BrowserTools

PNG to ICO Converter

Build multi-size .ico icons from PNGs

By Guga — BrowserTools maintainer, Tbilisi, Georgia Updated 2026-09-25
Free Private No uploads
What is PNG to ICO Converter?

A proper .ico is not a single image — it is a directory of renditions, and the system picks the right one for whatever it is drawing: a 16px entry in a browser tab, a 32px entry in an Explorer list, a 256px entry in the large-icons view. Supplying only one size makes the icon look soft everywhere else. This builds the whole container: a 6-byte ICONDIR, one 16-byte ICONDIRENTRY per size you tick, and the pixel data after that. The images are stored as PNG streams, which is the Vista-era format every current Windows and browser reads, and each entry declares 32 bits per pixel so the alpha channel survives. Your source image is resampled to a square canvas at each size, so a non-square image will be squashed rather than cropped — keep the artwork square.

Convert PNG images into Windows .ico icon files containing multiple sizes (16px to 256px) in one file. Perfect for website favicons and desktop application icons.

Private PNG to ICO Converter In Your Browser

PNG to ICO Converter is processed locally with client-side JavaScript. Your files never touch a server, and there is no queue to wait in.

Step-by-Step

How to use PNG to ICO Converter

1

Drop a PNG onto the Drop a PNG to convert area; JPG and WebP are accepted too, and square sources work best.

2

Tick the sizes to include under Icon sizes included — 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, and 256 pixels are offered, with 16, 32, 48, and 256 selected by default.

3

Press Convert to ICO to resample the image at each chosen size and assemble the container.

4

Use the download button, which names the result icon.ico and shows its byte size.

Key Capabilities
  • Seven sizes are selectable: 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, and 256 pixels, with four preselected
  • Writes the modern container format with PNG streams per entry, which every current Windows and browser understands
  • Each directory entry declares 32 bits per pixel so transparency survives into the icon
  • Accepts PNG, JPG, or WebP as the source image
Common Use Cases
  • A Windows developer shipping an installer or an exe and needing one icon file that scales from the taskbar to the desktop.
  • A web developer building a favicon.ico containing 16, 32, and 48px renditions for legacy browsers alongside modern PNG tags.
  • A designer handing a client an .ico built from a final logo export without opening a desktop editor.
Clear Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

What sizes do I actually need?
For a website favicon, 16, 32, and 48 cover every use. For a Windows executable, include 16, 32, 48, 256 so the icon stays sharp in the taskbar, in Explorer at medium size, and in the large-icons view.
Will a non-square image be cropped or squashed?
Distorted, because the fit is forced. A 300×150 logo becomes a square thumbnail of the same art squeezed onto one axis. Pad it to a square first.
Does the .ico keep transparency?
Yes. The images are embedded as PNG data and each directory entry declares 32-bit colour, which is what carries the alpha channel. Icons with soft or rounded edges will not pick up a white box.
Is the image uploaded to build the icon?
No — resampling and container assembly both run in the browser tab, with no network request involved.

Related Guides

View all guides →
imageFavicon Sizes: What Your Website Actually NeedsA favicon is one small square of artwork that a browser requests at particular sizes, so a site needs a few purpose-built renditions rather than a single export scaled into every slot. Which pixels each context asks for, why a multi-size .ico still earns its place, and how the pieces are declared is below; to build the whole set from one image, the favicon generator linked from this guide produces the files and the tags.