JPG to ICO Converter

About JPG to ICO

Makes an ICO file out of a JPG, mainly for people whose only artwork is a photo or a logo saved as JPG. Since JPG carries no transparency, the icon will be opaque wherever the picture is, with transparent padding only when the image is not square.

How to use it

1. Add a JPG file by dropping it on the dropzone or using the file picker.
2. Under Icon size, tap 16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 64×64, 128×128 or 256×256. Original keeps the source proportions, scaling down only above 256 pixels.
3. Alternatively, type a number from 1 to 256 into Custom.
4. Press Convert to ICO and then Download ICO when the preview looks right.

Landscape photo used as an avatar icon

An 800×600 JPG with Icon size set to 64×64.

The photo is scaled by 0.08 to 64×48 and centered on a 64×64 transparent canvas, leaving 8 empty pixels top and bottom. The ICO header bytes 6 to 13 read 40 40 00 00 01 00 20 00.

When to use it

• Turning a company photo into a quick favicon for an internal tool.
• Making a custom folder or shortcut icon from a picture on your desktop.
• Building a placeholder icon before proper artwork is ready.

Questions about JPG to ICO

Why does my icon have empty bars?

The picture is fitted inside a square without stretching. A wide or tall JPG therefore leaves transparent strips on two sides. Crop the image to a square first if you want it to fill the frame.

Can the icon have a see-through background?

Not from a JPG. Every pixel in the source is opaque, so only the padding is transparent. Start from a PNG with a cutout if the shape itself should be see-through.

Will a photo be readable at 16 pixels?

Rarely. Detailed photos turn to mush at very small sizes. Pick a high-contrast crop of one subject, and test at 32 or 48 pixels first.

Does the ICO contain several resolutions?

No, only one. It stores a single 32-bit image at the size you picked, embedded in PNG form, so make one file per size when you need more.

Related tools

• ICO to JPGConvert ICO images to JPG format
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• JPG to BMPEasily convert JPG images to BMP with this easy-to-use converter.
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