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A favicon is a small custom icon associated with a website that appears next to the URL and in open tabs. It is measured in pixels and can be created using any graphics program. The icon must be saved as an .ico file and uploaded to the website’s root directory. Browsers will search for this file and display it if found. Associating a favicon with a website creates a visual brand that can help users remember the site.
A favicon is a custom icon associated with a web page or website that appears next to the http address in a browser’s URL window. It will also occupy open tabs in tab-enabled browsers and appear next to bookmarked links. The term combines the words “favorites” and “icon”. Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 introduced the ability to display favicons, followed by other major browsers. Firefox, Netscape, Opera, Safari and Konquerer are among the many browsers that support this feature.
A favicon is so small it’s measured in pixels. A pixel is the smallest unit of measurement on a computer screen. The pixels, which look like tiny blocks, are clearly visible when viewing a screen through a magnifying glass. A favicon is only 16×16 pixels, 32×32 or, in the case of Macintosh computers, sometimes 64×64 or larger.
Designing a logo for such a small canvas isn’t an easy task, so it’s easier to start with a larger canvas and then scale down the image. Since shrinking an image can cause it to lose clarity, it’s best to start with a canvas size of approximately 64×64 pixels.
These icons can be designed in black and white, 16 colors, 256 colors or more, using almost any graphics program. Once the design has been scaled down and saved, it can be converted into an icon file. Not all graphics programs save files as .ico files, but there are many graphics programs available online specifically for creating and converting .ico files. By opening a .bmp, .jpg, .gif or other file in one of these programs and choosing “Save As”, you can convert the image to the correct .ico format and name the file favicon.ico.
The icon can now be uploaded to your website’s root directory. Browsers will search for this file and display it if found. In addition to uploading it to the website, you need to add two lines of simple code in the webpage section as shown below. Change “website.com” to the name of your actual website:
If a website was bookmarked in Internet Explorer before it had a favicon, it might not display a new one. Please delete the bookmark, clear your browser cache and restart your browser. Now browse the website manually and you should see the favicon. Bookmark this site to add it to your favorites.
Although Internet Explorer requires the favicon to be an .ico file, Firefox, Netscape and other popular browsers can also display .gif, .jpg and .png files. If using an image file type other than .ico, the code must be changed to reflect the correct image type. For example, if you use favicon.png the code should read: type=”image/png” /> instead of type=”image/x-icon” />.
Associating a favicon with a website creates a visual brand that can help a surfer remember your website and its content with just a glance at their bookmarks. Whether it’s a mini logo or an original design, your image will ideally reflect something of the site’s content, font or name. There are several companies online that will design a favicon for you if you wish. However, for those with basic computer skills, creating one is a simple and fun activity that can take anywhere from a few minutes to an afternoon or evening.
