file extension ICO

Icon creation has evolved. Use the industry standard to create, extract, convert, manage Windows and Macintosh icons like never before. It supports all existing icon formats up to Windows Vista (256x256 PNG-compressed icons) and Macintosh OS-X Leopard (512x512 JPEG2000-compressed icons). You can easily convert icons from one system to another and transfer them using MacBinary files. Use drag & drop to easily create attractive icons from various ready-to-use image objects in seconds. Several packs of image objects is included in the product (more than 2000 objects). A powerful editor permits to create icons using many tools including numerous filters and effects. Once an image is created, add several images formats in one click (automated hi-quality image creation in different sizes and color depths). Create icons from images with alpha transparency (PNG, PSD, JPEG 2000, BMP, GIF...). Create PNG, JPEG 2000 and Web-optimized GIF images from icons. If you work with Photoshop and Illustrator, you can import PSD images with layers and use the plug-ins to transfer images in memory and make your icon in a few clicks. 10 Photoshop Templates permits to create your icon with different formats in Photoshop and transfer them in one step to create your icon. Numerous batch procedures have been implemented in IconWorkshop to automatically perform operations on a large number of files. For example, you can create icons from a set of PNG files (ICO files are created). You can also automatically convert several icons between Macintosh and Windows OS in seconds. Use a powerful librarian to easily manage all your icon and library (ICL) files. A file explorer permits to browse disks and work with files (images, icons, programs...). This explorer displays files in thumbnail preview mode. Developped in C++ using MFC, IconWorkshop features a fully integrated workspace. Use an exhaustive help system including getting started lessons, how-to procedures and the reference manual.

XnView is a utility for viewing and converting graphic files.

It has the features :

* Import about 400 graphic file formats
* Export about 50 graphic file formats
* Multipage TIFF, Animated GIF, Animated ICO support
* Image IPTC, EXIF metadata support
* EXIF auto rotation support
* IPTC editing
* Resize, rotate, crop support
* Lossless rotate & crop (jpeg) support
* Adjust brightness, contrast...
* Auto levels, contrast
* Modify number of colors
* Apply filters (blur, average, emboss, ...)
* Apply effects (lens, wave, ...)
* Fullscreen mode
* Slide show with effects
* Batch convert, batch rename
* Create WEB page easily
* Screen capture
* Create contact Sheet
* Create or edit Multi-page file (TIFF, DCX, LDF)
* TWAIN & WIA support (Windows only)
* Print support (Windows only)
* Drag & Drop support (Windows only)
* Compare image side by side
* Filmstrip layout
* 44 languages support (Windows only)
* And many many other things..
* No Adware, No Spyware

XnView is provided as FREEWARE for private non-commercial or educational use (including non-profit organization).

IconForge is simply the best, most complete suite to create or change icons, cursors, animated cursors and icon libraries for Windows. Optimized for editing small images, you will find a full set of painting tools at your disposal. You can import from and export to a variety of other image, icon and animation types, so you can take advantage of work which you've already created or scanned from other sources.

IconForge is also an excellent tool for other graphics, such as producing bookmark/favorites icons for a web site, repeating tiles for wallpaper backgrounds, animated GIF bullets to make listings stand out, or cursors for various projects.

ActivIcons makes it simple to change properties for various icons on your Windows desktop and in Explorer, plus attributes for many other desktop settings. You can save and restore the desktop layout, repair corrupted icons, increase the size of the Windows icon cache to prevent future problems, and much more.

You can substitute your own icons for the standard Windows icons and cursors. In fact, ActivIcons goes through your Registry and lists out all of the icons found there, so that you can change those as well. You can even use ActivIcons to display animated icons on your desktop, or make the icon text labels transparent.

Finding necessary icon images for your shortcuts/documents is not easy task. Before downloading one of those gigantic icon collections, consider that one probably already exists on your hard drive! Average computer contains hundreds, even thousands of different icons "hidden" in a variety of files on your drives and you can get them all with Icon Catcher!

Gimp

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

It has many capabilities. It can be used as a simple paint program, an expert quality photo retouching program, an online batch processing system, a mass production image renderer, an image format converter, etc.

GIMP is expandable and extensible. It is designed to be augmented with plug-ins and extensions to do just about anything. The advanced scripting interface allows everything from the simplest task to the most complex image manipulation procedures to be easily scripted.