TIFF to ICO Converter — Free, Online, No Upload

TIFF files sometimes serve as high-resolution source images for brand assets, scanned artwork, or design exports. When you need to create a favicon or Windows application icon from one of these TIFF assets, the format needs to be converted — browsers and Windows use ICO, not TIFF.

ICO is the container format that packages icon images at multiple resolutions into a single file. The browser or operating system then selects the appropriate size for the context: a tiny 16×16 pixel icon for the browser tab, a 32×32 for the address bar, or a larger 48×48 for taskbar pins. Converting TIFF to ICO handles the format translation and generates these size variants from the high-resolution source.

TIFF's high resolution is actually an advantage here — it gives the downscaling algorithm better source material to work from, resulting in sharper icon images at small sizes compared to starting from a lower-resolution source. For best icon results, the TIFF should contain a square graphic (logos and marks work better than photos) with the main subject centered. Complex illustrations with fine detail won't be readable at 16×16 pixels regardless of source quality, so keep the icon design bold and simple. After generating the ICO, test it in a browser across different devices before deploying to production.

Typical sizes: TIFF 20–70 MB (12MP photo); ICO 10–100 KB (multi-size icon).

Both formats keep every pixel, so the ICO looks the same as the TIFF.