Terns favicon — options review

Comparing directions for the browser-tab icon. Tab strips show the icon at true 16px size; the swatches are enlarged for detail.

Context: the source tern is fine origami line-art that turns to mush at 16px, so the favicon needs to be either a solid silhouette or a filled box (like TikTok) to stay legible in a tab. Everything below explores those.

Recommended — inverting scheme (box always contrasts)

lead option

The SVG favicon can swap its whole treatment by browser theme, so the box always contrasts with the tab bar: dark box + white bird on light, paper box + ink bird on dark.

Light browser → dark box + white bird

Dark browser → paper box + ink bird

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Contender A — dark box + white bird @ 86

One consistent mark everywhere (TikTok-style). Reads on any tab; on a dark bar the box blends slightly but the white bird carries it.

Light

Dark

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Contender B — paper box + ink bird @ 86

Boxed on dark, effectively boxless (just the ink bird) on light since the near-white box disappears against a light tab bar.

Light

Dark

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Contender C — boxless silhouette @ 100

No box; the bird fills the frame edge-to-edge — the biggest read at 16px. Ink on light tabs, white on dark (the SVG auto-flips).

Light

Dark

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Reference — box color options (enlarged)

Reference — bird-size dial (enlarged over 16px)