Create Desktop .ico files

[Poidy]

Can Xara Designer Pro create .ico images?

[mwenz]

ICO isn't one of the extensions for export that I can see.

You could design the icons using a photo type document, export as bmp as most icon editors can import bmp files. There are several good free icon editors available doing a Google Search.

[Poidy]

Thanx for your quick response. Have you had experience yourself, and if so what programs have you used?

[mwenz]

When I was programming, I made a lot of icons. Most of the time I made them in a vector application like XDP, exported as a BMP and edited in an icon editor. Rarely did I ever design one directly in the icon editor.

Paint.Net (free, OpenSource) has a free plug-in (I think it's still free anyway) for exporting to the ico format. I don't like using a bitmap editing application directly...which is what the icon editor actually is, one can see each of the pixels and edit them one pixel at a time. Which is nice for the clean-up stage.

I cannot remember the name of the icon editor I used, but it was back in the 1990s through the mid-2000s. Everything past yesterday is hazy...

Greenfish icon editor gets good reviews. Make sure to actually download from the maker's web site. Also, though I believe it is not bundled with crapware, if there is the offer for a custom install, use it and make sure the installer isn't going to install toolbars or other crap.

[Poidy]

It seems you are wise and experienced. Your choice and placement of the words you use shows that. Again thank you for your help.

[wizard509]

For whatever it's worth, when I create an icon, I create it with Xara software and export is as a png then open that with irfanview and save it as an ico. Works like a charm for me. Like mwenz "I don't like using a bitmap editing application directly...which is what the icon editor actually is" either. Actually I don't like any icon creating program. Mostly because they insist on creating some sort of background, and irfanview does not, I have had great success that way.

[Egg Bramhill]

I always create a png in Xara, alpha or otherwise, and upload it to http://www.convertico.com/ which I find 100% fantastic results.