Icon software aids desktop makeovers

The need to customize our workspace--to enliven it and make it our own--extends well beyond colorless cubicles and dreary desks; we also feel compelled to customize our digital workspaces. Mac users have been creating custom desktop and application icons for over two decades now, often with the help of third-party utilities. It's a trend that shows no sign of slowing, especially since we're now making use of such icons for other purposes, such as Websites, favicons, and social networking.

In part one of this series, I explained how to make icons from your own photos and artwork and borrow them from existing sources in your system. In this second part of the series, I'll take a look at some freeware, shareware, and commercial utilities that can make this task even easier.

Icon converters

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The need to customize our workspace--to enliven it and make it our own--extends well beyond colorless cubicles and dreary desks; we also feel compelled to customize our digital workspaces. Mac users have been creating custom desktop and application icons for over two decades now, often with the help of third-party utilities. It's a trend that shows no sign of slowing, especially since we're now making use of such icons for other purposes, such as Websites, favicons, and social networking.

In part one of this series, I explained how to make icons from your own photos and artwork and borrow them from existing sources in your system. In this second part of the series, I'll take a look at some freeware, shareware, and commercial utilities that can make this task even easier.

Icon converters

Although it's not terribly challenging to create an icon from a photo, a number of utilities are on hand to help automate the process.

Image2Icns 1.2.2 (Free)--This slick utility from Shiny Frog allows you to convert any image, including Illustrator ( Macworld rated 4 out of 5 mice ) and Photoshop ( Macworld rated 4 out of 5 mice ) files, into icons. All you have to do is drag the image file onto the application window and then choose an icon format. The free version lets you export in .icns or folder format; the pro version ($12.90) also exports 16-by-16-pixel favicons and iPhone icons.

Picture2icon 2.20 ($20)--Picture2icon from Binerus is very similar in concept to Image2icns, but offers additional controls. Once you drop an image onto the app, you can reposition and resize a marquee to set the crop, and if necessary, you can flip or rotate the image. The only caveat is that the utility doesn't generate icons at 512-by-512 pixels.

Icon tweakers

This category of utilities lets you tweak existing icons, to add a splash of color or graphical component. They're typically quick and easy to use.

iconXprit 2.1.2 ($15)--This contextual menu plug-in from Trollin lets you apply both color tint and text to any icon. The interface is a bit awkward, but it works well. This program gives you an easy way to add a bit of character to any folder.

FolderTeint 1.2.1 (Free)--This simple utility from Sause Software lets you change the color of folder icons on a system-wide basis. Controls let you adjust color, contrast, saturation, and brightness. You can restore the default icons with a single click.

Iconic 0.5 (Free)--Iconic, from developer George Brocklehurst, is a tool that allows you to combine black and white bitmap images with a standard folder icon. The folder is then embossed with the art, perfectly matching the OS X's home folder icons. This software is still in beta, so all the usual warnings apply.

Icon exporters

OS X's automatic scaling of custom icons has made icon exporting utilities somewhat redundant, but they're still necessary for creating "complete" icons with artwork specifically designed to size. Unlike the quick copy-and-paste method, an icon exporter allows you craft icons that include artwork optimized for viewing at all resolutions, from 16-by-16 to 512-by-512 pixels.