How to Use an Image or Drawing as an Windows Icon

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Make an icon with Paint or photo editing software
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Want to create simple desktop icons for your Microsoft Windows apps? You can start with an image and convert it to an icon in a program like GIMP, or draw one from scratch in an app like Paint. If you want a transparent background, you'll want to use GIMP, or make sure you're using the Windows 11 version of Microsoft Paint. We'll show you two simple ways to make icons in Windows and explain how to apply them to shortcuts for any program on your PC.

Creating Icons for Your Windows Desktop

Open an image in MS Paint or GIMP, or draw your icon from scratch. Be sure to use a square image or canvas. Export the image as an .ico file, or save it as a .png and convert it to .ico online.

Section 1 of 3:

Using Microsoft Paint

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  1. You can use Paint to create a simple Windows icon, save it as an image, and convert it to the ICO format with a third-party app or website. To open Paint , type paint into the Windows Search bar, then click Paint in the search results.
    • If you want to convert an image to an icon, press Ctrl + O , select the image, and click Open .
  2. If you're going to draw your icon, this will help you keep your drawing aligned properly. Click the View tab at the top of the Paint window, then check the "Gridlines" box at the top.
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  3. Icon files should be square, so you'll want to resize your canvas to ensure you're working with a square image. Note that if you're working with an existing picture that isn't already a square, this may warp the image—you might want to crop it first.
    • Windows 10:
      • Click the Home tab and select Resize .
      • Check the "Pixels" box and uncheck the "Maintain aspect ratio" box.
      • Type 256 into both the "Horizontal" and "Vertical" text boxes to create a 256x256 canvas and click OK .
    • Windows 11:
      • On the "Image" area of the toolbar, click the Resize and Skew icon, which looks like a picture inside a dotted square with an arrow.
    • Select the radio button next to "Pixels."
      • Click the link icon between "horizontal" and "vertical" to unlink the values.
      • Type 256 into both the "Horizontal" and "Vertical" text boxes to create a 256x256 canvas and click OK .
  4. Since your canvas is relatively small, click the + icon in the bottom-right corner of the window until your canvas is large enough for you to work freely.
  5. Once your canvas is the proper size and scale, you can begin drawing your icon in Paint.
    • Design experts recommend making icons simple, vibrant, and easy to read. Remember your icon will be much smaller when it's on your desktop, so try not to add too many tiny words or details. [1]
    • You will most likely have to resize your brush. You can do this by clicking the list of horizontal lines at the top of the Home tab (Windows 10) or the Brushes menu (Windows 11) and selecting a thinner line.
    • Drawing an icon with a mouse can be frustrating and inefficient, so use a drawing tablet if possible.
  6. If you drew an icon on a blank canvas and want to remove the canvas background, you can now do so in Paint for Windows 11.
    • Click Layers at the top-right to display the layers in your icon.
    • The layer at the bottom is your background, and it will usually be white.
    • Click the background layer to hide the background. You'll now see a gray checkerboard background behind the icon, indicating that you have a transparent background.
  7. To do this, click the File menu and select Save as > PNG Picture . Select a location where you'd like to save the file and click Save .
  8. In a web browser, go to https://www.icoconverter.com , click Choose File , and then select the PNG file you just created. You can then select which icon sizes you want to create (16px, 32px, and 48px are selected by default) and the bit depth (32 bits is selected by default). Click Convert to create and download your new Windows icons.
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Photo Editing Software

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  1. You can use any image file to make the icon in photo editing software — this can be a preexisting image or one you draw yourself. This method will go over how to use GIMP to make the image into an icon, but these steps apply to any photo editing software with layers (including Photoshop ).
    • This method will go over the basic steps. For more details, see the full guide on how to create icons here .
    • A square image has the same width and height lengths. If needed, you can make the image square later in the photo editing software.
    • There are various places to find an image for your icon:
      • Google search a description of the image you’re looking for and check the Images results.
      • Browse stock image websites like Pexels or Shutterstock.
      • Take a photo. You can turn anything into an icon. Here are some ideas to get you started: Your pet, houseplants, a painting, or your favorite brand of oat milk.
  2. You can download GIMP from https://www.gimp.org .
    • If you have Adobe Photoshop , you can use that app to create a Windows icon.
    • We'll focus our steps on GIMP, since it's a free program, but the process will be similar in Photoshop.
  3. Right-click the image layer in the Layers panel and select Add Alpha Channel . This layer of transparency will allow your icon to have a transparent background.
  4. If you want to make the background transparent , leaving only the subject, follow these steps:
    • Press Shift + Q to insert a Quick Mask.
    • Use the Eraser tool to erase the mask over the parts you want to keep.
    • Press Shift + Q to turn off the mask, leaving the parts you erased selected.
    • Press Ctrl + I to invert the selection.
    • Press Del to delete the selection, leaving only the subject.
  5. The icon file needs to be square. Follow these steps to adjust the canvas size:
    • Go to Image > Canvas Size .
    • Click the chain icon to unlink width and height.
    • Set the width and height to the same number.
    • Use the Offset values to center the image.
    • Click Resize .
    • Right-click the layer.
    • Select Layer to Image Size .
  6. This will allow the icon to scale when it appears in different areas of Windows. Each icon size will be a newly added layer .
    • Duplicate the layer 5 times by right-clicking the original layer and selecting Duplicate Layer . Repeat this until you have 4 copies plus the original layer, 5 total.
    • Scale the original layer to 256 X 256 px by right-clicking it and selecting Scale Layer .
    • Go to Image > Fit Canvas to Layers .
    • Scale the 4 copies to:
      • 128 X 128
      • 48 X 48
      • 32 X 32
      • 16 X 16
  7. Follow these steps to do so:
    • Go to File > Export As .
    • Change the extension to .ico .
    • Save the icon to a location where you can find it again.
    • Choose to compress the two biggest layers.
    • You’re done! You can now apply the icon to a shortcut on your desktop.
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Section 3 of 3:

Applying the Icon to a Shortcut

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  1. Icons can be applied to any shortcut. Shortcuts, which are links to EXE files, are typically found on the desktop, though you can apply an icon to any shortcut.
    • The one exception to the shortcut rule is the "This PC" app icon on the desktop. While you can create a shortcut for This PC and then edit its icon, the This PC icon on the desktop cannot be edited.
    • If you don't have a shortcut for a program, you can make one before proceeding.
  2. It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
    • If you instead see Personalize at the bottom of the list, click the icon once and then right-click it again.
  3. You'll see this option at the bottom of the window.
    • If you don't see this option, first click the Shortcut tab at the top of the window.
  4. It's in the upper-right corner of the pop-up window. Doing so opens a File Explorer window.
  5. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window.
  6. This is at the bottom of the window.
  7. Doing so closes the open windows and applies your icon to the selected shortcut.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I create a shortcut icon?
    Yaffet Meshesha
    Computer Specialist
    Yaffet Meshesha is a Computer Specialist and the Founder of Techy, a full-service computer pickup, repair, and delivery service. With over eight years of experience, Yaffet specializes in computer repairs and technical support. Techy has been featured on TechCrunch and Time.
    Yaffet Meshesha
    Computer Specialist
    Expert Answer
    To create a shortcut to any program or file, left-click on that item, then right-click on it and click "Create Shortcut." A shortcut of that file or program will be made in the same file path that can then be moved to anywhere on your computer.
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  • Question
    How can I switch back to the traditional Excel icon?
    Community Answer
    Do the same procedure, but when selecting an icon just select the Excel.exe file and it will extract the icon from the application.
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  • Question
    Why do Windows 10 icons shrink and expand on their own?
    Community Answer
    It might be that you held CTRL and scrolled. That changes the icon size, like zooming on a web browser.
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      • The main icon resolutions are 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 48x48, and 64x64. 32x32 and 96x96 are the most commonly used sizes. [3]
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      • In a pinch, you can also find icons online to download. Just make sure you only download from sites you trust.
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      • These steps are just for creating Windows icons; you'll need to use a different process if you want to change an avatar for a forum or create a Favicon (a feature built into your website).
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      References

      1. ↑ https://designshack.net/articles/graphics/10-tips-for-designing-icons-that-dont-suck/
      2. ↑ Yaffet Meshesha. Computer Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 September 2020.
      3. ↑ https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3236115/which-icon-sizes-should-my-windows-applications-icon-include

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Find or draw an image.
      2. Go to https://icoconvert.com .
      3. Click Choose File .
      4. Select the image and click Open .
      5. Click Upload .
      6. Crop the image.
      7. Click Select None .
      8. Select ICO for Windows .
      9. Click Convert ICO .
      10. Click Download your icon(s) .

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