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How-to GuideDocuments & print≈ 1 minute · no install

How to Make a Favicon from a Photo or Logo

A favicon is the tiny tab icon that makes a site look finished, and you can build one from any square image in about 40 seconds. The trick is starting square and exporting the multi-size .ico container browsers expect.

The short version

Follow the steps below with the free PNG to ICO tool — it runs entirely in your browser, needs no upload, account or watermark, and finishes in about a minute.

Step by step

1
Choose or crop a square

Pick a logo or photo close-up and centre-crop it to 1:1 — favicons are always square.

2
Resize to 512×512

That gives the ICO pack room to generate 256, 48, 32 and 16 px variants cleanly.

3
Simplify for tiny sizes

At 16 px only bold shapes survive: remove thin text, increase contrast (a blur/sharpen pass helps).

4
Convert PNG to ICO

Use the PNG to ICO converter, download the .ico and upload it in your site settings (WordPress: Appearance → Site Identity; Shopify: Favicon).

Open the PNG to ICO toolFree · unlimited · runs in your browser

Pro tips & common mistakes

  • Test at real size: zoom your browser tab, not the design canvas.
  • PNG first, then ICO — converting straight from JPEG keeps compression artefacts visible at 16 px.
  • A transparent background keeps dark-mode tabs clean.

Related guides

How to Convert an SVG Logo to ICO (Favicon Guide)How-to guideHow to Crop a Photo to a Perfect Square (1:1)How-to guideHow to Make a Transparent PNGHow-to guide

Frequently asked questions

What sizes should a favicon include?
A modern set is 16, 32, 48 and 256 px. One .ico with all four covers desktop and most shortcuts.
Can Safari and Android use .ico?
Yes, plus most sites now also ship a 180–512 px PNG "touch icon" — export the same source at those sizes.
How often does a favicon update?
Browsers cache it hard — change the file and append ?v=2 to the URL or wait for cache expiry.