Camera RAW conversion
Convert CR3 to ICO
Updated Jul 2026
CR3 is the RAW format Canon's newer cameras save, and ICO is the small icon format used for favicons and app icons. To convert CR3 to ICO, open the photo in a converter, crop it to a square, and export as ICO. Doing this on your own computer means the original photo, and everything recorded inside it, never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .cr3
- Type
- Camera RAW
- Typically
- Newer Canon cameras
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert CR3 to ICO on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert CR3 to ICO
- Open Morphjet and drag in the CR3 file, or a whole folder of them, that you want to turn into an icon.
- Choose ICO as the output format. Morphjet crops and resizes the photo to the square sizes an icon needs.
- Convert. The ICO file is written next to your original, and nothing is uploaded anywhere.
CR3 vs ICO: what actually changes
| CR3 | ICO | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Large, often 25 to 45 MB per photo | Tiny, usually a few KB |
| Quality | Full RAW sensor data, uncompressed | Small fixed-size image, cropped and downscaled |
| Compatibility | Needs RAW-aware photo software to open | Universal, used for favicons and app icons everywhere |
| Transparency | No | Yes, supports transparent backgrounds |
| Keeps camera metadata (EXIF) | Yes, full detail | No, icons don't carry photo metadata |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert CR3 to ICO when you want to turn a photo, like a logo shot or a portrait, into a favicon or a custom app or folder icon.
Keep the CR3 original if you still might edit the photo's exposure, white balance, or crop, since an ICO is a tiny fixed-size image and none of that RAW editing room comes back once it's made.
Why not just use an online converter?
A CR3 straight off a Canon camera carries full EXIF data, including camera settings and sometimes the GPS location where it was shot. An online converter would receive all of that along with the photo just to spit out a small icon. Converting on your own computer means the original photo and its metadata stay on your machine the whole time.
Questions
Does converting CR3 to ICO lose quality?
Yes, by design. An ICO is a small, fixed-size square image, so the RAW photo gets cropped and downscaled a lot. That's fine for an icon, but you should keep the CR3 if you want the full photo later.
Do I need to crop the photo to a square first?
No. Morphjet crops and resizes the photo to the square sizes an icon file needs as part of the conversion, so you can start from the original CR3 as shot.
Will the ICO keep my camera's metadata?
No. Icon files aren't built to store EXIF data, so the camera model, settings, and any location data in the CR3 don't carry over to the ICO.
Can I make a favicon or app icon from a RAW photo without uploading it?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet does the crop, resize, and conversion on your own computer, so the photo never has to leave your machine to become an icon.
Why would I turn a Canon RAW photo into an ICO instead of a JPG or PNG?
ICO is the specific format browsers and operating systems expect for favicons and some app or folder icons, so it's worth making one directly if that's what you're building.
Morphjet converts CR3, ICO, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.