How to Use Niall’s png2ico (formerly PNG 2 ICO File Converter) — Quick Guide

Niall’s png2ico — Windows Icon Creator

• What it is: A small, free utility for converting PNG images into Windows .ico files. Originally named “PNG 2 ICO File Converter,” distributed as a portable app and GUI wrapper for the png2ico converter.

• Developer & origins: Created by Niall Moody (GUI) and tied to the png2ico command-line tool by Matthias S. Benkmann (original png2ico). The GUI and packages circulated on freeware portals (e.g., Softpedia) and on winterdrache.de for the command-line tool.

• Key features:

  • Converts PNG to ICO (supports multiple PNG inputs to create a multi-resolution ICO).
  • Supports icon sizes up to 256×256.
  • Drag-and-drop support and simple GUI; also available as a portable executable (no install, no registry entries).
  • Low resource use; suitable for quick favicon or desktop/app icon creation.
  • Can batch-process multiple files (limited by interface; historically up to 9 at a time in some builds).

• Usage (typical):

  • Open the GUI or run png2ico from command line.
  • Add one or more PNG files (each can represent a different resolution).
  • Choose output filename and folder, then create the .ico file.
  • For command line: png2ico output.ico input16.png input32.png …

• Compatibility & distribution:

  • Windows-focused GUI; underlying png2ico is cross-platform (Linux/Unix/Windows).
  • Offered as a small ZIP (portable) and also available through repos like GitHub (forks) and download sites (Softpedia, PortableApps discussions).

• License & source:

  • The original png2ico sources are GPL-licensed (see winterdrache.de and GitHub repos). GUI/front-ends vary by author; check the package for exact license.

• When to use it: Quick, local conversions when you need multi-size ICO files (favicons, Windows application icons) without online uploading or heavy image editors.

Sources: winterdrache.de (png2ico), Softpedia listing for Niall’s png2ico, GitHub mirrors.