.icoimage

ICO

Windows Icon

MIME type: image/x-icon

ICO is the standard format for application icons on Windows and favicons on websites. A single ICO file can contain multiple image sizes and color depths.

Advantages

+Multiple sizes in one file
+Universal favicon format
+Supports transparency
+Required for Windows applications

Limitations

-Limited to 256x256 pixels
-Larger than single-size PNG for favicons
-Windows-specific originally
-Being replaced by SVG for favicons

Common Use Cases

Website faviconsWindows application iconsDesktop shortcuts

Technical Details

ICO files contain one or more images in BMP or PNG format, each at different sizes (16x16, 32x32, 48x48, 256x256 common). The file header specifies the count and sizes. Modern browsers accept PNG or SVG for favicons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an ICO file?

ICO is the icon file format used for Windows application icons and website favicons. It can contain multiple image sizes in a single file.

Related Formats

PNG SVG

Compare ICO with...

ICO vs PNG ICO vs SVG