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Pull the biggest picture out of an icon file as a transparent PNG.
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Your files never leave your deviceAbout this tool
ICO to PNG converter for icons and favicons
Convert an ICO file to PNG to use an icon or favicon in any editor, slide or web page. An icon holds the same picture at several sizes; ToolHero takes the largest and writes it as a transparent PNG on your device. Our four-size test icon gave a 256×256 PNG, a third of its size.
One icon, many sizes
Windows wants an icon at several sizes, from 16 to 256 pixels across, and a favicon.ico often carries a few of them so every screen gets a sharp one. Each size can be a separate drawing, tuned so small versions stay crisp on their pixel grid.
A PNG holds just one picture, so ToolHero picks the one with the most pixels and, between equals, the one with the most colours. The smaller sizes stay in your original file.
Transparent corners, old and new
Newer icons store their large size as a PNG and their small ones as bitmaps with an alpha channel, so edges blend smoothly into any background. Older ones mark the see-through pixels with a separate black-and-white mask instead.
ToolHero reads both kinds, and an old-style icon whose alpha channel came out empty falls back on its mask, as Windows does. Either way the PNG keeps the transparent background, ready to sit on any colour.
Cursors work too
A .cur file is built like an icon, with one extra: the hotspot, the exact pixel that does the clicking. Add one and you get its largest picture as a PNG. The hotspot has no place in a PNG, so note it down if you plan to turn the picture back into a cursor.
Why convert ICO to PNG?
How it works
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Step 1:Add icons or cursors
Drop .ico or .cur files here, such as a site’s favicon.ico or an icon from a program folder, or choose them from your device.
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Step 2:Convert
PNG is set and lossless. Press Convert to pull out each file’s largest picture.
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Step 3:Download
Save each PNG on its own or all of them together as a .zip.
ICO vs PNG at a glance
How the two formats compare, so you know what to expect.
ICO
Your filesA small file of square pictures at several sizes, so Windows and browsers can show the sharpest one wherever the icon appears.
Best for Website favicons, and the icons of Windows programs and shortcuts.
PNG
What you getA lossless format that keeps every pixel exactly. Great for screenshots, logos and anything with text or sharp edges.
Best for Screenshots, logos, diagrams, cut-outs with transparency, and master copies you will edit again.
| ICO | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless (bitmaps and PNG) | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | Rarely (APNG) |
| Photo file size | Small: 256 px at most | Often 3–5× a JPG |
| Opens in | Every major browser and Windows | Everywhere |
Questions, answered
Which size of the icon do I get?
The largest: the picture with the most pixels, and between two of the same size, the one with more colours. For a typical Windows icon that is the 256×256 version.
Can I get every size out as separate PNGs?
Not yet: each icon gives one PNG of its largest size. To get a smaller one, resize the PNG afterwards with the Resize tool.
Does the PNG keep the see-through background of my favicon?
Yes. Transparent and partly transparent pixels stay that way, including in old icons that mark them with a black-and-white mask.
Can I convert a .cur cursor file to PNG?
Yes. Cursors use the same layout as icons, so you get their largest picture as a PNG. Only the click point, the hotspot, is left behind.
Why is the PNG smaller than the ICO file?
The ICO also carries the other sizes. Our four-size test icon came out at a third of its size as a single 256×256 PNG.
Is my icon converted online?
No. The conversion runs in your browser, on your device, and nothing is sent anywhere.
Related conversions
Lossless, keeps transparency.To PNG · Lossless
Convert to
Compression
PNG is lossless, so there’s no quality to pick. Every pixel stays exactly as it is.