How to make/get a multi size .ico file?
IconsIcons Problem Overview
I simply want to have an .ico file that has multiple sizes of the icon image contained within it. I'd like it for use in a cross-platform desktop application (so that, e.g. on Windows, the 16x16 size is used for the app's top bar but a 32x32 size version is used when the various open apps are shown when using Alt-Tab). Once I have that .ico file, I know how to use it within my widget toolkit to get this effect, but I don't know how to get it.
What process should I use to make such a file?
Icons Solutions
Solution 1 - Icons
This can be done for free using GIMP.
It uses the ability of GIMP to have each layer a different size.
I created the following layers sized correctly.
- 256x256 will be saved as 32bpp 8bit alpha
- 48x48 will be saved as 32bpp 8bit alpha
- 48x48 will be saved as 8bpp 1bit alpha
- 32x32 will be saved as 32bpp 8bit alpha
- 32x32 will be saved as 8bpp 1bit alpha
- 32x32 will be saved as 4bpp 1bit alpha
- 16x16 will be saved as 32bpp 8bit alpha
- 16x16 will be saved as 8bpp 1bit alpha
- 16x16 will be saved as 4bpp 1bit alpha
Notes
- You may need to check other resources to confirm to yourself that this is a sensible list of resolutions and colour depths.
- Make sure you use transparency round the outside of your image, and anti-aliased edges. You should see the grey checkerboard effect round the outside of your layers to indicate they are transparent
- The 16x16 icons will need to be heavily edited by hand using a 1 pixel wide pencil and the eyedropper tool to make them look any good.
- Do not change colour depth / Mode in GIMP. Leave it as RGB
- You change the colour depths when you save as an .ico - GIMP pops up a special dialog box for changing the colour settings for each layer
Solution 2 - Icons
ImageMagick, the free and open source image manipulation toolkit, can easily do this:
Note: Since ImageMagick 7, the CLI has changed slightly, you need to add magick
in front of any commands.
magick convert icon-16.png icon-32.png icon-64.png icon-128.png icon.ico
See also http://www.imagemagick.org/Usage/thumbnails/#favicon, that has the example:
magick convert image.png -bordercolor white -border 0 \
\( -clone 0 -resize 16x16 \) \
\( -clone 0 -resize 32x32 \) \
\( -clone 0 -resize 48x48 \) \
\( -clone 0 -resize 64x64 \) \
-delete 0 -alpha off -colors 256 favicon.ico
There is also now the shorter:
magick convert image.png -define icon:auto-resize="256,128,96,64,48,32,16" favicon.ico
Solution 3 - Icons
The excellent (free trial) IcoFX allows you to create and edit icons, including multiple sizes up to 256x256, PNG compression, and transparency. I highly recommend it over most of the alternates.
Get your copy here: http://icofx.ro/ . It supports Windows XP onwards.
Windows automatically chooses the proper icon from the file, depending on where it is to be displayed.
For more information on icon design and the sizes/bit depths you should include, see these references:
Solution 4 - Icons
'@icon sushi' is a portable utility that can create multiple icon ico file for free.
Drag & drop the different icon sizes, select them all and choose file -> create multiple icon.
You can download if from http://www.towofu.net/soft/e-aicon.php
Solution 5 - Icons
What i do is to prepare a 512x512 PNG, the Alpha Channel is good for rounded corners or drop shadows, then I upload it to this site http://convertico.com/, and for free then it returns me a 6 sizes .ico file with 256x256, 128x128, 64x64, 48x48, 32x32 and 16x16 sizes.
Solution 6 - Icons
Visual Studio Resource Editor (free as VS 2013 Community edition) can import PNG (and other formats) and export ICO.
Solution 7 - Icons
I found an app for Mac OSX called ICOBundle that allows you to easily drop a selection of ico files in different sizes onto the ICOBundle.app, prompts you for a folder destination and file name, and it creates the multi-icon .ico file.
- http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Mac+OSX+ICOBundle&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
- http://www.telegraphics.com.au/sw/info/icobundle.html
Now if it were only possible to mix-in an animated gif version into that one file it'd be a complete icon set, sadly not possible and requires a separate file and code snippet.
Solution 8 - Icons
Fresh answer 2018:
Step 1 Launch Microsoft Paint. Not Paint.Net but plain Paint
Step 2 Open the image you want to convert to icon format by clicking the “Paint” toolbar tab and selecting “Open.”
Step 3 Click the “Paint” tab, highlight the “Save As” option and select the “BMP picture” option. As 256-colored. There is a dropdown list.
Step 4 You have to open it in Paint.net now. Enter a file name for the icon and type “.ico” (without quotations) as the file extension. Select your preferred output folder for the icon and click “Save.”(still in bmp type) , exposing auto definition in saving parameters window.
This is a solution for those WHO DOESN'T WANT THE THIRD PARTY APPS TO GAIN PERMISSIONS ON THEIR COMP.
I use this simple way to create custom icons for folders on my desktop or documents.