3 Free Ways to Convert Or Create a Favicon.ico

Favicon.ico is probably the most popular reason why you need a .ico file. A favicon.ico is what you may attach to your web pages in this manner: so visitors may see a tiny little icon on the browser bar of your website and after they have bookmarked you.

Windows Icon files are recommended to contain icon images in at least 3 sizes, namely 16x16, 32x32 and 64x64. However for a favicon.ico, 16x16 is enough. In this article I will tell you 3 ways to create a .ico file in no hassle and are as easy as eating a piece of cake.

Method 1: Create a .ico on your own - the ultimately awesome and free way!

A lot of people ask how they can convert an existing image to .ico and if there is any free software packages capable of doing that. Of course there is and the most extraordinary one is Windows Paint which is already installed in your copy of Windows XP / Vista.

Just make a square image of what you would like your favicon.ico look like. When saving it, choose 24 bit bitmap and name it 'favicon.ico' (whatever the filename just make sure it ends with '.ico'). There you go!

Method 2: Use a Unix image manipulation binary package

For instance you have a .png that needs to be converted into .ico, just follow the commands in specified order:

1. anytopnm 1.png > 1.pnm
2. ppmtowinicon 1.pnm > 1.ico

Method 3: Converting an existing image such as .png to .ico

1. Create your icon image in your favorite graphics editor such as Fireworks and save it to .png or any other formats you'd like. Or you just found a gorgeous image and want it in .ico format so you can use it as favicon.ico.
   
2. Head to Convert Hub, supply your original image to it and hit 'Convert'. Other than .png, it can also auto-detect and process many other graphic formats such as .jpg, .gif.