How to Create Windows Icons (with Pictures)

2025 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-01-23 12:04

This wikiHow teaches you how to create a shortcut icon for a Windows computer. Desktop shortcuts usually use predefined icons, but you can create your own using an online converter. If you want to create a simple black and white icon from scratch, you can use Microsoft Paint.

Step

Part 1 of 3: Creating Icons in ICO Convert

Step 1. Go to the ICO Convert website

Visit https://icoconvert.com/ through your computer's web browser.

This website allows you to create icons from any image file on your computer

Step 2. Click Choose file

It's a gray button at the top of the page. A File Explorer window will open afterwards.

Step 3. Select an image

Go to the directory where the image you want to use as the Windows icon is stored, then click on the image to select it.

Step 4. Click Open

It's in the lower-right corner of the window. After that, the image will be uploaded to the ICO Convert site.

Step 5. Click Upload

It's in the middle of the ICO Convert window. The image will be displayed on the page after a few seconds.

Step 6. Crop the photo

Click and drag the cursor over the part of the photo you want to use as an icon.

• The selected area will always be square.
• You can move the entire selection frame by clicking and dragging its center, or you can zoom in and out of the selection by clicking and dragging one of the edges.

Step 7. Scroll through the screen and click Select None

This link is below the photo. With this option, the shape of the icon will not change. Usually, the deformation causes incompatibility issues on some computers.

Step 8. Make sure you are using the ICO format

Scroll down and check the "ICO for Windows 7, Windows 8, Vista and XP" box.

Step 9. Scroll down and click Convert ICO

This option is at the bottom of the page.

Step 10. Click Download your icon(s)

When options appear at the bottom of the page, click to download the icon file. Once the icon has finished downloading, you can apply the icon to the shortcut.

It's a good idea to place the icon files in a folder that won't be moved or deleted (e.g. the “ Pictures ”) before applying it to the shortcut.

Part 2 of 3: Creating Icons in Paint

Step 1. Understand the drawbacks of this method

Although Paint can be used to create basic icons, the transparency of the file will be affected. This means that some colors will not appear on the icon. For best results, use black and white to create Windows icons via Paint.

If you want to create a more complex icon, you can first draw the icon in Paint and save it as a-j.webp" />

Step 2. Open Paint

The Paint program is available on all Windows computers. You can use it to create simple Windows icons. To open the program, follow these steps:

• Open the "Start" menu

• Type paint
• Click " Paint ” at the top of the “Start” menu.

Step 3. Activate the grid

Click the tab " View ” at the top of the Paint window, then check the " Gridlines " box at the top of the window. After that, make sure you click on the tab “ Home ” to return to the main Paint interface.

Step 4. Change the canvas size to icon size

On the tab Home ”, follow these steps:

• Click " Resize ”.
• Check the " Pixels " box.
• Uncheck the "Maintain aspect ratio" box.

• Type 32 in the " Horizontal " and " Vertical " fields to create a 32 x 32 pixel canvas.

  96 x 96 is another icon size that is used quite often

• Click " OK ”.

Step 5. Enlarge the canvas

Because the canvas size is relatively small, click the icon “ + ” in the lower right corner of the window until the canvas display is large enough for you to use it comfortably.

For a 32 x 32 pixel canvas, you may need to zoom in to the maximum (800 percent) in order to create an image easily

Step 6. Draw the icon

Once the canvas is the right size and scale, you're free to draw the icons however you want.

• Design experts recommend simple, bright, and easy-to-read icon designs. Keep in mind that icons will appear smaller when displayed on the desktop so try not to add too much text or small details.
• It is possible that you will need to change the size of the brush you are using. You can resize it by clicking on the list of horizontal lines at the top of the “ Home ” and choose a thinner line in the drop-down menu.
• Drawing icons using the mouse is a frustrating and inefficient process. If possible, use the drawing pad when you want to create icons.

Step 7. Click the File menu

It's in the top-left corner of the window. A drop-down menu will appear after that.

Step 8. Select Save as

It's in the middle of the drop-down menu. Once selected, a pop-out menu will be displayed.

Step 9. Click Other formats

It's at the bottom of the pop-out menu. After that, a new window will open.

Step 10. Enter the file name and bookmark ".ico"

In the " File name " text field at the bottom of the window, type the name you want to use for the icon file, followed by the.ico extension to indicate that the file should be saved as an icon file.

For example, to name the icon file as "Minecraft," type Minecraft.ico

Step 11. Click the "Save as type" drop-down box

This box is at the bottom of the window. Once clicked, a drop-down menu will appear.

Step 12. Click 256 Color Bitmap

This option is in the drop-down menu.

Step 13. Choose a save location

On the left side of the window, click the folder where you want to save the icon file (eg “ Pictures ”).

It's a good idea to keep your icon files in a directory that's obviously not going to be moved or deleted accidentally. If an icon file is moved or deleted, shortcuts using that file cannot display the icon

Step 14. Save the icon

Click the button Save ” in the lower right corner of the window, then click “ OK ” in the pop-up window that appears. The icon will be saved to the selected location. At this point, you can apply icons to shortcuts.

Part 3 of 3: Applying Icons to Shortcuts

Step 1. Identify places to use icons

The icon file can be applied to any shortcut. Shortcuts (usually linked to EXE files) are generally displayed on the desktop. However, you can still apply the icon to any shortcut in another directory.

• An exception to the application of icons applies to the “This PC” application icon on the desktop. Although you can create a “This PC” shortcut and edit the icon, the “This PC” icon displayed on the desktop still cannot be edited.
• If you don't have a shortcut for the program you want, you can create one before continuing.

Step 2. Right-click the shortcut icon

After that, a drop-down menu will be displayed.

Step 3. Click Properties

This option is at the bottom of the drop-down menu.

If you see the option “ Personalize ” at the bottom of the list, single-click the icon and right-click it again.

Step 4. Click Change Icon…

It's at the bottom of the window.

If the option is not displayed, click the tab “ Shortcuts ” at the top of the window first.

Step 5. Click Browse…

It's in the upper-right corner of the pop-up window. After that, a File Explorer window will be opened.

Step 6. Select the icon file

Go to the icon file directory and single-click the icon file you want to use.

Step 7. Click Open

It's in the lower-right corner of the window.

Step 8. Click OK

It's at the bottom of the window.

Step 9. Click Apply, then select OK.

After that, the open window will be closed and the icon will be applied to the selected shortcut.

Tips

• The above steps only apply to Windows icon creation. You'll need to go through a different process if you want to change your forum avatar or create a Favicon (a feature built into the website).
• The main icon resolutions include 16 x 16, 24 x 24, 32 x 32, 48 x 48, and 64 x 64. The 32 x 32 and 96 x 96 resolutions are the most commonly used options.
• If you're in a hurry, you can also get icons from the internet to download. Make sure you only download content from trusted sites.