PNG to ICO Converter

Convert PNG to ICO: What This Tutorial Covers

ICO is the native Windows icon container, and it's what a browser fetches when it asks any site for /favicon.ico. This walk-through takes a PNG and turns it into a clean ICO at the icon size you need — for a website favicon, a Windows application or shortcut icon, or a desktop launcher. Because ICO stores a 32-bit image (24-bit color plus an 8-bit alpha channel), the transparency in your PNG is carried straight through, so the icon stays crisp on any tab color or wallpaper.

How to Convert PNG to ICO

1. Upload Your PNG File: Drag and drop your PNG onto the page or click "+ Add Files". A square source works best — start from at least a 256x256 PNG so the icon is sharp at every size.
2. Pick the Icon Size: Open Advanced Options and, under Image resolution → Preset Resolutions, choose the pixel size for your icon. The dropdown offers 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, 180, 192, and 256; the default is 256.
3. Keep Transparency (Optional): No setting is needed — alpha from the PNG is preserved automatically. Just make sure your PNG already has a transparent background if you want one.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your .ico file. No sign-up, no watermark.

Walk-through: Choosing the Right Icon Size

The size you pick depends on where the icon will live. xconvert writes a single, square ICO at the resolution you choose, so select the one that matches your use:

• Website favicon (broad compatibility): pick 48 or 32. Microsoft's own application-icon set is 16, 32, 48, and 256, and browsers downscale a larger icon cleanly — a 48x48 favicon.ico displays well in tabs, bookmarks, and the Windows taskbar for pinned sites.
• Crisp favicon on high-DPI screens: pick 256. Modern browsers happily pull a single large icon and scale it down; 256 keeps edges clean on Retina and 4K displays.
• Windows app / shortcut icon: pick 256 for the main icon. Vista and later support 256x256 32-bit icons; Windows scales between 32 and 256 as needed.
• Tiny UI / toolbar icon: pick 16 or 24 and start from artwork that still reads at that size — fine detail disappears below 32 pixels.

To use the file as a favicon, drop the downloaded favicon.ico in your site root. Most browsers request it automatically, and you can also point to it explicitly with <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" />.

Common Errors and How to Fix Them

• "My favicon looks blurry or jagged" — the source PNG was smaller than the icon size, so it was upscaled. Re-export the PNG at 256x256 (or larger) and convert again at the size you need.
• "The icon is stretched or off-center" — the PNG wasn't square. ICO assumes a square canvas; crop or pad your PNG to a 1:1 ratio first with the Image Resizer before converting.
• "The background is white instead of transparent" — the PNG itself had a solid background. ICO preserves alpha but can't invent it; the source file needs an actual transparent background.
• "My browser still shows the old favicon" — browsers cache favicons aggressively. Hard-refresh, or load /favicon.ico directly and refresh that, to see the new icon.

When This Doesn't Work

This converter outputs one ICO at a single size, which is all most favicons and shortcuts need. If you want one .ico that bundles several resolutions (16 + 32 + 48 together) so the OS can pick per context, that requires a dedicated multi-size packer — convert each size here and combine them, or use a multi-resolution generator. If your starting art is a vector logo rather than a raster PNG, convert it from SVG to ICO instead to keep edges perfectly sharp. And if you only need a quick set of favicon tags and sizes from scratch, the Favicon Generator builds the markup for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PNG to ICO preserve transparency?

Yes. ICO supports 32-bit images — 24-bit color plus an 8-bit alpha channel — so the transparency in your PNG is carried through pixel for pixel. Semi-transparent edges and soft shadows survive, which is what keeps an icon looking clean against any tab color or desktop wallpaper.

What size should my favicon.ico be?

For a single-size favicon, 48x48 or 32x32 is the safe choice and downscales well; pick 256x256 if you want it crisp on high-DPI screens. Microsoft's recommended Windows icon set is 16, 32, 48, and 256 pixels, and a browser will scale a larger icon down to fit a tab, so you don't have to match the display size exactly.

What's the best PNG size to start from?

Start from a square PNG of at least 256x256. In our testing, a 512x512 source produced noticeably cleaner 48x48 and 32x32 icons than a 64x64 source, because downscaling from a larger image keeps edges smooth — whereas upscaling a small PNG bakes in blur.

Where do I put the favicon.ico file on my site?

Place it in your site's root directory as favicon.ico. Most browsers automatically request /favicon.ico even without any HTML, but you can declare it explicitly with <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" /> in the page <head> for full control.

Why use ICO instead of a PNG favicon?

ICO has the widest browser support for favicons and is the format browsers fetch by default from the site root. It can also hold multiple resolutions in one file, which PNG cannot — useful when a single icon needs to serve both a 16-pixel tab and a larger taskbar slot.

Is the PNG to ICO converter free, and what happens to my file?

It's free with no sign-up and no watermark. Your PNG is uploaded over an encrypted connection, converted on our servers, and the files are deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — never shared or made public.