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The most typical mistakes in icon creation?
#1 Too little differentiation between images Sometimes within one pack of icons, we have icons that look similar and it is really hard to tell which one is which. If you miss the signatures, you can very easily be confused by those icons. #2 Unnecessary elements in the icon The simpler and more laconic the image is, the better. It is advisable to keep the number of objects in a single icon to a minimum. But still, MicrosoftÒs designers, excited by the new format of icons introduced in Windows Vista, decided to go big and drew over packed icons to proof worthy their over packed budget. #3 Unnecessary objects An icon should be easy to read. The fewer objects it has, the better. It is great if the complete picture makes sense and not only part of it. That means, you have to think about the context your icons will be used at. Look at the database icons, for example. The pack may appear fine for a novice, but if this application (or a specific toolbar) deals only with databases, we can (and should) remove the irrelevant part. #4 Lack of unity of style within a pack of icons It is a similar style that turns several icons into a pack. The unifying property can be any of the these: color scheme, layout, size, artistic technique or a combination of several such properties. If the icon set is rather small, the designer can remember the rules easily. However, if the icon set is large and there is more the one designer working on them (for instance, icons for a new OS), then special guidelines are created. Such guidelines describe in detail how to design an icon so that it perfectly fits into the set. #5 Unnecessary details in small icons Progress does not stand still: GUIs have gotten the potential to use semi-transparent objects, the number of possible colors to use became unlimited and there is now a trend towards 3D icons. But is it really all that helpful? Not always! Especially if we are looking at icons in size 16?16 or smaller. #6 Overly original metaphors Selecting what is to be displayed in an icon is constantly a compromise between readability and originality. Prior to a metaphor (image) is created for an icon it is wise to consider how it is designed in other projects. Maybe the most suitable solution is not in inventing something unique but rather in adopting the existing solution. #7 Ethnical or cultural characteristics not being taken into account It is always necessary to take into account the background in which your icon will be used. A key aspect here is national differences. Social customs, surroundings and gestures can differ dramatically from nation to nation. For instance, a mail box appears to be a perfect image for a ÓMailÔ icon. But you will see all the different types of mailboxes in different countries. In that case, you should either make your icon represent the mailbox that is typical for the userÒs country or area, or pick a more universal symbol like a post stamp. #8 Images of real GUI parts in icons The manual on creating icons for Mac OS X warns us: ÓAvoid using Aqua interface elements in your icons; they could be confused with the actual interface.Ô But no use! We still have lost of icons that can be read as two or even three separate ones. #9 Text inside icons This mistake is usually seen in software icons. Clearly the first thing that comes to mind when working on an application icon is to adapt the applicationÒs logo. What is so bad with the text embedded into the icon? Firstly, it is directly language-related and so impedes localization. Second, if the icon is small, The text is not readable. Third, in the case of software icons, this text is duplicated in the caption of the application. #10 Outside the pixel framework As a rule, this problem occurs if you use a vector editor for drawing icons. In large size the images looks stylish and crisp; but in reality the icons are small, and under rasterization anti-aliasing blurs the objectsÒ edges.
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Standard Toolbar Icons
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ArtIcons Pro can find, extract, edit and create Windows icons in color depths up to 16 million colors. Import and export icon images, create and handle icon libraries. It supports the new icon format introduced in Windows XP (8-bit transparency). Download it |
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IconXP can edit and create Windows icons in color depths up to 32-bit True Color. It supports the new icon format introduced in Windows XP (8-bit transparency). You can customize desktop and folder icons. Download it |
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Any to Icon allows you to convert multiple BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, WBMP and WMF images to Windows icons in one action. It also breaks down entire icon libraries into individual icons. You can change color resolution and size to create customized icons. Download it |
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IconUtils is a complete icon and cursor solution. IconUtils package can edit icons and cursors, manage icon and cursor libraries, convert icons into images (in various graphic formats) and vice versa, customize Windows desktop and folder icons. Download it |
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Icon to Any allows you to convert Windows icons and cursors into BMP, JPG, PNG, GIF, ICO, CUR, WBMP and RC formats. It has a wizard interface. It's simple to process multiple files at once. You can find icons and make images for use on Web pages. Download it |
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ArtCursors allows you to edit Windows cursors in color depths up to 16 million colors. You also can search files and folders for cursors, import and export cursor images and create cursor libraries for better and more efficient storage. Download it |
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AhaView supports all popular graphic formats, including JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, ICO, CUR, ANI, WBMP. You can browse images in thumbnail mode, view pictures full screen with zooming features, convert images to JPEG, PNG, BMP formats and manage files. Download it |
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CustomIcons is an ultimate tool for customizing the icons on you desktop, in Windows Start menu and many other locations. Using CustomIcons you can easily replace default Windows icons with the ones to your choice. Download it |
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