PNG to ICO: Make a Favicon (The Simple Way)
Convert PNG to ICO to create a favicon for websites or Windows apps. Learn sizing tips and a quick workflow with private conversion.
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If you are building a website, you will eventually need a favicon. While many modern setups use PNGs directly, ICO is still widely used for compatibility, especially for older browsers and Windows icon workflows.
Use: PNG to ICO.
What “favicon” files are used for
Favicons show up in more places than most people realize:
- Browser tabs and bookmarks
- The “recent sites” list on some browsers
- Pinned shortcuts (depending on OS/browser)
- Some RSS readers and link previews
Even a simple, clean favicon makes a site feel more polished.
Best practices before converting
For clean results:
- Start from a square PNG (for example 512x512).
- Keep enough padding around the logo so it doesn’t look cramped at small sizes.
- Use a simple shape; tiny details disappear at 16x16.
Design tip: test at 16x16 early
The most common favicon mistake is designing something that looks great at 512x512 but becomes a noisy blob at 16x16.
A simple workflow:
- Design at high resolution.
- Shrink it to 16x16.
- If it still reads clearly, you are in good shape.
How to convert PNG to ICO (private)
- Open: PNG to ICO
- Drop your PNG file.
- Convert and download the ICO.
Where to use the ICO after converting
Most sites place the favicon at the site root. The exact setup depends on your stack, but a very common pattern is:
- Put
favicon.icoat the root of your public/static assets. - Reference it in your HTML
<head>(or let your framework do it).
If you are using a modern icon setup (multiple PNG sizes, Apple touch icons, etc.), ICO is still a useful fallback for older tooling.
Quick sanity check
After you add your favicon, open your site in a couple of browsers and check:
- Tab icon looks crisp at small sizes
- The icon has enough padding (not cramped)
- The icon still reads when scaled down
If it looks muddy at 16x16, simplify the design and increase contrast.
Related conversions
- Need to edit an ICO? ICO to PNG
- Optimizing images for web: PNG to WebP
Related reading
- Extract an existing icon: ICO to PNG
- Rasterize a vector logo first: SVG to PNG
FAQ
- Should I use PNG or ICO for my favicon? Many modern sites use PNGs (and other icon formats) in addition to ICO. ICO is still a good compatibility fallback.
- What size PNG should I start with? 512x512 is a safe “source” size. The important part is that it is square and looks good when scaled down.
- Is this private? Yes. QuickImager converts locally in your browser. No uploads.
Convert now: PNG to ICO.
Convert now (private, no uploads)
Use the exact tool for this guide in your browser.