from PNG to ICO

[bazilio]

hi people

i have all the vista icons in png format (size 256x256) , how can i convert them to ico format , cause i want to make my own shell32.dll , pls help

[Scubar]

you can either use programs like Axialis Icon Workshop , Paint Express or one of the many free png to icon converters that you should be able to find on sites like softpedia.com

[DigeratiPrime]

Aveiconifier2 (free)

http://www.aqua-soft.org/board/showthread.php?t=15304

[bazilio]

thx people , i will chek it tonight , momently i am at school

[Avneet]

hi just wanted to know whats the best software to convert PNG to windows icon format.. with best quality .. and in all sizes..

axialis icon workshop has that feature .. it converts all pngs to windows icon format automatically in all sizes.. but then i was comparing the quality of the icons with the original icons.. the quqality wasnt good especially for the 4 and 8 bit ones..

so u guys .. knw of any software which does a good job.. thx

[vlasta]

I'd like to think that RealWorld Icon Editor has the most features when it comes to image->icon conversion.

There are two areas where it is better than other apps:

1) it can apply effect (like drop shadow) during the conversion - and different ones on each generated format

2) it can optimize icon 4-bit and 8-bit formats for default windows background

here is more about it: http://www.rw-designer.com/icon-png-image

The 8-bit and 4-bit formats have their limitations and there is not much an application can do beside generating a good palette and dithering.

The app can also assist you when preparing the images for conversion -> maximizing the used surface (Remove Empty Borders function) can make a difference for small icons.

Edited October 4, 2006 by vlasta