Process for creating icons

October 30, 2003 3:52 AM from

I've always had the idea of creating a skin knocking around in my head, but sadly time is always a limiting factor.

However, I was thinking today about the process of creating an icon package to go with a skin. With the miriad of Windows version available, any decent icon package has to consist of something like 3 differently sized icons, all with 3 colour depths, together with another 4 or so for XP. I wondering what method the 'professionals' out there use to create all these icons. Do you start with the largest, highest quality icon and scale it down to suit the other sizes - touching up the new icons where necessary? Or do you start with the smallest, lowest quality one and scale up - adding more detail as you go along. Or do you treat every icon as a completely new piece of work.

Just curious to learn the techniques.

Thanks
Jay

skinning

1,714 views 4 replies

Reply #1 October 30, 2003 4:40 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Hello, Jay.
Personally I think that first You create the biggest icon, then automatically scale them down. Many icon creating programs, as Axialis IconWorkshop or Microangelo will do the trick. Just save them as .png (.psd, .psp whatever) and import them into that program, save them as icons and - voila - Your own icons are ready.

In my opinion the best choice is to get Skinstudio 4 (latest beta) and make icons with that. Thats just made too easy. I haven't tried that yet, must try. And also I haven't made any icon in my life.

Reply #2 October 30, 2003 8:07 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

I've always had the idea of creating a skin knocking around in my head, but sadly time is always a limiting factor.

If you don't have time for a WIndowBlinds (assuming that is the skin you're referring to) you probably don't have time for an IconPack.

But Morphium is correct,.... start by making the larger size in PSP, PS, Corel, or what ever, save as png, and import to IconWorkshop (my choice) or MicroAngelo, or maybe one of the free icon editors. I'm not sure how good the free ones are at this (never tried any of them).
I'm not sure the latest SkinStudio makes the process any easier, and I have to wonder why Morphium would say that, and then admit he's never made any icons.

As a general rule, images will downsize much better than upsize. But also keep in mind that png with alpha transparency, usually don't look so good when converted to icons for any OS other than XP. So you may have to make 2 versions of the png if you want to create icons for all the OS's. One with alpha, and one without.

Reply #3 October 30, 2003 8:39 AM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Just for the record, the icon creating/editing features are moving out of SkinStudio and into a new Stardock program called IconDeveloper, which is also available in beta on ObjectDesktop. I've used it, I like it alot, and aside from Photoshop, it was the only tool I needed to make icons. It works just as the others were described above. You import a big PNG file (or an entire directory of them) and it makes all the sizes for you. You can tweak a few things while looking at previews until you find the best quality. Also, as everyone else said, always start with the largest size and resize them down, never the other way around.

As for my own process, I create my icons in Photoshop, save them as PNG, and let another app (like IconDeveloper) do the resizing for me. I don't consider my icons professional quality, however, and I only make them for XP. I think many of the real pro's use vector graphics or 3D programs to create each size from one large original, then compile each of those PNGs into an icon. By their nature, vectors and 3D models don't lose any quality when they are resized.

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Reply #4 October 30, 2003 2:18 PM from

WinCustomize Forums Top

Thanks for the insight.

I know what you mean Koasati, I think I'll ever get round to making an icon pack, but I always like to know how things work. It's good to learn

The tip about producing a non-alpha blended version for non-XP machines is a good one. I've had a quick play with IconDeveloper, and it does look like a really good way of creating a whole loads of icons.

Oh well, I'm just glad there are so many of you out there that do produce good icon sets.

Thanks
Jay

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