Images conversion
Convert ICO to PSD
Updated Jul 2026
ICO files store small icon images, used for favicons and app icons. PSD is the layered format used by photo editing software. To convert, open the ICO in a converter and export it as PSD, a flat image ready for layers. Doing this on your own computer means the icon never leaves your machine.
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
- Extension
- .psd
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Photoshop files
- Transparency
- Supported
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert ICO to PSD on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ICO to PSD
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ICO file you want to convert, or a whole folder of icons at once.
- Choose PSD as the output format.
- Convert. The PSD is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
ICO vs PSD: what actually changes
| ICO | PSD | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Very small, often just a few KB | Larger, stores pixel data with less compression |
| Quality | Lossless | Lossless |
| Layers | Single flat image, no layers | Single layer after conversion, ready for you to add more |
| Opens everywhere | Yes, understood by Windows and browsers as an icon | No, needs Photoshop-compatible software |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Metadata | Minimal to none | Can carry more, including layer and editing data you add later |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert ICO to PSD when you want to open an icon in photo editing software to redesign it, add layers or effects, or use it as a starting point for new artwork.
Keep the ICO if the icon just needs to keep working as a favicon or app icon, since PSD isn't a format Windows or browsers can use directly.
Why not just use an online converter?
An ICO is often your own app's icon or brand mark, and running it through an online converter means uploading that file to a server you don't control before you get anything back. Converting on your own computer keeps the icon, and any design work you build on top of it, on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting ICO to PSD lose quality?
No. Both formats are lossless, so the image data comes through unchanged. What changes is the container, not the pixels.
Will the PSD have separate layers?
No. An ICO only holds flat images, so the PSD opens as a single layer. You can add more layers yourself once it's open in your editing software.
What happens if my ICO has multiple icon sizes?
An ICO can bundle several sizes in one file. Since PSD holds a single image, Morphjet converts the largest size embedded in the ICO so you have the most detail to work with.
Does the PSD keep the ICO's transparency?
Yes. If the icon has a transparent background, that carries over to the PSD as an alpha channel.
Can I convert ICO to PSD without uploading it anywhere?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so it never travels over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts ICO, PSD, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.