How to Create a Favicon Ico File – Favicon Generators

Customizing your Web site is so much easier than it used to be. For example, just a few years ago it was extremely uncommon to find a site using favicons. Favicons = favorites + icons. Favicons are the tiny icon (16 pixels X 16 pixels) that display in the address bar of your Web browser and in the bookmarks. Today, it is the rare site without a customized icon.

Why Use Favicons?

1. First of all, it’s expected
   If you’re a member of either one of these exclusive (and very small) clubs, the “I-don’t-know-how-to-do-it” or “It’s-not-that-important” Club, then you may be viewed as being a little out of date. Doing business online requires that we keep up with how business is done.
2. Brand Continuity
   You can carry your logo, colors or an image from your site into this icon. It creates a consistent brand and helps visitors recognize where they are, and feel like they are on familiar ground.
3. Stand Out It differentiates your site from the others. This icon shows up when visitors bookmark your Web site. When they return to their bookmarks, they can easily find you, because of your memorable favicon.

How to Create a Favicon Ico File

There are really two ways to do this.

1. Purchase a Photoshop plug-in that will output your file into the .ico format.
2. Use one of the free online tools. Simply upload the file you want, convert it and you will have your file ready to go. Some of the tools even allow you to create designs.

Here are three of my favorites.

1. Favicon.cc Get creative with this tool. Simply choose your colors and where you want them to go. This tool allows you to create animated icons or import your own source file. It will even show you what it will look like.
2. DeGraeve.com This tool also allows some customization, and you can import your source file. This one comes with a few less features than favicon.cc.
3. Dynamic Drive / Tools This is the simplest (and my favorite) of these three tools, simply upload your design and output it. Most often, you won’t need the editing features of the first two options. Dynamic Drive works very well.

How to Use The Favicon Ico File

Inside of most Wordpress themes, there is a simple favicon upload field. Simply create the file, and upload.

For a traditional website, you will need to upload the file, and insert a line of code. Internet browsers (like Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox) automatically look for this file.

The code you’ll need to use your favicon:

<LINK REL="SHORTCUT ICON" HREF="http://www.yourdomain.com/favicon.ico"/>

Because it takes just a few minutes, there really is no reason not to use a custom favicon on your Web site. This is a nice touch on your newly built Web site.