How to Make Icons for Mac
In addition to its user-friendly nature, the Macintosh operating system is known for having clean and stylish design elements. If you are a programmer designing applications for the Mac, you will want to ensure that your finished product has a professional look by giving it an attractive icon. OS X uses a special file type for its icons known as "Icns"; with the help of a freeware application, you can convert a saved image file to this special format.
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Instructions
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1
Sketch a design for your icon on a pad of paper. For best results, use a design that relates to the program's name or functionality.
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2
Open your image-editing program. Create a new document with an image size of 128 by 128 pixels, at a resolution of 72 dpi.
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Use the program's drawing tools to create a digital version of your sketched design within the space provided. Turn off the background layer and save a copy of the finished design as a TIFF file with the "Save Transparency" option selected; note the location of the saved file.
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Open your web browser and download a copy of "FastIcns" (see "Resources" below for a link). Once your download is complete, extract the application from its archive and copy it to your "Applications" folder.
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Open the "FastIcns" application; a rotating cube will appear on your screen. Drag your saved image file from the desktop onto the cube; the cube will now display your icon.
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Select "Save As" from the "File" menu and choose the option labeled "Icns" to save a copy of your design as a Mac Icns file.
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Tips & Warnings
You can disable the rotating cube display in "FastIcns" from within the "Edit" menu. If you are uncomfortable with using the drawing tools in your image-editing program, consider importing a photograph for use as your icon. If you do not have an image-editing program installed on your computer, there are freeware solutions available online. One popular application is "GIMP," available for download at the link below. If you have access to a scanner, you can import your sketches directly into your image-editing program for use as a template. You can use "FastIcns" to convert several image files at once. Select "Batch Folder and Options" from the "File" menu and set the format to "Icns." Then, select "Batch Conversion Mode" from the "File" menu and drag all your image files on to the application window at the same time.
