ICO to PSD Converter
Convert ICO to PSD in your browser. ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers; PSD is the better fit for editing in Photoshop. You get an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept. Nothing is uploaded.
- Processed locally
- No upload, no wait
- No sign-up
- No watermark
Drop images here
or choose files · paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
ICO expected · other image formats also work
How to use ICO to PSD
- 1
Add your ICO files: drop them here, choose them, or paste from the clipboard.
- 2
There is nothing to tune: the PSD is written losslessly. Resizing and rotating are under More options if you need them.
- 3
Click Convert. Each file is decoded and encoded in a background thread on this device.
- 4
Download the .psd files one at a time or together as a ZIP.
Why use Aback Images for ico to psd
Where the PSD goes next
PSD opens in Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita.
PSD next to ICO
Both sides are lossless, so the size depends on how well the PSD encoder handles this picture compared with the ICO's each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG.
Written without a lossy pass
The PSD is written losslessly, so the pixels decoded from the ICO arrive unchanged.
Processed on your device
Your images are decoded, edited and encoded inside this browser tab by Web Workers. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
ICO vs PSD
What changes from ICO to PSD
Encoding: the ICO uses each size stored as a headerless BMP or as a complete PNG; PSD uses raw or RLE (PackBits) channel data, ZIP in some 16 and 32-bit files, and the download is an 8-bit RGB Photoshop document with one layer and a merged composite, RLE compressed, with transparency kept.
Bit depth: 1 to 32 bits per pixel, set per size in the ICO; PSD allows 8, 16 or 32 bits per channel, and the PSD written here has 8 bits per channel.
Colour: RGB or a palette, per image in the ICO; PSD supports RGB, CMYK, Lab, greyscale, indexed or multichannel, written here as 8-bit sRGB.
Transparency: the ICO stores it as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons; the PSD keeps it as transparent layers plus extra alpha channels.
Other images: the ICO can hold several sizes of the same picture, typically 16, 32, 48 and 256 px; only the main image is converted.
Metadata: the ICO can carry only a directory of the sizes inside, with no EXIF; PSD can carry XMP, EXIF, IPTC and ICC in image resource blocks, but nothing is copied across.
About ICO
ICO is a container that bundles several sizes of the same icon (16, 32, 48, 256 px) into one file. It is still the most compatible format for website favicons and Windows app icons.
An ICO starts with a 6-byte ICONDIR (type 1 for icons) and a 16-byte entry per image giving width, height, colour count and offset. Each image is either a BMP without its file header plus an AND mask, or a complete PNG.
ICO files usually come from website favicons, Windows programs and installers.
About PSD
PSD is Adobe Photoshop's layered working format. It keeps layers, masks and effects, but almost nothing outside Photoshop can display it, so finished designs are exported to PNG or JPG.
A PSD has five sections: a header ('8BPS', channel count, size, depth, colour mode), colour mode data, image resources (thumbnail, ICC, XMP, resolution), layer and mask information, and finally the merged composite image that the Maximize Compatibility option saves.
When converting ICO to PSD makes sense
PSD is the better choice for editing in Photoshop, while ICO suits favicons and Windows icons.
PSD strengths: Keeps every layer and edit. Drawbacks to weigh: Huge files; Cannot be viewed on the web or most phones.
Limitations
- The largest image in the icon is the one converted; smaller sizes that were hand-tuned for 16 px are not carried over.
- The Photoshop document holds the picture as a single layer: a starting point for editing, not a reconstruction of layers.
- Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP and Photopea open it.
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Frequently asked questions
Does converting ICO to PSD lose quality?
PSD is written losslessly, so the pixels are stored exactly as decoded. Not carried over: any several sizes of the same picture.
Is transparency kept in the PSD?
Yes. ICO stores it as 8-bit alpha in 32-bit and PNG entries, or a 1-bit mask in old icons, and the PSD is written with an alpha channel, so transparent areas stay transparent.
Which apps open PSD files?
Photoshop, Affinity Photo, GIMP, Photopea and Krita. It does not open in web browsers.
Are my images uploaded anywhere?
No. Processing happens inside your browser with WebAssembly and Web Workers. The site only downloads the app code and codecs; your files never leave your device. You can confirm this with the live upload counter on the tool, or in your browser's network panel.
Can I process many files at once?
Yes. Drop a whole selection or folder. Files are processed in parallel on several worker threads, each result can be downloaded on its own, and everything can be saved as one ZIP.
Is it free? Is there a file limit or watermark?
It is free with no account, no watermark and no daily limit. The only limit is your device's memory: very large images (over roughly 100 megapixels) may be refused to keep the tab from crashing.