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pdfconversionapi

ORA to ICO API

/v2/convert/ora/to/ico composites the .ora layer stack and stores the result as a single 32-bit, PNG-compressed image inside an ICO file. Larger canvases are fitted into 256 × 256 with their shape kept, so the 400 × 300 sample becomes 256 × 192.

Endpoint
POST /v2/convert/ora/to/ico
Accepts
ora
Sample timing
47 ms median of 5 runsHow we measure
Request size
Up to 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans, all files together

Request and response

Every sample below ran against the API before this page was published. Set PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY to your key and run it as is.

curl -sS -X POST \
  https://api.pdfconversionapi.com/v2/convert/ora/to/ico \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $PDFCONVERSIONAPI_KEY" \
  -F File=@garden-plan.ora \
  -o response.json

# FileData is base64. Save the first file in converted/,
# or print the JSON error.
if jq -e '.Files' response.json > /dev/null; then
  mkdir -p converted
  name=$(jq -r '.Files[0].FileName' response.json)
  jq -r '.Files[0].FileData' response.json \
    | base64 --decode > "converted/$name"
else
  cat response.json
fi
200 OK47 ms median1 file, 51 KB
{
  "ConversionCost": 1,
  "ConversionTime": 0.047,
  "Files": [
    {
      "FileName": "garden-plan.ico",
      "FileExt": "ico",
      "FileSize": 51941,
      "FileData": "AAABAAEAAMAAAAAAIADPygAA…"
    }
  ]
}

Response from our test run on 2026-11-03. ConversionTime shows the median of 5 runs. FileData is shortened here; the real response carries the whole file as base64.

The sample, converted

The same file the code sends. Download the input and the output and compare them yourself.

First page of garden-plan.ico, rendered by the API
Input
garden-plan.ora (123 KB)
Output
garden-plan.ico (51 KB)
Source
A backyard vegetable garden plan that we drew and saved as an OpenRaster file with seven layers and a layer group, including a hidden layer and a multiply layer. (CC0-1.0). How it was made
Made by
2026-11-04, API build 9eeeb0640aba

Parameters

Send these as form fields next to the file. Names are case-insensitive. If you set one of the documented options below that we don't support yet, the request fails with a 400 that names it instead of returning a file made without it.

ParameterWhat it does
ImageWidthintegerIcon width; the height follows the canvas. On the 4:3 plan, 64 gives a 64 × 48 icon of 6,839 bytes.Values: 1–20000 (the icon stays within 256)
ImageHeightintegerIcon height, or the second side of a box.Values: 1–20000
ScaleProportionsboolean, default trueSet false together with ImageWidth=256 and ImageHeight=256 for a square icon from non-square art; the plan is then stretched (62,570 bytes).
ScaleIfLargerboolean, default falsetrue avoids enlarging small canvases.
ScaleImageboolean, default truefalse crops the top-left area instead (7,444 bytes for 120 × 90).
ColorSpaceenum, default defaultgray gave 44,118 bytes and monochrome 3,312 for the 256 × 192 icon; the monochrome icon holds only pure black and pure white.Values: default, rgb, gray, monochrome (also srgb, truecolors, grayscale); cmyk returns 400
FileNamestringName of the icon file, garden-plan.ico by default.
StoreFileboolean, default falseStore the icon for 3 hours and return its URL.

What carries over, and what doesn't

Kept

  • The composited stack, scaled with a Lanczos3 filter
  • The aspect ratio: a 4:3 canvas gives a 4:3 icon unless you turn ScaleProportions off
  • Alpha, when the canvas has transparent areas

Lost or not yet supported

  • Square shape for non-square art: the plan becomes 256 × 192 unless you stretch it.
  • Detail above 256 px per side.
  • Extra sizes: one image per icon file.
  • Layers and the 150 ppi from stack.xml.

Limits

  • One .ora per request, canvas up to 100,000,000 pixels (300,000 px a side) before scaling.
  • Requests up to 10 MB on the Free plan or 100 MB on paid plans, all files and fields together.
  • 120 seconds per conversion, then 504.
  • One image per ICO, at most 256 × 256.

Where teams use it

Icons drawn in an OpenRaster app

Draw an app or folder icon on a transparent canvas in a painting app that saves .ora, then request the sizes you need, one call per size.

Favicons from a layered source

Keep the icon's layers editable in the .ora and regenerate a 32 or 48 px favicon in a build step.

Questions

How do I get a square icon from a rectangular drawing?

Draw on a square canvas, or send ImageWidth=256, ImageHeight=256 and ScaleProportions=false, which stretches the art to fill the square. Cropping with ScaleImage=false takes the top-left corner, not the center.

Why is my icon 256 × 192?

Icons are limited to 256 px per side, and the 400 × 300 canvas is scaled down to fit while keeping its 4:3 shape. Smaller canvases keep their size unless you set ImageWidth or ImageHeight.

Can I put several sizes into one .ico?

Not yet; each request returns an icon with one image. Request each size separately and combine them with an icon tool if you need a multi-size file.

Convert your first ORA file in a minute.