Creating an ICO file from multiple PNG files: IcoFX versus ConvertICO.org
Posted by jpluimers on 2015/02/17
For Windows Vista and up, you need at least these icon resolutions:
- 16×16
- 32×32
- 48×48
- 256×256
For Windows XP / 2003 Server and earlier, you’d only need the 16×16, 32×32 and 48×48 resolutions, and if you support older video hardware, include them in 24-bit, 8-bit and 4-bit color depth.
For younger versions you might consider adding 20×20, 24×24, 40×40, 64×64 and 128×128 as well to support higher DPI modes.
You need to include and various other sizes for other operating systems.
Getting at them, I usually start with an EPS file, then downscale to the right resolution, and save the resulting files as PNG images, then assemble those together.
A while ago, I had some icons with nice long diagonal line, then I found out the hard way I should not have used ConvertICO.org. I often prefer on-line tools over off-line, especially for actions I rarely do (this is one of them). It saves you from installing software, and on-line sites usually get better over time.
In this case, I shouldn’t have gone online: Just look at the jagged edges in the 200% zoom below: the image on the right is from ConvertICO.org, on the left it is from IcoFX.
What you clearly see is that ConvertICO messes around with the 256×256 image (it doesn’t mess around with the other resolution), but IcoFX doesn’t mess around.
So now I switched to IcoFX. Not on-line, but a great free tool.
–jeroen
20131011-IcoFX-versus-ConvertICO.org-assembly-of-Windows-ICO-file-cropped
Fred Ahrens said
IcoFX isn’t free anymore while previous versions have been free. If you really want to have the still available free version, you should look for a download of version 1.6.4 – maybe some of the later versions are still free as well. But please stay away from suspicious download sources …
Anyway, it’s really worth paying the small license fee for the newest version.
jpluimers said
Thanks. Apparently I’ve not updated IcoFX for a long while (:
The version I use is from
IcoFXPortable_1.6.4_Rev_2.paf.exe