What is the ICO Plugin?
The ICO plugin enables Photoshop to directly open and save Windows icon (.ICO) and cursor (.CUR) files. This plugin supports ICO files, favicons, PNG Vista/Windows 7 icons, and cursor files across all Photoshop versions up to CS6 for 64-bit systems.
Version 2.1b supports saving .CUR files and works with both Windows 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The plugin comes in two versions to match your Photoshop architecture.
Determine Your Photoshop Version
Before installing the plugin, you need to identify whether you're running 32-bit or 64-bit Photoshop:
- Open Photoshop
- Go to Help > System Info...
- Check the first line to see your version details
Installation Steps
Follow these steps to install the ICO plugin in your Photoshop installation:
- Download the Photoshop ICO plugin package (contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions)
- Extract the downloaded files to access the plugin files
- Locate your Photoshop Plugins folder
- Copy the appropriate plugin file to the File Formats folder
- Restart Photoshop if it's currently running
Choose the Correct Plugin File
The download contains two plugin files. Choose the one that matches your Photoshop version:
For 32-bit Photoshop installations
For 64-bit Photoshop installations
Installation Paths
Copy the plugin file to the correct Photoshop Plugins folder:
For 32-bit Photoshop:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Photoshop [Version]\Plug-Ins\File Formats\
For 64-bit Photoshop:
C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop [Version]\Plug-Ins\File Formats\
Important: Replace [Version] with your specific Photoshop version (e.g., CS6, CC 2019, etc.)
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Plugin Failed to Load Error
If you see this error message when starting Photoshop:
Error: "Plug-ins that failed to load: ICO (Windows Icon) NO VERSION - from the file 'C:\...\ICOFormat.8bi'"
This error occurs when you've installed the wrong plugin version for your Photoshop architecture.
Solution
- Remove the incorrect plugin file from the File Formats folder
- Install the correct version (ICOFormat64.8bi for 64-bit Photoshop)
- Restart Photoshop completely
- Verify your Photoshop version if the error persists
Verify Installation
After successful installation, you should be able to:
- Open ICO and CUR files directly through File > Open
- Save files as ICO format through File > Save As or File > Export
- See "ICO (Windows Icon)" as an available format option in the save dialog
- Work with multiple icon sizes within a single ICO file
Additional Features:
- Support for transparency in ICO files
- Multiple color depths (1, 4, 8, 24, and 32-bit)
- Ability to create favicons directly in Photoshop
- Full compatibility with Windows cursor (.CUR) files
- Support for modern PNG-compressed icons
Need to Convert Icons Online?
While the plugin is great for Photoshop users, you can also convert images to ICO format quickly online!
Try Our ICO Converter
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