FB2 to PICON Converter

Turn FictionBook into personal icon — free online

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Cover to Icon

Extract the cover art from your FB2 ebook and convert it into a PICON personal icon — perfect for visual cataloging.

Secure Processing

Uploaded FB2 files are removed immediately after conversion. Generated PICON files are deleted from servers within 24 hours.

Browser-Based Tool

No software downloads needed. Open the converter in any browser, upload your file, and get your PICON in seconds.

How to convert FB2 to PICON

1

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

2

Choose picon or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

3

Let the file convert and you can download your picon file right afterwards

About formats

FB2 (FictionBook) is an XML-based ebook format created by Dmitry Gribov in 2004, designed to provide a clean semantic description of a book's content independent of its visual presentation. Unlike page-layout formats, FB2 encodes structure — title, authors, chapters, annotations, genres, epigraphs, poems, footnotes, and binary attachments (typically cover images) — within a single well-formed XML document. This structural approach means reading applications have full control over rendering, allowing the same file to adapt perfectly to a small phone screen or a large e-ink reader. FB2 became enormously popular in Russia and Eastern Europe, serving as the dominant format on major Russian digital libraries and ebook distribution platforms. One significant advantage is metadata richness: the format's schema mandates detailed bibliographic information including author, translator, series position, publication date, and genre classification, making library management and discovery straightforward. The plain-text XML foundation is another strength — FB2 files are human-readable, easy to validate, and simple to transform using standard XML tools like XSLT. The format specification is freely available on GitHub, and a wide ecosystem of readers, editors, and converters supports it across all major platforms, from desktop applications like Calibre to dedicated e-readers with native FB2 rendering.
Developer: Dmitry Gribov
Initial release: 2004
PICON (Personal Icon) is a small-format image type used in the X Window System ecosystem, developed by Steve Kinzler at Indiana University around 1990 as part of the picons (personal icons) database project. Picons are small, typically 48x48 pixel, color images used as visual identifiers for people, organizations, domains, and Usenet newsgroups in Unix mail readers, news readers, and other communication tools. The picon format is essentially an XPM (X PixMap) image stored with specific naming conventions and directory structures that allow software to look up the appropriate icon based on email address, domain name, or newsgroup name. The picons database organized thousands of these small images in a hierarchical directory structure keyed by domain name components (e.g., faces/com/example/user.xpm), enabling mail clients like exmstrstrstr and faces to automatically display a sender's photo or organizational logo alongside their messages. The system predated the modern concept of contact photos and avatars by more than a decade. One advantage is the system's pioneering role in visual identity for electronic communication: picons introduced the idea that email and Usenet messages should display a visual representation of the sender — a concept that eventually became standard in every modern email client, messaging app, and social media platform. The XPM-based format ensures that picons are displayable on any system with X Window libraries. Picon images are supported by ImageMagick, GIMP, and X Window display utilities, and the historical picons database remains archived online at Indiana University.
Developer: Steve Kinzler
Initial release: 1990

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert FB2 to PICON?

PICON is a compact icon format. Converting FB2 cover art to PICON lets you create small thumbnails for desktop shortcuts or icon sets.

What programs open PICON files?

GIMP, ImageMagick, XnView, and most Unix-based image viewers can display and edit PICON personal icon files natively.

Does the conversion extract the cover image?

Yes, the converter pulls the embedded cover graphic from your FB2 ebook and renders it as a PICON icon at the appropriate size.

Is there a cost for this conversion?

FB2 to PICON conversion is free on Convertio. Premium plans unlock batch processing and higher file size allowances.

Can I use this on a phone or tablet?

Absolutely. The converter runs in any modern browser — iOS, Android, or desktop — with no app installation required.