Customize Desktop Icons

Shrushti — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:29:07 +0000

I've always loved customizing my desktop with unique icons, but I never found an easy way to create pixel art icons that work as Windows .ico files. So I built IconShrubs — a web tool that transforms any image into a pixelated masterpiece and downloads it as a desktop icon.

👉 Try it here: IconShrubs

✨ What is IconShrubs?

IconShrubs is a web application that lets you:

Upload any PNG or JPG image
Apply a pixel art effect with adjustable pixel sizes (1-24px)
Download as .ico (Windows desktop icon) or .png (for pixel editors)
Remove backgrounds for cleaner icons
Zoom and pan to inspect your pixel art in detail
Works entirely in your browser with a lightweight API for ICO conversion

🎯 Why I Built This

As a developer and pixel art enthusiast, I wanted:

A fast, mystical-looking web tool that's actually fun to use
ICO conversion without clunky command-line tools
PNG export for continuing edits in Libresprite, Aseprite, or any pixel editor
A beautiful UI that makes image processing feel like magic ✨

🚀 Key Features

1. Pixel Art Generator

Adjust pixel block size from 1px (original quality) to 24px (chunky pixel art) with presets like Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, and Giant.

2. Original vs Pixelated Toggle

Compare your original image side-by-side with the pixelated version. Perfect for deciding if the effect works for your icon!

3. Background Removal

When you upload a PNG, IconShrubs asks if you'd like to remove the background — ideal for logos, characters, or objects with simple backgrounds.

4. Zoom & Pan

Inspect your pixel art up to 400% zoom with drag-to-pan, so you can see every pixel block in detail.

5. Two Download Options

Download as .ico → Ready-to-use Windows desktop icon (256x256)
Download as .png → Keep the pixel art for editing in Aseprite / Libresprite / Photoshop

6. Mystical UI

Themed with gradients, floating animations, and glass-morphism effects to make the experience feel magical.

🧠 How It Works

Upload → Validates file type, size, and dimensions (64x64 to 2048x2048)
Background Removal (optional) → Simple algorithm removes near-white pixels from PNGs
Pixelation → Downsamples the image, then scales it back up using nearest-neighbor interpolation for sharp pixel blocks
ICO Conversion → The pixelated canvas is sent to an API that converts it to a proper Windows icon file

🎨 Use Cases

Desktop Customization → Turn your favorite logos, characters, or art into Windows icons
Pixel Art Workflow → Start with a photo → pixelate → export to PNG → refine in Aseprite
Game Dev Prototyping → Quickly generate pixel art placeholders for your indie game
Content Creation → Create unique pixel icons for YouTube, Twitch, or social media

🌟 Try It Yourself!

👉 IconShrubs — Upload an image, pixelate it, and download your custom Windows icon today!

If you find this useful, please ⭐ the repo and share with fellow pixel enthusiasts!

Happy pixelating! 🎮✨

Made with ❤️ by Shrushti Jadhav

#React #TypeScript #PixelArt #TailwindCSS #WebDev #OpenSource #DesktopCustomization #IndieDev #Aseprite #IconDesign

DEV Community: Shrushti