Aqua-Soft ForumsHow do you convert PNGs to .ico files? I've seen it asked numerous times but have never seen anyone give an answer.
PNGs to ICO
I wrote this some time ago, and I just made some modifications, hope helps.
first of all, the main format for making icons is psd, adobe photoshop image file, not bmp, since bmp cant show alpha channels(transparency) and have empty space, it will be filled with white, the only two formats that keep transparency PSD(Adobe Photoshop) and PNG. The psd can only be generated by some image editors, however adobe photoshop is better for this purposes, the png can be made by almost all programs.
You need to have your image ready in the following sizes:
16x16
32x32
48x48
64x64
72x72
-----
96x96
128x128
The ones that are before the line, are the normal and common ones, that windows can display, however windows can display more sizes, but there must be a editing in the registery of windows. Windows default size is 32x32 however people uses different sizes, so you MUST include all the sizes to an icons, that way it will display correctly in all icon resolutions, if not, it can be stretched or display resized incorrectly.
After you have the PSD or PNG in the sizes mentioned before, you need a "icon compiler" program, this means an program that can use all the provided PSD's or PNG and insert them into an icon, a *.ico file. A program that is good to insert icons is @icon sushi. Select the open dialog, select all formats, and when they are opened, select all the formats, and go to file, save as multiple icon, and save it. It is like the opposit of my Tutorial
In summary you need to keep this in mind when making icons:
Having the basic resolutions in different files (from 16x16 to 72x27) the 96x96 and 128x128 is extremly recommend since it is being used more and more.
I
hope you find this text useful and i expect that you have some graphics basic knowledge to understand this tutorial
Thanks for the help, but what i was really asking (that I now realize i left out of my original question) is how to resize the png file. For example, there's a couple of great icon sites posted in these boards, but they only have the 128x128 pngs to download and not .ico files or pngs of various sizes.
if you want to resize the png I think you should use Photoshop, and use the Edit Image size (Alt + I + I) and give the size there, and save it again. I dont think there is a program that will do the resize automatically.
btw, i downloaded Gconvert, and I dont find a way to make an icon from a png, i see ico to png though
We want to make .icos from pngs, not the other way around. Thanks though
Whoops...misread that. I had to do it the hard way...convert the icons into bitmaps (in a program like photoeditor) and then converted the bitmaps to .ico...sorry, I know this isn't what you were looking for, but is the only free solution that I know of.
[EDIT]Actually I changed them to .gif, and converted it with some program I don't have anymore...iconconverter or iconpackager or some program like that. I think I found it searching download.com...[/EDIT]
Dude, get Icon workshop and open the png file, once you've done that, right click and go to create new icon from selection. Here you can choose the sizes you want, just check all of them that you want, and then hit save. It will save it as an icon with all of the different sizes included. It's not very hard. If you need help pm me.
Use axialis iconworkshop (www.axialis.com) that would do the job... only a few clicks..! 
