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Cover image for Create Perfect Icons for macOS, iOS, Android, and the Web
Christian Ahrweiler
Christian Ahrweiler

Posted on Originally published at Medium

Create Perfect Icons for macOS, iOS, Android, and the Web

2ico turns transparent and non-transparent source images into complete, platform-ready icon sets.

Create Perfect Icons for macOS, iOS, Android, and the WebCreating icon sets for multiple platforms sounds simple: start with one large PNG, resize it, and export the required files.

But one source image is not always suitable for every platform.

A macOS icon may use transparency around its shape, while an iOS icon requires a fully opaque image. Web icons introduce another set of sizes and requirements.

The latest version of 2ico now handles these differences with a clearer and more flexible workflow.

Two source images, one export

2ico now provides two separate drop zones:

  • Drop an alpha-enabled PNG for macOS
  • Drop a non-transparent PNG for iOS You can provide either image or both, depending on the platforms you are targeting.

This avoids a common compromise: modifying one source image until it works everywhere, even though it is no longer ideal for any platform.

The transparent version can preserve the intended appearance of the macOS icon, while the opaque version is prepared specifically for iOS.

Choose the platforms you need

2ico can create icon sets for:

  • macOS
  • iOS
  • macOS and iOS together The app generates the required variants and packages the result as a ZIP file next to the original PNG.

There is no need to manually resize the artwork, remember platform-specific dimensions, or organize dozens of individual files.

Web icons are now included

The update also adds a complete web icon set.

That makes 2ico useful beyond Xcode projects. The same artwork can now be prepared for websites and web apps as part of the same workflow.

Instead of using separate tools for app icons, favicons, and web assets, you can generate everything from one place.

A small tool for a repetitive job

Icon generation is not difficult — but doing it manually is repetitive and surprisingly easy to get wrong.

A missing size, incorrect transparency, or inconsistent source image may not become obvious until the asset is used in Xcode, submitted to the App Store, or displayed in a browser.

2ico turns the process into three simple steps:

  • Drop in the appropriate PNG images.
  • Select the required platforms.
  • Create the icon sets. That is all.

The result is a faster and more reliable path from finished artwork to usable macOS, iOS, and web assets.

With separate alpha and non-alpha sources plus web icon generation, 2ico now covers the complete icon workflow across macOS, iOS, Android, and the web.

2ico is available for macOS as a one-time purchase, with no subscription.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/2ico/id6756739559

More tools are available at:

https://beavertools.app

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