JPG to ICO Icon Maker
Turn a photo or picture saved as JPG into an ICO icon you can put on a Windows folder, a desktop shortcut or a small project.
Image Converter
or drag JPG, JPEG, JPE … files here ·
Up to 95 MB each· 20 files at once· Removed after 30 min
Your files are removed from our servers 30 minutes after processing.
85 keeps photos visually identical to the original. Lower it only when you need a smaller file.
JPG, BMP and EPS have no transparency. Transparent pixels are filled with this color.
Hex color used behind transparent pixels, e.g. #FFFFFF.
This format holds a single image. Choose GIF or WebP output if you want to keep the animation.
A multi-size icon contains several resolutions in one file; browsers and operating systems pick the one they need.
Keep the original dimensions, or enter one side and the aspect ratio is kept.
Pixels for the side you chose above.
Percentage of the original dimensions.
sRGB is right for screens and the web. Keep the original for print workflows; grayscale discards color.
Metadata only, 0 keeps the original value. Printers and some portals read this number; it does not change pixel dimensions.
Files are deleted 30 minutes after processingPrivacy policy
- ICO file
- Also called .ico · Windows icon · image/x-icon
- Microsoft's icon container, which can hold one picture at several square sizes. Windows uses it for folders, shortcuts and programs; browsers use it as favicon.ico. A JPG becomes the image inside it.
Turning a picture into an icon
Most icons start life as logos with transparent backgrounds, but many people simply want a picture they like on a folder: a family photo on the holiday folder, a pet on the desktop shortcut to a game, a product shot on the folder for an online shop. Those pictures are usually JPGs.
Windows will not take a JPG directly as a folder or shortcut icon. It asks for an ICO file. Converting is the bridge: the photo goes into an icon container in the size Windows needs, and you can then select it from the properties dialog.
The figures above, from Microsoft's icon guidance, show how small icons get in everyday use and how large they can be on high-resolution displays. That range is why this page stores one 256 px image: Windows scales it down smoothly for every smaller view.
JPG versus ICO
JPG
JPG photo
The photo format standardized by the JPEG committee in the early 1990s and still the safest way to share a picture. It stores one still image with lossy compression and has no transparent areas. Phones, cameras, office software, printers and web forms all read it.
- Lossy
- No transparency
- Still images only
ICO
ICO icon
Microsoft's icon container for Windows programs and website favicons. One file can bundle the same icon at several sizes, stored losslessly with transparency. Windows and browsers read it, but most image editors need a plugin or export option to create one.
- Lossless
- Transparency
- Still images only
Why convertJPG to ICO wraps a photo in the icon container Windows insists on, as a filled square without transparency. It suits personal folder and shortcut icons; for logos with a see-through background, convert a PNG with PNG to ICO instead.
A JPG is a lossy photo with no alpha channel. An ICO stores its images losslessly and supports transparency, but transparency cannot be created from a JPG, so the icon is the full square picture. For most photo icons that is exactly what you want.
The conversion keeps the colors and detail of the JPG at the icon size. What matters most is the framing: icons are square, so crop the photo around the subject first. A face or object that fills most of the square stays recognizable even when Windows shows it small.
If you want an icon with a transparent background instead, the picture first needs one. Remove the background in an editor, save the result as PNG, and convert that file. A JPG cannot carry the cutout through, however it is converted.
How to convert JPG to ICO
Add a square JPG
Drop the picture on the box above, or press Choose Files. Crop it to a square first for the best fit.
Check the icon size
One 256 px icon is preset under Icon sizes, which Windows scales down for smaller views. Pick All sizes for a favicon.
Convert and apply
Press Convert to ICO, download the file and select it in the folder or shortcut properties.
JPG to ICO questions
Will my JPG icon have a transparent background?
No. JPG has no transparency, so the icon is a filled square showing the whole picture. For a cutout icon, remove the background first and save as PNG, then use the PNG to ICO page.
How do I set a JPG-made icon on a Windows folder?
Right-click the folder, choose Properties, open the Customize tab, press Change Icon, then Browse to the .ico file. Keep the ICO somewhere permanent, because Windows reads it from that location.
Why is only a 256 px size preset for JPG to ICO?
Photos rarely work at 16 pixels, and Windows scales a 256 px icon down cleanly for folder and shortcut views. If you want the smaller sizes stored too, for example for a favicon, choose All sizes (16–256).
My photo looks squashed as an icon. What went wrong?
Icons are square. A rectangular JPG is fitted inside the square, which can leave bars or make the subject small. Crop the photo to a square around the subject before converting.
Can I use a JPG-made ICO as a website favicon?
You can, but photos turn into unrecognizable blurs at 16 or 32 pixels. A simple logo or a single letter works much better for a browser tab.
Where you can use the icon
Once converted, the ICO works anywhere Windows lets you choose a custom icon. The four common places are below. In each case Windows reads the file from where you saved it, so keep your icons in a folder you will not delete, such as a dedicated Icons folder in Documents.
Changed your mind about an icon? Pick another one in the same dialog, or press Restore Defaults in the folder's Customize tab. Deleting the ICO file without changing the setting leaves a blank icon, so switch first and delete afterwards.
Folders
Folder Properties, then Customize and Change Icon. Useful for sorting photo albums and projects at a glance.
Desktop shortcuts
Shortcut Properties, then Change Icon on the Shortcut tab. Works for shortcuts to programs, files and websites.
Small software projects
Many programming tools accept an .ico file as the program icon when you build an app for Windows.
Personal websites
A simple photo icon can serve as favicon.ico; choose All sizes so browsers get the small versions too.
Preparing the photo
Start with a square crop around the subject; Crop Image can cut the JPG to a 1:1 square before you convert. A source of at least 256 × 256 pixels avoids enlarging, which would make the icon soft. Bold, simple pictures work better than busy scenes, because a lot of detail turns into noise at small sizes.
You can convert up to 20 pictures at once, for example one icon per album folder. Uploads are deleted after processing and the icons 30 minutes later. For other formats from the same photos, use the Image Converter page.
A good test is to look at the converted icon in a folder window set to small icons. If you can still tell what it shows, it will work in every other view as well.
| Other ways to get JPG | |
|---|---|
| Other ways to get PNG | |
| Other ways to get WEBP | |
| Other ways to get ICO | |
| Other ways to get VTF | |
| Related conversions |
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