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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > GUI Customization > Tutorials on making nice smooth icons?

Tutorials on making nice smooth icons?
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Mac_Guy15
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:07 PM
 
I am having trouble making icons and I can't find a tutorial for making nice smooth OS X icons...
These are the troubles I am having(I do have icon builder...):

Clciky for 128x128 icons I made, little jaggedy trying to fix that with somones help.

Clicky for 56x56 I think, alot better but......

Clicky for small, I dont know what happened here...

Some help? I want to start makin icons! Tutorials for me plz!

BTW....I made those icons...I like em...
     
Fluid
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:26 PM
 
:: Here is what I would do:

:: Download a program called Pic2Icon.
:: Export your icon as a transparent 128 x 128 png.
:: Open Pic2Icon in the settings put Anti-Alias to smooth.
:: Drag your png to the Pic2Icon Icon.

:: Now you have a fully scaleable non-jagged icon.

:: Fluid
     
justinp
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:31 PM
 
How did you create the shapes? I can't think of any reason why a shape you created in Photoshop would come out aliased unless you had anti-aliasing turned off (and those are only partially aliased).

It almost looks like you got the shape with the magic wand...

A good rule to follow is to work big. If you're making 128x128 icons, then work bigger than that (preferably in a multiple, like 256x256, 512x512, etc.) Then when you're finished, shrink it back down (obviously).
     
Mac_Guy15  (op)
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:46 PM
 
Do you all have a tutorial or an example thingy?
What app do you use? PS or Illustrator?
     
OwlBoy
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:54 PM
 
Yeah, you see they smooth out when smaller?

WORK BIG.

-Owl
     
justinp
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:56 PM
 
No, I don't have any tutorials. I'm not sure why you're having the aliasing problems, which is why I asked how you created the shapes...

I mostly use Photoshop.
     
xanthic eye
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Feb 9, 2004, 09:57 PM
 
yeah, your main problem is that you're probably working small. i always do my raster icons big, and then shrink them later on.

but how did you make your shapes? as justinp points out, if you used the default settings for the pen and shape tools, you should have nice smooth shapes that export nicely from iconbuilder.
     
WICKEDfour
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Feb 9, 2004, 10:00 PM
 
You can use the Paths tool in Photoshop:

[Edit: fixed the image.]
You can use this tool to make any kind of shape you could possibly want by defining points and setting a curve for them. Any shape you make will be completely scalable and therefore smooth at whatever size.

I'll second that: WORK BIG.
( Last edited by WICKEDfour; Feb 9, 2004 at 11:35 PM. )

Themer | Metroid 2002 Supporter | Switchboard Operator | A Special K | Professional Lurker
     
voo
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Feb 9, 2004, 10:48 PM
 
Originally posted by justinp:
How did you create the shapes? I can't think of any reason why a shape you created in Photoshop would come out aliased unless you had anti-aliasing turned off (and those are only partially aliased).

It almost looks like you got the shape with the magic wand...

A good rule to follow is to work big. If you're making 128x128 icons, then work bigger than that (preferably in a multiple, like 256x256, 512x512, etc.) Then when you're finished, shrink it back down (obviously).
Yeah indeed, they look absoloutely gorgeous massive!

As usually i work 512x512 sometimes even bigger.

     
Mac_Guy15  (op)
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Feb 9, 2004, 11:03 PM
 
Hey thanks guys I will try it out....and yeah I used the newb tool....magic wand

I will try out the pen tool, I haven't done much with it but I will try it out!
     
justinp
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Feb 9, 2004, 11:06 PM
 
The pen tool is difficult at first, but once you learn how it works it becomes a lot easier. Time spent learning it won't be wasted.

Good luck

     
   
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