[zerografix]

Can anyone help me out with a icon I am making?

This is my first attempt in making an icon, and I made it too small - does anyone have a way to enlarge the icon in PS without it losing detail?

Any tips or help would be appreciated

psd here

[cube3]

I am sure there are many easier ways to do it, but it's about finding a method you're most comfortable with.

I make all my base elements in Illustrator, that way they can be scaled/manipulated easily, cut from illustrator, paste into PS. Then I have 4 templates for the 4 major sizes. 128, 48, 32, 16. I build my original icon at 128, adding all extra effects and lighting changes in PS. Use Iconfactory to save the icon at 128, use Pixadex to copy icon and mask, and paste into 48, make new layers for any touch ups. flatten and add to icon. Rinse and repeat through the sizes.

I have a massive glyph collection I am building in Illustrator now, which saves loads of time in the icon building procedure, just cut and paste into PS and it works perfect every time.

Hope some of this helps

[justinp]

You're going to lose something anytime you increase the size of raster images. You're adding in information that didn't exist in the original. It will probably be minimal, but it will be there (few people use their icons at 128x128 anyway, so it will be hard to notice any negative aspects that are gained). Just change the canvas size to 128x128 and scale the image however you please. You may want to sharpen it after it is enlarged (and maybe fade the sharpen a bit).

[Dragon T]

Originally posted by cube3:
I have a massive glyph collection I am building in Illustrator now, which saves loads of time in the icon building procedure, just cut and paste into PS and it works perfect every time.

Any chance of you sharing that glyph collection with the rest of us? =)

[cube3]

I might pass them on to a select few people mate Stuff like this is the bread and butter of Icon designers and I don't want to hurt their business. I will think about it more at release time, if I decide ok then you'll be on the list as a form of payback for all the stuff you generously donate

[Dragon T]

Originally posted by zerografix:
Can anyone help me out with a icon I am making?
This is my first attempt in making an icon, and I made it too small - does anyone have a way to enlarge the icon in PS without it losing detail?
Any tips or help would be appreciated

Keep that 'too small' icon for the 48x48 size and below.
I tried blowing it up... keeping the dropshadow area within the icon and it upsized without too much loss. Just a little 'unsharp mask' needed.
Even better if you still have it in layers... upsize the icon, sharpen, remake the 'help' text at full size.
=)

[zerografix]

Thanks for all the help!