Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

vdrummer · Mar 18, 2003, 12:25 AM

I'm creating personal icons for many of my folders, but, for instance, my round icons appear on the desktop in a square shape with white backgrounds surrounding my round image. Is there a certain image format that needs to be used - I've tried jpg and gif with transparency, but OS X seems to create only square shapes. I'd prefer to accomplish this within the OS and not get an icon-specific program, as I already have Photoshop Elements 2.

My method has been: make round selection with Pshop, cmd-C to copy, cmd-I on folder of choice, click folder image, cmd-V to paste.

Thanks!

jessejlt · Mar 18, 2003, 12:55 AM

Whenever I create an icon for one of my apps, I just open up PS7, and create a new 128 x 128 image with a transparent background. I then save the image as a TIFF and close down PS7. Then I open IconComposer which is a free program from Apple that comes bundled in Developer Tools. Then I drag and drop the TIFF image onto each of the image slots, and click through the "yes" dialogs to save the alpha mask. Then I save the new icon. Viola! Happy icons with full transparency.
jesse ;-)

JB72 · Mar 18, 2003, 02:58 AM

You might also find iconCompo handy. I'm an icon retard and it still allows me to make all kinds of nifty custom icons.

-Q- · Mar 18, 2003, 07:05 AM

Originally posted by jessejlt:
...Then I open IconComposer which is a free program from Apple that comes bundled in Developer Tools. ...

I never knew that was there! Hadn't looked closely enough. Thanks for the tip!

vdrummer · Mar 18, 2003, 11:31 AM

will try some Composing; thanks!

WJMoore · 09:19 PM

I'm trying to work this out too. I have a transparent TIFF and have created an icon file (.icns) with IconComposer from it. Now how do I get that icon to replace the icon of one of my folders... I feel like I'm missing some thing really obvious but can't work it out.

Followup: My research found that you typically have to use some (non-free) third party software to "compile" the icon for you so that it will show up in the Finder in order to allow copying and pasting between Get Info windows. I did find a somewhat inefficient way around it though: Create a new program in ProjectBuilder and assign the icon to that program, compile and the app has the icon. Then get info as appropriate copy & paste and then delete the PB project folder. Done and free!

Wesley

Deal · Apr 21, 2003, 10:25 AM

Although Iconcomposer is free (or at the cost of installing all of the developer tools on your boot partition), if you use photoshop to create your icons, this tool is great:

Export Icon Plug-in

Drop the plug in into photo shop and export your creations. I will buy this software (just under $15).

Nice.

Adam Betts · Apr 21, 2003, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by Deal:
Although Iconcomposer is free (or at the cost of installing all of the developer tools on your boot partition), if you use photoshop to create your icons, this tool is great:

Export Icon Plug-in

Drop the plug in into photo shop and export your creations. I will buy this software (just under $15).

Cool! I never heard about this software before.. It'll save some time of icon exporting progress for me for sure.

I usually use Mscape's Iconographer to export out an icon.