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JPG to ICO Converter

Turn a JPG image into an ICO icon file. A JPG has no transparency, so the tool can also remove a plain background, such as white, before the icon is made.

Showing a sample.

ICO sizes:

Results

The problem with JPG icons

A JPG image has no transparency. A logo saved as a JPG almost always sits on a white box, and if you turn it into an icon as it is, the icon is a logo in a white square. On a dark browser tab, or on a colored desktop, that looks wrong.

Remove the background first

This converter can make a plain background transparent before the icon is made. It works with colors, and not with shapes:

  1. Pick the background color. White is chosen for you, and you can pick any other color.
  2. Set the tolerance. A JPG never has one exact color, because compression adds small changes, so the tool treats colors that are near the one you picked as background. A higher value removes more.
  3. Check the preview, which is drawn on a checked pattern so that you can see what is transparent.

The edge between the logo and the background is softened so that it does not look cut out with scissors. This works best for logos and drawings with a flat background. For photographs, a color is not enough to separate the subject, and you should use an image editor to cut it out.

The preview of the cleaned image

You also get the cleaned image as a PNG with transparency, which you can download and use anywhere else.

Sizes and shapes

  • Tick the sizes for the ICO. For a favicon, 16, 32 and 48 pixels are enough, and 256 is added for application icons.
  • Fit inside shows the whole picture. Fill crops it to a square.
  • Padding leaves space around the picture. Round corners and circle shapes are available too.

Quality tips

  • Start from the largest, cleanest JPG that you have. JPG compression blurs fine detail, and small icons make the blur more visible.
  • Use a simple image. A letter or a single shape stays readable at 16 pixels, and a detailed picture does not.
  • If the source has less than 256 pixels, expect the large sizes to look soft.

Your image stays in your browser. If you have a PNG with transparency already, use PNG to ICO, and for conversions in both directions, use the ICO converter. The favicon generator makes the whole set of website icons.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert JPG to ICO?

Drop your JPG on the box, tick the sizes and download the .ico file.

Can I make the white background of a JPG transparent?

Yes. Leave Remove the background color on, pick white or another color, and adjust the tolerance until the preview looks right.

Why is there a white square around my icon?

A JPG cannot be transparent, so the white is part of the picture. Remove it with the background option.

Does it work for photographs?

Less well. Removing a color works for logos and drawings with a flat background, but a photograph needs to be cut out in an image editor.