IcoFX is an editor for icons, static cursors, animated cursors, and small raster assets used by desktop interfaces. It works at the pixel level and understands the internal structure of ICO and cursor files. A Windows icon can hold several images inside one file, each made for a different display size or color depth. IcoFX therefore handles a job that an ordinary image editor usually treats as a single picture. It can draw an icon from scratch, convert an existing image, extract an icon from another file, or assemble a complete multi-size icon.
One icon, many sizes
The image list shows every raster image stored inside the icon. The layer list belongs to the selected image. This distinction matters: changing a layer in the large image does not automatically repair the smaller images. IcoFX can generate common sizes from a source, yet an automatic reduction can turn thin lines into blur or make a one-pixel gap disappear.
Small images deserve a manual pass at their actual display size. A 16-pixel icon often needs fewer details than its large source. IcoFX lets the author edit individual pixels after scaling, choose a color depth, and control transparency. The result still depends on the destination. A sharp edge on a light background may lose contrast on a dark taskbar, while a partially transparent border can develop a halo when the source carried a matte color.
Layers and scope
IcoFX uses layers for separate shapes, text, imported artwork, and effects. Blending and opacity can change one layer without flattening the complete composition. The adjustment scope needs attention because the same command can target the active layer, the active icon image, or every image in the file. Applying a color change to all sizes saves time when the design is consistent. Applying a blur to all sizes can ruin the hand-tuned pixels in the smallest image.
Selections and masks limit an operation to part of the canvas. This makes it possible to recolor a symbol while preserving its transparent border. IcoFX also has color modes and alpha controls, so converting an older low-color icon can require a deliberate palette choice rather than a simple save.
Place the hotspot
A cursor file adds a hotspot: the exact pixel that Windows treats as the pointer location. IcoFX has a cursor test for checking that point. The visible arrow can look correct while the hotspot sits several pixels away, which makes clicks land beside the apparent tip. Animated cursors add frames and timing. Repeating a frame or setting an uneven delay changes the motion even when every frame looks correct by itself.
Inside other files
IcoFX can inspect icon and cursor resources stored in executable files and libraries. Extraction copies an asset out for editing or reuse. Resource editing writes a replacement into the target file. That operation affects more than appearance: changing a signed executable can invalidate its signature, and a resource with the wrong dimensions can make the host file behave badly. Work on a copy and keep the untouched original outside the editing folder.
Repeat the conversion
Batch commands and scripts handle recurring asset sets. IcoFX can process groups, export images, and repeat icon or cursor actions without opening each file by hand. A batch repeats settings consistently, but it cannot decide whether a symbol remains legible at a small size. Check representative outputs before committing a large folder, especially when filenames group related states or when source images use different transparency.
