Creating your own icons is fun and can personalize your desktop and files. If you use photos of your family or pets it can be a mini photo album! Or you might want to use photos from a vacation or some graphics you have created. Whatever you choose it will be unique! This tutorial was created in PSP 8.01, but can be done in PSP 7 as well. If you have Windows XP you can use the icons to replace your folder icons on the desktop as well as file icons within the folders. Enjoy!
1. Open a photo or graphic image you would like to use.
2. Click on the selection tool and set it to square, mode replace, 0 feather, antialias off.
3. Create your selection on the part of the photo/graphic that you would like to use for the icon.
NOTE: Don't forget that it will have to be resized for an icon. The larger the area you select the smaller it will be and there will be some loss of detail. You can experiment though to see if it works for you.
4. Once you have the selected area click on IMAGE and CROP TO SELECTION.
5. Resize your image by clicking on IMAGE and RESIZE. Make it 50x50 pixels.
6. To add a border click SELECTIONS and SELECT ALL. Then click on SELECTIONS again and MODIFY / CONTRACT. I use 2 pixels.
7. Color the border by clicking on the paintbrush. Any size over 2 will do and then "paint" the border your chosen color.
8. Save your new icon by clicking FILE / SAVE AS. The select WINDOWS BMP as file type. Type in the name of your icon plus a dot (period) and the letters ico.
To change icons right click on the folder or icon and click properties. Then click customize / change icon. Find the folder where you put the icons and choose the one you want and click open or okay and then click apply. That's it! Now wasn't that fun?!:)
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problems.
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Tutorial, graphics and screenshots © by Jan Lewis
Purrcat Designs 2003