IcoFX is an icon and cursor editor for Windows. It creates, edits, extracts and converts icons for Windows and macOS. It also builds static and animated Windows cursors and can produce PNG image sets for mobile apps. IcoFX is commercial. Users can evaluate it for 30 days, after which it disables saving until they register the copy.
Why an icon file is not a single image
A Windows icon (ICO) bundles several images of the same picture at different sizes and color depths. Windows uses these sizes because it shows 16×16 in lists and on the taskbar, 32×32 on the desktop, 48×48 in Explorer views and 256×256 in large views. When a size is missing, Windows scales a nearby one. IcoFX manages these formats inside one file and gives full control over each image it contains. It supports color depths up to 32-bit and an alpha channel for shadow effects and semi-transparency. Images of 256×256 and larger can use PNG compression to keep the file small.
macOS icons (ICNS) follow a different format with their own size list, up to 1024×1024 including high-resolution “@2x” variants. IcoFX opens, saves and converts in both directions between the two systems.
Turning images into icons
IcoFX imports SVG, PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, APNG, TIFF, JPEG 2000 and XPM files. In the import window the user selects the area to use and decides whether a background color becomes transparent.
The Windows and Macintosh “icon from image” dialogs then generate a complete icon in one step. The user ticks the sizes to include, optionally sharpens them after resizing and checks live previews. A mobile dialog instead writes one PNG file per size from a preset, with optional transparent padding.
Pulling icons out of programs
Opening an EXE, DLL or OCX file, or a Macintosh MacBinary, AppleSingle or AppleDouble file, lists the icons stored inside it. Selected icons open in IcoFX for editing or saving, and a dropdown switches the list to cursors. A capture command also grabs any area of the desktop.
The pixel editor
IcoFX provides a workspace for editing small images. It offers zoom up to 10000%, a pixel grid and hard-edged tools such as the pencil. IcoFX offers more than 30 tools, including rectangular, elliptical, lasso and magic wand selections, brushes, gradients, shapes, text, blur, sharpen, brighten and darken. Quick Mask lets the user paint a selection with any brush. IcoFX also includes editors for custom brushes, gradients and text styles.
Adjustments cover hue and saturation, brightness and contrast, levels, curves, color balance, drop and inner shadows, bevel, opacity and fade-outs. Replace Pixels swaps exact colors for pixel-art work, and corner rounding, canvas size and trimming reshape the image. Users can combine effects, and a custom filter dialog lets them create new ones.
Layered work uses IcoFX’s own IFX format, which saves the layer information so it can be reloaded later. Exporting to an image format merges the layers into a single layer.
Animated cursors and hot spots
IcoFX saves cursors as CUR files and animated cursors as ANI. For an animation, IcoFX treats each frame as a separate image. Users can add, duplicate, reorder or reverse frames and set a frame rate per frame. Users set the hot spot, the pixel that registers a click, by coordinates or by clicking directly on the image. A test window lets the user try the cursor over buttons and other controls before saving.
Icon Mixer
The Icon Mixer in IcoFX builds icons from premade vector symbol sets. IcoFX includes a free Google Material Design set, and users can buy further sets. The user picks a symbol, adds an overlay that changes its meaning or signifies an extra action, positions the overlay and can colorize the icon. Whole collections export to SVG, PNG, icon files or image strips.
Libraries and program resources
The resource editor creates 32-bit icon libraries (ICL) and cursor libraries (CUL). These group many icons or static cursors into one named file for sharing. The same editor adds, removes or replaces icons and cursors in uncompressed 32-bit and 64-bit EXE and DLL files. It creates a .bak backup before changing a program. IcoFX can also assign custom icons to folders, drives and removable media.
Batch work and scripts
Batch processing in IcoFX handles a list of files at once. It converts images to icons or cursors, converts icons between Windows and macOS formats, and exports every format of an icon as separate images. It also extracts all icons from resource files, groups similarly named images into one icon, and applies adjustment actions to many images. Scripts written in a built-in editor with syntax checking automate certain tasks and can run from the command line.
License differences
| License | Includes |
|---|---|
| Home | Creating and editing icons, import, export, extraction and the resource editor |
| Business | Everything in Home, plus batch processing, toolbar image strips, iPhone and Android icons, and commercial use of the icons |
| Site | Business features for multiple users at one location |
Users can open toolbar image strips in IcoFX and edit their images individually. IcoFX cuts the strip into separate images when it opens and joins them again on saving.
