Overview
A favicon is the smallest piece of a site's identity and one of the most-seen: browser tabs, bookmarks, phone home screens, search results. Getting it right means real pixels at real sizes — a 16-pixel icon is genuinely sixteen pixels, and artwork that works at 512 often turns to mush that small. This tool renders each size honestly so you can judge them as they'll appear.
Two paths get you there. Upload any image and it is centre-cropped to a square automatically — favicons are always square — then rendered at 16, 32 and 48 pixels plus the 180-pixel Apple touch icon. Or switch to letter mode: one character, your choice of background and letter colours, legible even at the smallest size. Preview each at true size, download individually or all at once.
What sizes does a favicon actually need?
The classic set: 16×16 for the browser tab, 32×32 for high-density displays and taskbar shortcuts, 48×48 for desktop shortcuts. Then the 180×180 Apple touch icon for iOS home screens — the big one that makes 'add to home screen' look professional. Those four PNGs cover essentially every modern browser and phone.
You may have heard of .ico files — the ancient single-file format. Modern browsers accept PNG favicons directly, which is simpler and looks better. The tool outputs PNGs because that is what the current web wants; the .ico era is effectively over for new sites.
Features
- Two starting points: any image, or letter mode with no artwork needed.
- Smart centre-crop: wide or tall pictures become squares automatically.
- Four real sizes: 16, 32, 48-pixel PNGs plus the 180-pixel Apple touch icon — true pixel dimensions.
- Letter mode: one character with your background and letter colours — legible at 16 pixels.
- True-size previews: see each icon at its actual size before downloading.
- Individual downloads: all four at once, or one by one as needed.
- Made on your machine: all drawing happens locally — your logo is never uploaded.
Benefits
- The right set, first time. Four sizes that cover browsers and phones — no guessing.
- Judge at true size. Previews show what users will actually see.
- No design skills needed. Letter mode makes a clean badge from a single character.
- Private. Your logo never leaves the browser.
Who can use it
Anyone launching a website, from a weekend project to a client delivery. Bloggers giving their site a finished feel in tabs and bookmarks. App makers polishing 'add to home screen'. Designers handing off a complete favicon set instead of a vague 'make an icon' note.
How to use
- Upload your logo or photo — or switch to letter mode and pick a character and colours.
- Check the automatic square crop; it centres on the image.
- Preview all four sizes at their true dimensions — squint at the 16-pixel one, that is the real test.
- Download all four at once, or grab them individually.
- Place the files with your site and link them in your page head (16/32/48) plus the Apple touch icon.
Frequently asked questions
What favicon sizes do I actually need?
16, 32 and 48 pixels for browsers, tabs and shortcuts, plus 180 pixels for the Apple touch icon. That set covers effectively every modern browser and phone. This tool generates exactly those four — nothing missing, nothing redundant.
Should I use my logo or a letter?
Detailed logos often turn to mush at 16 pixels. If your mark survives tiny — bold shapes, high contrast — use it. Otherwise a single letter on a strong background is cleaner and more legible; many major sites do exactly this.
Where do I put the downloaded files?
With the rest of your site, typically the root or an images folder, then reference them with link tags in your page's head: rel='icon' for the PNGs (with sizes noted) and rel='apple-touch-icon' for the 180-pixel one.
My logo is wide, not square — will it work?
Yes. The tool centre-crops to a square automatically, since favicons are always square. For very wide logos, though, the crop may cut important parts — in that case letter mode, or a simplified square version of your mark, usually looks better.
Do I still need an .ico file?
For new sites, no. Modern browsers accept PNG favicons directly, which look sharper and are simpler to manage. The .ico container was essential a decade ago; today it is a legacy extra most sites skip.
Is my uploaded logo kept anywhere?
No. The image is drawn onto an in-browser canvas and never uploaded. Close the tab and it is gone — there is no server copy, no gallery, nothing.
Conclusion
Tiny badge, outsized job. Render the four real sizes, squint-test the smallest, and give every tab, bookmark and home screen the finished look your site deserves.