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
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