Vector conversion
Convert AI to ICO
Updated Jul 2026
AI is the vector artwork format used by illustration software, and ICO is the small icon format that Windows and web browsers use for favicons and app icons. To convert AI to ICO, open the artwork in a converter and export it as an icon file at the sizes you need. Doing this on your own computer means your artwork never has to leave your machine to become an icon.
- Extension
- .ai
- Type
- Vector
- Typically
- Illustrator files
- Transparency
- None
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert AI to ICO on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert AI to ICO
- Open Morphjet and drag in the AI file, or a whole folder of logo artwork at once.
- Choose ICO as the output format.
- Convert. The icon is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
AI vs ICO: what actually changes
| AI | ICO | |
|---|---|---|
| File type | Vector artwork, made of paths and shapes | Fixed-size raster image, made of pixels |
| Opens everywhere | No, needs illustration software | Yes, read natively by Windows and browsers |
| Resizing | Scales to any size with no quality loss | Fixed to the pixel sizes baked into the file |
| File size | Varies with artwork complexity | Small, usually a few kilobytes |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Quality | Lossless | Lossless, but locked to whatever size you export |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert AI to ICO when you've designed a logo or mark and need it as an app icon, a desktop shortcut icon, or a browser favicon.
Keep the AI file as your source if you'll ever need to resize, recolor, or re-edit the artwork, since ICO is a finished, fixed-size image and can't be edited like a vector file.
Why not just use an online converter?
A logo or icon design is often unreleased work you don't want sitting on someone else's server before launch. An online converter uploads the artwork to convert it and you have to trust it's deleted afterward. Converting on your own computer means the design stays on your machine the whole time, even with your wifi off.
Questions
Does converting AI to ICO lose quality?
No, the export itself is lossless at whatever size you choose. The trade-off is that a vector file can be resized forever, while an ICO is locked to fixed pixel dimensions the moment it's created.
What sizes should an ICO be?
Common sizes are 16, 32, 48, and 256 pixels, since ICO can bundle several sizes into one file for different uses like favicons versus desktop icons. Which sizes you need depends on where the icon will show up.
Will transparency in my artwork carry over?
Yes. ICO supports transparency, so a logo with a transparent background in AI will keep that transparency in the icon.
Can I convert AI to ICO without uploading my design?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file locally, so the artwork never travels over the internet or sits on someone else's server.
Can I still edit the artwork after converting to ICO?
Not the ICO itself, since it's a fixed image, but your original AI file is untouched by the conversion. Keep the AI as your editable source and treat the ICO as a finished output.
Morphjet converts AI, ICO, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.