Create a Windows Icon

Windows icons are those tiny images on your desktop you click on to launch software on your PC. While you can customize your colors and backgrounds in Windows, the way your icons look is generally dictated by the person who writes the software. That is, unless you make your own icons! Whether you want to create one from scratch or shrink an image down to fit into the shape of an icon, you’re just a few steps away from a truly customized Windows desktop.

Steps

Drawing an Icon From Scratch

1. Choose a drawing program that can make .ico files. An .ico file is a Windows icon file. Your Windows computer comes with Windows Paint, which will do the job. More advanced software like Photoshop and Gimp also allow you to draw icons.
   • If Photoshop is your drawing software of choice, you’ll need a safe, free plugin called ICO (Windows Icon Format) by Telegraphics. The plugin is available directly from the developer at http://www.telegraphics.com.au/sw/. Scroll down to ICO (Windows Icon Format), select your operating system, and choose a location to save the installer. For help installing Photoshop plugins, see Install Plugins in Adobe Photoshop.
   • You may have different drawing software than any of the above. Search the web to see if it can save .ico files. If so, you can still follow the steps, as most drawing applications are somewhat similar when it comes to these basic functions.
   • You can use a Mac to create Windows icons, but you’ll need to use Photoshop, Gimp, or another piece of software that works on MacOS (not Paint).
2. Open your drawing program. To open Paint, open the Start menu and select the search box. Type the word “Paint” and once the program appears in the search results, click the link. This method will work with Gimp and Photoshop as well.
3. Create a new file that’s 256 x 256 pixels large. Your .ico file should be a perfect square, and It’s a good idea to start with at least a 256 x 256 pixel canvas so you can see what you’re doing. You can go larger, as long as both numbers are the same.
   • In Paint, click “Resize,” then select the radio button next to the word “Pixels.” Type 256 into both the Horizontal and Vertical boxes, then select “OK.”
   • In Photoshop, open the File menu and select “New.” Type 256 in both the Width and Height boxes and click “OK.” Select “Pixels” (not inches). You’ll see an option to set a background color—you can choose one if you wish, or select “Transparent” if you don’t want your icon to have a solid color background.
   • In Gimp, open the File menu and select “New.” Type 256 in both the Width and Height boxes (make sure Pixels is selected). Click “Advanced Options” to see options for a background fill. If you want to set a background color, click “Fill With” and either select a color or chose “Transparency” to have no background behind your design. Click OK.
4. Show gridlines. To keep your drawing symmetrical, set your image program to show a grid in the background. This grid will not show up on your icon.
   • Paint: Click the “View” tab and put a check next to “Gridlines.”
   • Photoshop: Open the View menu and select “Show,” then “Grid.”
   • Gimp: Open the View menu and select “Show Grid.”
5. Draw your icon. Choose a tool like the pen, pencil or paintbrush (in any drawing software) to begin. Each software option has a color palette with plenty of colors to choose from. You can even add text to your new icon in any of the software options by selecting the text tool from the toolbar.
   • Design experts recommend making icons simple, vibrant and easy to read. Remember that your icon will be much smaller when it’s on your desktop, so try not to add too many tiny words or details.
   • It’s tough to draw a dynamic image with a mouse. For intensive drawing on a computer, you may want to try using a drawing tablet.
6. Reduce the size of your icon. First, save a copy of your icon at its current size so you can work on it again in the future. Open the file menu, click “Save as,” and choose a location for your file. Make sure you save it as a .bmp file. Now, to reduce the size on each of the three software options:
   • Paint: On the Home tab, click “Resize” and click the radio button next to Pixels. Set the icon size to 32 x 32 by typing 32 into both the Height and Width boxes. Click “OK.”
   • Photoshop and Gimp: Open the Image menu and click “Image Size” (or “Scale Image” in Gimp). Make sure “Pixels”(“px” in The Gimp) is selected in both the Height and Width dropdowns and type 32 into both boxes. Click “OK.”
7. Save your icon as an .ico file. Now that you’ve finished drawing, you’re ready to save. Make sure to save to a location you’ll remember.
   • Paint: Open the File menu and click “Save As.” Before typing a file name, click the dropdown menu next to “Save as Type” and choose “256-color bitmap.” Next, select a folder where you’d like to save your new icon. Now, type in the name of your icon next to “file name,” giving it the file extension .ico. For example, you could call it mozillaalternate.ico.
   • Photoshop: Open the File menu and choose “Save as.” Select “Windows Icon File (.ico)” from the list of save options. If you don’t see it listed, make sure you installed the Telegraphics plugin.
   • Gimp: Open the File menu and select “Save As.” Select the “Microsoft Windows Icon (.ico)” file type. Now navigate to the location where you’d like to save your icon, and then type a name for it in the “file name” box. For example, you could call it mozillaalternate.ico.

Converting an Image to a .ico File with Converticon

1. Open Converticon in a web browser. Converticon is a safe, easy-to-use web application that will convert any image to an .ico file (a Windows icon file). The address is www.converticon.com.
2. Choose an image. You can use any image type (such as .bmp, .jpeg, .png, and .tif) to begin. Choose something that stands out.
3. Upload image. Click “Get Started” to bring up a list of all folders on the computer. Navigate to the folder which contains your image, select it, then hit “Open.” You’ll see a small version of your image in the dialog box. Because your icon needs to be a perfect square, Converticon may adjust your image to make that possible.
4. Export your image. Click “Export” to open a list of size options for your icon. First, click on “Icon” at the top of the screen. Next, choose a size for your icon. All available sizes are perfect squares. It’s a good idea to choose the largest size (such as “original size”) so your icon is of the highest quality. Windows will scale the icon to a smaller size on your desktop so there’s no need to save a tiny version of a .ico file.
5. Save your icon. Click “Save As” to open the list of folders on your computer. Choose a location you’ll remember and click “Save.”

Converting an Image to an .ico File with Image Editing Software

1. Choose image editing software that can save .ico files. An .ico file is a Windows icon file. Your Windows PC comes with Windows Paint, which will do the job. More advanced software like Photoshop and Gimp will also allow you to convert images to icons.
   • If Photoshop is what you use for image editing, you’ll need a safe, free plugin called ICO (Windows Icon Format) by Telegraphics. The plugin is available directly from the developer at http://www.telegraphics.com.au/sw/. Scroll down to ICO (Windows Icon Format), select your operating system, and choose a location to save the installer. For help installing Photoshop plugins, see Install Plugins in Adobe Photoshop.
   • You may have different software than any of the above. Search the web to see if it can save .ico files. If so, you can still follow the steps, as most image editing programs are somewhat similar when it comes to these basic functions.
   • You can use a Mac to create Windows icons, but you’ll need to use Photoshop, Gimp, or another piece of software that works on MacOS (not Paint).
2. Open your image editing software. To open Paint, open the Start menu and select the search box. Type the word “Paint” and once the program appears in the search results, click the link. This method will work with Gimp and Photoshop as well.
3. Choose an image. Decide on an image (any image type, as long as its supported by the program you use) to convert into an icon. Remember, icons are actually small squares, so try to pick something that will look good in a small square box. Click “File” then “Open” in any image editing software and select the image you want to work with.
4. Change the size of the image. In order to display correctly, you’ll want your image to be a perfect square. We’ll also need to shrink it to a size that will work as an icon file (we’ll do 32 x 32).
   • Crop: If you opened a large image that’s rectangular, try using your editing software’s cropping tool to identify a square area for your icon. Crop is on the Home tab of Pant, and in the Image menu on Photoshop and Gimp.
   • Resize the image: In Paint, go to the Home tag and select “Resize,” uncheck “Maintain aspect ratio” and type 32 into both the “Horizontal” and “Vertical” boxes. In Photoshop and Gimp, open the Image menu and select “Image Size” in Photoshop, “Image Scaling” in Gimp. Take the check out of “Constrain proportions” and set both “Width” and “Height” to 32. Note: this may warp the image. If so, try cropping it to a more square shape first. The end result will need to be a 32 x 32 pixel image, so you may need to switch back and forth between cropping and adjusting image size a few different times.
5. Save your icon as an .ico file. Now that you’ve editing, you’re ready to save. Make sure to save to a location you’ll remember.
   • Paint: Open the File menu and click “Save As.” Before typing a file name, click the dropdown menu next to “Save as Type” and choose “256-color bitmap.” Next, select a folder where you’d like to save your new icon. Now, type in the name of your icon next to “file name,” giving it the file extension .ico. For example, mozillaalternate.ico.
   • Photoshop: Open the File menu and choose “Save as.” Select “Windows Icon File (.ico)” from the list of save options. If you don’t see it listed, make sure you installed the Telegraphics plugin.
   • Gimp: Open the File menu and select “Save As.” Select the “Microsoft Windows Icon (.ico)” file type. Now navigate to the location where you’d like to save your icon, and then type a name for it in the “file name” box. For example, you could call it mozillaalternate.ico.

Replacing a Desktop Icon With One You’ve Created

1. Right-click on a desktop icon you want to change and click “Properties.” Some system icons are not changeable, but most will be simple to adjust.
2. Click on the “Customize” tab, and click on the button that says “Change Icon.” If you're changing the icon for a shortcut, instead click on the "Shortcut" tab.
   • If you don’t see “Change Icon” for the icon you want to change, you may be trying to change a system icon. In Windows 7 or Vista, right-click on the desktop and choose “Personalize.” On the left panel, click “Change desktop icons” to see the list of icons to change. In Windows 8.1 and 10, right-click, choose “Personalize,” then “Themes,” and finally “Desktop Icon Settings.”
3. Navigate to the icon you created. Select it and click “OK.”
4. Double-click your new icon. Go ahead, test it out!

Tips

• These steps are just for creating Windows icons. If you’re looking for information on how to change an avatar for a forum, see Use Avatars for Social Media. If you want to create a Favicon (an feature built into your website), see Create Your Own Favicon Icon.
• The main icon resolutions are 16x16, 24x24, 32x32, 48x48, and 64x64. 32x32 is almost always used!
• You can also find icons online to download. Just make sure you only download from sites you trust.
• Download any software or images at your own risk. Always use antivirus and anti-malware software to protect your PC.

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