Forum Discussion
How Do You Convert PNG to an ICO on Windows 11?
I love GIMP! It's a powerful image editing tool that's completely free and you can use it as a png to icon converter to capable of handling ico files. When creating icons, make sure to include multiple sizes in the ico file, like 16x16, 32x32, and 256x256. This way, your icon looks sharp no matter where it's displayed.
How to Use GIMP:
- Download GIMP from gimp.org.
- Open GIMP and load your png image.
- Go to Image > Scale Image and adjust the size (16x16 or 32x32 is ideal for icons).
- Go to File > Export As.
- Select ico from the file format options. Make sure to use .ico as the file extension.
- Hit Export and choose the correct settings.
After you've done the conversion, test it out by applying your new ico to a shortcut or a folder. Right-click on the shortcut or folder, go to Properties, then Customize, and you can change the icon there. If it doesn't look right, double-check the sizes and transparency in your original png.
- brough67Apr 24, 2025Copper Contributor
briliant - this is the best and easiest solution ! took me a while to find ICO in the export-as list, because havde to go right down to W !! Windows Icon File 😀