Convertico – Free Favicon Maker for Multi-Size ICO and PNG Icons

What is Convertico, and why every site needs a favicon

Convertico is a free online favicon maker. No software, no Photoshop. You upload an image in your browser, crop it, and turn it into a site icon. Convertico keeps the whole job on one page: upload, crop, generate, download. You do not need to understand the binary layout of ICO files or remember how to write a link tag. Pick a size and format in Convertico, click once, and the code comes with it.

That little icon shows up in browser tabs, bookmarks, and history. When someone has ten tabs open, Convertico helps you make the one mark they recognize first. Without a favicon, the tab shows a gray globe or blank page. Convertico gives your site a clear identity in a crowded browser bar.

How favicons behave in tabs and bookmarks

Browsers render icons differently. Chrome often uses 16×16 in tabs and 32×32 in bookmarks. Firefox may read a higher-resolution icon so it stays sharp on high-DPI screens. If you only make one size, some spots look fine and others look blurry. Convertico makes it easy to export 16, 32, and 48 so you cover more places.

Format differences across devices

Desktop browsers still trust favicon.ico. It has been around since the IE days and has the widest compatibility. Android home screen icons often come from PNG files declared in manifest.json. iPhone and iPad Safari look for apple-touch-icon, usually a 180×180 PNG. Convertico helps you generate those PNG sizes, so you are not stuck with only one ICO file.

The full Convertico workflow

The whole process takes about two minutes once you know it. Here is each step for anyone using Convertico for the first time.

Step 1: Prepare a source image that works

The source image sets the ceiling for the final icon. Use a square image at least 512 pixels wide. If the original is rectangular, Convertico will crop the extra, but a subject too far off-center can lose important parts. At 16×16, details disappear fast. Avoid tiny text, busy textures, and lines thinner than two pixels. A simple letter, a geometric shape, or a strong outline works better than a detailed illustration. Convertico can only work with what you give it.

Step 2: Crop to a square and pick a size

After upload, Convertico locks the crop box to 1:1. Drag the image or resize the box so the part you want stays inside. This is the step where Convertico asks for judgment: you see a large preview, but the real icon may be 16 pixels. If you are unsure, shrink the crop box a little and leave some breathing room around the subject. For size, 32×32 is a safe default. Check it first, then add 16 and 48 if you like the result.

Step 3: Choose PNG or ICO in Convertico

This is where Convertico gives you a real choice. Pick PNG and you get a standard PNG with full transparency. That works well for apple-touch-icon and Android manifest icons. Pick ICO and Convertico packs the cropped image into the standard Windows icon container. The file ends in .ico, and browsers that request /favicon.ico hit it directly. Compatibility is excellent.

An ICO file can hold multiple sizes, and browsers pick what they need. Convertico outputs one size per file. If you need 16 and 32 in one file, generate them separately with Convertico and merge them with another tool. For daily use, a single 32×32 ICO from Convertico covers most cases.

Step 4: Download and place it in the site root

Click Generate icon in Convertico and the result box shows a preview plus a download button. Keep names clear, such as favicon.ico or favicon-32.png. Put the file in your site root, next to index.html. Then browsers that request /favicon.ico find it without extra setup. Convertico keeps this part simple.

Step 5: Add the link code to head

Convertico generates the right link tag for your chosen format. Copy it into your page head. If you made an ICO and several PNG sizes with Convertico, you can list them all and let the browser choose. Absolute paths like /favicon.ico are easier than relative paths, especially when your site lives in a subdirectory. Refresh the page, and the tab icon should change.

Five common Convertico mistakes to avoid

These come up often when people use Convertico for the first time. Knowing them saves rework.

Picking a size that is too large or too small

A single 256×256 PNG as a favicon gets forced down in the tab, and the edges may blur. A single 16×16 looks rough on high-DPI screens or in bookmarks. A safer set is 16, 32, and 48 packed into an ICO, plus a 180×180 PNG for Apple devices. Convertico can make each one.

Transparent backgrounds that vanish in dark mode

Many favicons use a transparent background with a black mark. That works in light browser themes, but switch to dark mode and the mark disappears into the background. With Convertico, either add a light outline or use a solid background. Do not bet readability on the user’s theme setting.

Making favicon.ico but forgetting apple-touch-icon

Desktop looks fine, but when someone adds your site to an iPhone home screen, they see a gray screenshot or a default letter. The missing piece is apple-touch-icon. Add <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png"> and a 180×180 PNG. Convertico can create that PNG from the same source.

Using SVG as a favicon without a fallback

SVG icons are sharp and small, and modern browsers support them. Older Safari versions and some Android built-in browsers may not. If you export SVG from Convertico, keep an ICO fallback too. Put the ICO link first and the SVG link after it, so the browser can choose. Convertico makes that fallback easy to produce.

Blurry icon edges

If the source image is too small, or the crop pushes the subject too close to the edge, scaling softens the edges. Go back to a larger source or adjust the crop box in Convertico and leave a few pixels of margin. Convertico outputs exactly the area you give it; it cannot invent detail that is not there.

Common questions about Convertico

Is Convertico safe? Does it upload my image?

This page uses local Canvas processing in your browser. Convertico does not send your image to a server. Choose a file, crop, generate, and the work stays in local memory. Close the page and the data is gone. As long as you have the right to use the source image, Convertico keeps the process private.

Can one ICO file hold multiple sizes?

Yes. ICO supports several images in one file, and browsers pick the right one for the spot. Convertico outputs one size at a time. If you need a multi-size file, generate 16, 32, and 48 PNGs with Convertico, then merge them with an ICO packer. Or use a 32×32 ICO from Convertico and cover most cases first.

Why does my favicon not update after I change it?

Browsers cache favicons hard. A normal refresh may not be enough. Add a version parameter to the link, such as /favicon.ico?v=2, to force a new request. Or clear the browser cache and open the site again. Convertico gives you a fresh file; the browser still decides when to let go of the old one.

Bottom line: Convertico makes favicons easy, but size and format still matter

Convertico lowers the technical barrier. Upload, crop, choose a format, download. Four steps and you have the file. What really shapes the result is what you decide before you start: where the icon will appear, which devices need to look right, and whether the source image is simple enough. Answer those questions, run the image through Convertico, and your favicon will hold up. Upload one now and give your site its own mark in about two minutes.