Ultimate Icon Converter : Create and convert .ICO files very easily

[Kishan Bagaria]

Ultimate Icon Converter is a freeware from door2windows which lets you easily create new icons (.ico) from images or extract images (.png, .bmp, .tif or .jpg) from existing icons.

First, keep in mind that one icon can contain multiple images. The images can be of different sizes or different formats.

How To Create Icon From Images:

Run the app.


Select an image (.png, .gif or .jpg) for the largest size (256x256) by clicking the ? button and leave the rest of the sizes to Auto. The image you select doesn't need to be of 256x256, it will automatically be resized and converted to the required size and format.


Click Create Icon.

Select where you want to save the icon and click OK. Windows Explorer will open with the saved icon selected.



If you want to use custom sizes, close the app, open Ultimate Icon Converter.exe.config and list the sizes separated by space:

<add key="IconSizes" value="256 128 64 48 32 24 16" />

Run the app again and you'll be able to see the new sizes.

How To Extract Images From Icon:

Run the app.


Click the ? button after Icon Path and select the icon from which you want to extract the images.


Select a different Output Format if you want to save the images in a different format. The Original option will save the images in the same format as they are stored in the icon. Images in an icon are usually stored in PNG format if they are larger than 255x255, otherwise they are stored in BMP format. The BMP images won't have a transparent background when you view them with any normal image viewer but they will retain transparency when displayed by Windows.

Click the ? button after Output Folder and select the folder where you want the extracted images to be saved.


Click Extract Images. The folder will open where the extracted images have been saved.

Download Link (42 KB)

To direct download, click "Direct Download" In "Thank you for downloading" page.

[Jan Veteran]

Awesome! Looks like I won't need to use Gimp again thanks to this app :)

[+Raphaël G. MVC]

Fantastic!

 

I have a request though. Windows uses the following sizes to render its icons: 16, 20, 22, 24, 26, 32, 36, 48, 64, 72, 96, 128, 256px. It might seem like overkill, but there is a logic:

 

It has to do with the "DPI" settings in the display properties of Windows (100%, 125% and 150%). At 125%, whenever a 16x16 icon is needed, the 20x20 icon, if available in a .ico file, is used to represent the 16x16 icon (16+ 25/100*16 = 20). This allows perfect rendering of this small icon even with higher DPI settings. You'll notice that, if the 20x20 icon is missing, the 16x16 icon looks bad at higher than 100% dpi's. this calculation is also valid for the other sizes.

 

Are there plans to add more sizes to your app?

[Kishan Bagaria]

Fantastic!

 

I have a request though. Windows uses the following sizes to render its icons: 16, 20, 22, 24, 26, 32, 36, 48, 64, 72, 96, 128, 256px. It might seem like overkill, but there is a logic:

 

It has to do with the "DPI" settings in the display properties of Windows (100%, 125% and 150%). At 125%, whenever a 16x16 icon is needed, the 20x20 icon, if available in a .ico file, is used to represent the 16x16 icon (16+ 25/100*16 = 20). This allows perfect rendering of this small icon even with higher DPI settings. You'll notice that, if the 20x20 icon is missing, the 16x16 icon looks bad at higher than 100% dpi's. this calculation is also valid for the other sizes.

 

Are there plans to add more sizes to your app?

If you want to use custom sizes, close the app, open Ultimate Icon Converter.exe.config and list the sizes separated by space:

 

<add key="IconSizes" value="16 20 22 24 26 32 36 48 64 72 96 128 256" />

 

Run the app again and you'll be able to see the new sizes.

Keep in mind that it will increase the icon size like crazy.

[Guest]

Select a different Output Format if you want to save the images in a different format. The Original option will save the images in the same format as they are stored in the icon. Images in an icon are usually stored in PNG format if they are larger than 255x255, otherwise they are stored in BMP format. The BMP images won't have a transparent background when you view them with any normal image viewer but they will retain transparency when displayed by Windows.

 

Why, what is the reasoning behind this? Why not store everything in PNG?

[Kishan Bagaria]

Why, what is the reasoning behind this? Why not store everything in PNG?

Open Ultimate Icon Converter.exe.config and add the following after <add key="IconSize256Format" value="PNG"/>

 

<add key="IconSize64Format" value="PNG"/>
<add key="IconSize48Format" value="PNG"/>
<add key="IconSize32Format" value="PNG"/>
<add key="IconSize24Format" value="PNG"/>
<add key="IconSize16Format" value="PNG"/>

The ability to read .PNG files from .ICO files was included in Windows Vista along with support for displaying larger images. If you store everything in PNG, the icon size will decrease significantly but Windows XP won't be able to display the icon (which is OK if you are creating the icon for personal use).

Also if you store the 256x256 image in BMP, Windows XP won't use it because Windows XP displays images upto 48x48 (maybe more if you change the DPI).

[+hedleigh Subscriber²]

I am unable to download the program. ESET blocks the page with the following message.

Access to the web page was blocked. Show URL

The web page is on the list of websites with potentially dangerous content.

 

Any ideas?

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

Why, what is the reasoning behind this? Why not store everything in PNG?

The PNG format is only supported in Vista+, and some tools don't yet support it really well (I have 3 different icon editors that each think it should be stored in a different way)

[Kishan Bagaria]

I am unable to download the program. ESET blocks the page with the following message.

 

Any ideas?

 

VirusTotal says ESET marks it clean: https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/e11c282aeb0fbbbffb31e2495fb2353ec2f1d5786cea5519e5791b6af6b309b9/analysis/1409325408/

 

Which specific URL is ESET blocking?

 

The PNG format is only supported in Vista+, and some tools don't yet support it really well (I have 3 different icon editors that each think it should be stored in a different way)

 

Ultimate Icon Converter stores images in icons like how they are stored in Microsoft DLLs, i.e. BMP for images less than 256x256 and PNG for images more than 256x256.

[+hedleigh Subscriber²]

VirusTotal says ESET marks it clean: https://www.virustotal.com/en/url/e11c282aeb0fbbbffb31e2495fb2353ec2f1d5786cea5519e5791b6af6b309b9/analysis/1409325408/

 

Which specific URL is ESET blocking?

On the page to download, there is a download button at the bottom of page. The link is:- http://www.door2windows.com/download/?app_name=Ultimate+Icon+Converter but the page that loads is   http://cdn.door2windowsfiles.com/?ic_user_id=337#

Using opera 12.17.

Thanks

[Kishan Bagaria]

On the page to download, there is a download button at the bottom of page. The link is:- http://www.door2windows.com/download/?app_name=Ultimate+Icon+Converter but the page that loads is   http://cdn.door2windowsfiles.com/?ic_user_id=337#

Using opera 12.17.

Thanks

 

Yes I see, only ESET flags it. That link downloads a file which auto-downloads and extracts the latest version of the app. You can direct download using the link in the "Thank you for downloading" page.

[+hedleigh Subscriber²]

 

Yes I see, only ESET flags it. That link downloads a file which auto-downloads and extracts the latest version of the app. You can direct download using the link in the "Thank you for downloading" page.

Problem is it doesn't stay on the "Thank you for downloading" page, it redirects immediately to the above mentioned link.

While I'm asking, can it create icl files?

Thanks

[Kishan Bagaria]

Problem is it doesn't stay on the "Thank you for downloading" page, it redirects immediately to the above mentioned link.

While I'm asking, can it create icl files?

Thanks

No only ICOs.

Normally that link downloads a binary so the thank you page still remains open. Can you whitelist the site in ESET?

[+hedleigh Subscriber²]

No only ICOs.

Normally that link downloads a binary so the thank you page still remains open. Can you whitelist the site in ESET?

Okay, I disabled protection and was able to download the zip file (42kb) and it scans as clean. The exe (761kb) gives the following message when scanned with EST:- Ultimate Icon Converter.exe - a variant of Win32/InstallCore.QH potentially unwanted application.

May i ask why you do it this way and not just have links to the actual applications?

 

Thank you for you help anyway, I'll give it a run and see how it goes.

[Kishan Bagaria]

Okay, I disabled protection and was able to download the zip file (42kb) and it scans as clean. The exe (761kb) gives the following message when scanned with EST:- Ultimate Icon Converter.exe - a variant of Win32/InstallCore.QH potentially unwanted application.

May i ask why you do it this way and not just have links to the actual applications?

 

Thank you for you help anyway, I'll give it a run and see how it goes.

 

The 761kb file auto-downloads and extracts the latest version of the app along with some offers to install 3rd party apps which enables me to provide apps for free. I'm trying to get a signing certificate which won't cause the false positive in ESET or other apps.