ICO is an icon graphic file format which is used with current PC operating systems. ICO stands for icon and the file is used to store icons for use with applications and folders in your PC’s operating system. The files can be modified to customize icons and are comprised of AND bitmaps which determine the icon’s transparency and XOR bitmaps which map the icon to the image mask.
ICO files contain icons of various different sizes and colors. The icon size is determined by the pixels such as 16 x 16, 32 x 32, and more. The icon colors are determined in terms of bits such as 32 colors, 64-bit, 128-bit, and more. ICO files provide you with a way to change icons for programs, folders, and applications on your computer.
ICO files that contain favicon.ico icons are used with your web browser to display a specific logo for a website near the address bar. If the website uses favicon.ico files, they are stored in the root directory for the website file structure to allow your web browser to recognize the file whenever you log onto the website.
How to Open ICO Files
In order for ICO files to display properly when you open them, you must use an appropriate program for editing the icons. For example, to customize an ICO file for use with your website, you must use a compatible icon editor to create the bitmap image and then save the file with an ICO extension. Also, a file that has been renamed as an ICO file will not display properly and will be difficult to open with most image editors.
If you use Windows, you can open and edit ICO files with SibCode Sib Icon Editor, Newera IronCool Editor, or Program4PC PC Icon Editor. These are utility editing programs which are designed specifically for editing ICO files.
For Mac OS X you can open and edit ICO files using Iconographer which is designed specifically for editing icons. You may also use Lemkesoft GraphicConverter 8 which supports 64-bit and 32-bit Intel-based Apple PCs or Snap Converter.
There are also several cross platform programs you can use to open and edit ICO files. These programs work with Windows, Mac, and Linux. They include GIMP, which is an open source image editing program, and Inkscape, an open source vector graphics editor that provides capabilities similar to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw. Inkscape also provides advanced features that make it easy to edit nodes, perform complex path operations, and trace bitmaps, to name a few capabilities.
