Electron/Desktop App Icons from One SVG (ICO + ICNS + PNG set)

From one SVG master you can generate the full icon pack for Windows (ICO), macOS (ICNS), and Linux (PNG set) in a single export with Axialis IconVectors. Then wire the files into your electron‑builder config and ship crisp icons across platforms.

Recommended sizes for desktop app icons

• Windows (ICO) — include 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, 256 px inside one .ico.
• macOS (ICNS) — include the iconset that covers 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024 px (retina pairs are handled in the .icns).
• Linux (PNG) — provide a small set such as 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, 256, 512 px. Many packagers pick up the best match automatically.

Export everything in one pass with IconVectors

1. Open, draw, or import your SVG
   • File → Open… (Ctrl+O) or New Icon (Ctrl+N).
   • Keep the design centered with enough padding; prefer a simple silhouette that reads at 16×16.

   

2. Export to Multiple Bitmaps

   Open File → Export → Export to Multiple Bitmaps (Shift+F3). Choose the destination folder and a base filename (e.g., app-icon).

   

   • File Formats — check Windows Icons (*.ICO), Apple macOS Icons (*.ICNS), and PNG Icons (*.PNG) – 32BPP Alpha.
   • Sizes in Pixels — tick the sets listed above (Windows, macOS, Linux).
   • Output — IconVectors generates app-icon.ico, app-icon.icns, and a PNG set (e.g., app-icon-16.png, app-icon-32.png, …).

Wire the icons into electron‑builder

Place your exported files under a build folder (for example, build/icons/) and reference them in your package.json build section.

{
  "name": "my-electron-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "main": "dist/main.js",
  "build": {
    "appId": "com.example.myapp",
    "directories": { "buildResources": "build" },
    "mac":   { "icon": "build/icons/app-icon.icns" },
    "win":   { "icon": "build/icons/app-icon.ico" },
    "linux": { "icon": "build/icons/png" }   // folder of PNGs (16..512)
  }
}

Notes: On Linux you can also point to a single high‑res PNG (e.g., 512 px) and let packagers resize. Keeping a small set improves integration with various desktop environments.

Verify on each platform

• Windows — check taskbar, Start menu tile, and file properties show the correct .ico.
• macOS — verify the app bundle icon in Finder and the Dock; Spotlight should display a sharp icon.
• Linux — inspect the launcher/menu entries; ensure the PNG path is copied into your build output.

Troubleshooting

• Blurry small sizes — ensure shapes align to pixels; consider a 16 px preview PNG to tweak strokes/corners.
• Wrong icon after rebuild — clean the dist/output folder; some packagers cache icons between builds.
• Color fringes — export with transparent background (32‑bpp PNG) and avoid unintended mattes.