Making windows xp icons

A built-in Axialis file explorer window opens. Browse your disks, see the thumbnail preview and double-click the image file you wish to open. In the Recently Used zone in the main toolbar , type the full pathname of the image file you wish to open then hit Enter. The image file opens in a document window. If the image contains layers, you see them on the left side of the document window. You can select one layer by clicking on it.

Its contents appears automatically in the main area. Toggle navigation. Introduction Microsoft Windows XP introduces a new style in icon design see image below. The following illustration shows the difference between a standard image format transparency in color formats for example and the new Windows XP smooth transparency: Top of Page Windows XP Icon Style Characteristics To create a Windows XP compliant icon, try to respect the following characteristics: 1.

A drop shadow provides contrast and dimension. Outlines provide definition. Top of Page Outlines When illustrating XP-style icons, add an outline to the image to provide definition and ensure that the image works well on different background colors. Now, to create and make up your own Windows XP-style graphics will take a bit more artistic skill. In particular, you have to be comfortable with drawing in perspective, and you must be able to take the object you want to draw and "simplify" it so that the icon or graphic will work at small or large sizes.

This gives you some guidelines on what the "look" is all about "fun, color, and energy" , provides a general color palette duplicated below , and gives examples of how objects should be angled and grouped. Did you enjoy reading through the style guide? First, I make a rough sketch of what I want the icon to look like, keeping in mind the angle guidelines provided by Microsoft. Then, I create a grid of lines that match the perspective grid from the Microsoft style guide, and use the pen tool to create the front of the doghouse.

You may download an Illustrator file with the same grid. Then I draw two more shapes for the roof and fill them with a darker red-brown gradient. Then, I use the pen tool — set to "no fill" — to draw an outline around the entire shape.

I fill it with an even darker red-brown gradient to get a "border" for the shape. How are icons distributed. What's the difference between Windows XP icons and older icons. What are the differences between an image and an icon? What is the structure of an icon? How does Windows use the various sizes and color depths? Image sizes: 16x16 : Displayed in taskbar, windows upper-left corner, detailed lists.

Color depths: Monochrome : Not used anymore. What about the new Windows XP icon format? Icon with standard transparency. You can easily recognize icon from background. Icon with full levels of alpha channel in Win XP. Edges are smoothly blended with background. Shadow effect is created by blending background with black color. Conclusion This article explained: How are icons used by Windows. Why there are multiple images inside an icon and when is an image used.

Why do icons in Windows XP look better than in previous systems. Recent comments - show all comments. Anonymous on September 25th Anonymous on February 10th Anonymous on February 20th Anonymous on April 6th Anonymous on May 15th Anonymous on May 26th Anonymous on July 28th Anonymous on August 31st Anonymous on October 27th But you can use any image that is more or less square.

You can make your own picture an icon. Haven't you always wanted to be an icon like Tom Cruise? Sure you do! Select a picture to use. Pictures that are more or less square work best. For this tutorial we choose our favorite dragon "Cloudie". Then we have to select a more or less square area of this picture the part we want to use as an icon.