To assure compatibility with all screen configurations (resolutions and color modes) your icon must contain images in several formats. In this step we'll learn how to add a new image to your icon.
We recommend that you add images in the following formats (see below):
Image sizes:
Image colors:
AWicons lets you create all these image formats easily. Moreover, AWicons has some utilities that allow for the automation of this action. AWicons lets you add new image formats based on the existing image in different ways:
Go to the Object menu (1) -> Create image from selected -> Select image format to be added (e.g.: 32x32 (true color with alpha)). The same action might be performed using context the menu on the image: click the right mouse button on the image (2) and select Create image from selected and the image format to be added. Also, you are able to duplicate the selected image using either the context menu, or "Alt + D" hot key.
This is more convenient and a faster method, especially for novices. In this way, you allow the program to create a standard icon image set, which complies with Windows XP. To create a new image set, use "Create standard formats from selected" from Object Menu (or use context menu on the image). As a result, you'll get the full image set to be saved as a Windows XP compliant icon.
The icon formats sequence considerably influencew the viewing accuracy of your icon. It is recommended that you use a built-in function to create the correct sequence. Use "Sort for Windows XP" function (Object menu -> Sort for Windows XP) to standardize the icon formats sequence in your icon.
The result is shown below:
We recommend that you add images in the following formats (see below):
Image sizes:
- 16x16: Displayed in taskbar, windows upper-left corner, detailed lists etc.
- 24x24: Displayed in Windows 2000/XP menus.
- 32x32: Displayed in desktop, lists etc.
- 48x48: Displayed in Windows XP explorer and system lists etc.
- 256x256: Displayed in Windows Vista explorer and system lists etc.
Image colors:
- Monochrome: Displayed by Windows if the screen is monochrome.
- 16 colors: Displayed by Windows if the screen is 16 or 256 colors.
- 256 colors: Displayed by Windows if the screen is 16bits or True Colors (recommended).
- True-color: Displayed by Windows if the screen is 16bits or True Colors.
- 32 bit (true-color with alpha): Displayed by Windows XP if screen is True Color or more (recommended).
AWicons lets you create all these image formats easily. Moreover, AWicons has some utilities that allow for the automation of this action. AWicons lets you add new image formats based on the existing image in different ways:
Manual adding
Go to the Object menu (1) -> Create image from selected -> Select image format to be added (e.g.: 32x32 (true color with alpha)). The same action might be performed using context the menu on the image: click the right mouse button on the image (2) and select Create image from selected and the image format to be added. Also, you are able to duplicate the selected image using either the context menu, or "Alt + D" hot key.
Auto adding (create standard formats from selected)
This is more convenient and a faster method, especially for novices. In this way, you allow the program to create a standard icon image set, which complies with Windows XP. To create a new image set, use "Create standard formats from selected" from Object Menu (or use context menu on the image). As a result, you'll get the full image set to be saved as a Windows XP compliant icon.
The icon formats sequence considerably influencew the viewing accuracy of your icon. It is recommended that you use a built-in function to create the correct sequence. Use "Sort for Windows XP" function (Object menu -> Sort for Windows XP) to standardize the icon formats sequence in your icon.
The result is shown below:
