Icon - Make from Image

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    Icon - Make from Image

    Icon - Make from Image

    How to Make a Icon with a Image
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Make a Icon with a Image

       Note
    IconViewer Download IconViewer Is very handy for looking at icons in .dll, .exe, etc.


    You will need to download
    IcoX portable it is portable no need for installation
    IcoFX Portable | PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable and cloud drives
    Gimp needs installed
    GIMP - Windows installers

    The icon I am going to make has 13 layers those layers are 48 x 48, 32 x 32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16, 48 x 48, 32 x 32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16, 256 x 256, 48 x 48, 32 x 32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16,
    The biggest image is 256 x 256 so that will be the size of the starting image.
    I am working with a 256x256 pixel image in .png format.
    OK lets make a eye.icon
    Icon - Make from Image-eye.png

    #1
    Open IcoFX
    Either drag your image to the workspace or click Open and navigate to your image.
    Icon - Make from Image-1.png

    #2
    The New Image box will open make sure True Color + Alpha Channel is checked then check 256x256 and then Click OK.
    Icon - Make from Image-2.png

    #3
    Your first image should be loaded Right Click on the 256x256 at the top and then Click on New Image.
    Icon - Make from Image-3.png

    #4
    Repeat step #3 above for each of the different sizes in this case I am doing 48 x 48, 32 x 32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16.
    Icon - Make from Image-4.png

    Icon - Make from Image-6.png

    Icon - Make from Image-7.png

    Icon - Make from Image-8.png

    #5
    You should have five images ranging from 256 x 256 down to 16 x 16 now Click on File. Click on Save As. Give it a name and Click on Save.
    Icon - Make from Image-9.png

    Icon - Make from Image-10.png

    Icon - Make from Image-11.png

    #6
    Now we to make a four image ranging from 48 x 48 to 16 x 16 Right click on the top 256 x 256 image and Click on Delete Image. The Confirm box will open Click on Yes.
    Icon - Make from Image-12.png

    Icon - Make from Image-13.png

    #7
    Now we want to save the four images Click on File then
    Click on Save As. Give it a name different than the first one then Click on Save.
    Icon - Make from Image-14.png

    Icon - Make from Image-15.png

    #8
    Open up Gimp either drag the first set of five images that you saved into the workspace or Click on File and click on open and navigate to your image.
    Icon - Make from Image-16.png

    #9
    You will see the five images in the layers box Click on the top layer and then dragged the second image with four layers onto the workspace it should be on top of the five images Click on the top layer again and drag that second in the with four layers into the workspace again you should have 13 layers.
    Icon - Make from Image-17.png

    Icon - Make from Image-18.png

    Icon - Make from Image-19.2.png

    #10
    Now we are going to save the icon Click on File then Click on Save As. Give it a name with the .ico then Click on Save. The Save as Windows Icon box will open

    you should see 13 different layers when Click on Save.
    Icon - Make from Image-19.png

    Icon - Make from Image-20.png

    Icon - Make from Image-21.png


    You should have a 13 layer icon, not all icons are built the same I have seen icons with as little as one layer and as many as 24 layers so you will have to study how the icon was built.

    Jerry




  1. Posts : 960
    Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 - 64 Bit
       #1

    Doesn't a png to icon converter do the same thing, but this is manual?
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #2

    I just tried a online converter in only made a 6 layers 1 this give you more control.
    Jerry
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 14,606
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7600
       #3

    very good tutorial jerry, i have used icofx in the past but didnt really know how to use it correctly.
    i too use an online converter but as you say it gives you more control
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Thank you Julian
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 10,455
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
       #5

    A question. Why don't you just save the file as an ICO in IcoFx?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #6

    kado897 said:
    A question. Why don't you just save the file as an ICO in IcoFx?
    In step #5 and 7 they are being saved as .ico the only reason I'm using gimp is to put them together I could not find a way to do it with IcoFx. The way icons are built as an example from the above tutorial starts out with a 48 x 48, 32x32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16, 48 x 48, 32x32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16, 256 x 256, 48 x 48, 32x32, 24 x 24, 16 x 16,
    Once I had the first five images in IcoFx I could not repeat that. So I made one set of five images in one set of four images IcoFx can't put it together as you can see from above there is a repeat in the image sizes and the 256 x 256 is at the top of the third repeated images IcoFx would not let me build it that way.
    Jerry
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 10,455
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
       #7

    I see. The question then is why you would put more than one image of the same size and color depth in the same icon?
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 12,120
    Win 7 Pro x64 / Win 10 Pro
    Thread Starter
       #8

    kado897 said:
    I see. The question then is why you would put more than one image of the same size and color depth in the same icon?
    I guess because that's the way Microsoft built them when I replaced an icon I built them the same way that Microsoft did so it will display correctly.
    Jerry
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 10,455
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Service Pack 1
       #9

    A 13 layer icon from imageres displayed in IcoFx. You will notice the first 5 are 32bit, the next 4 8bit and the last 4 are 4bit.

    Icon - Make from Image-screenshot95_2012-01-06.png

    Icon - Make from Image-screenshot96_2012-01-06.png

    Icon - Make from Image-screenshot97_2012-01-06.png
      My Computer


 
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