since Vista and every current browser reads too.