Step 4. Finish the Job
Now you need to apply the IconBuilder filter to the image you've placed on the icon grid. Select Filter > Iconfactory > IconBuilder 8.0. In the drop-down window in the upper-left, make sure Macintosh – Normal is selected by pressing Command-3. Click the Build button, which is a left-pointing arrow located between the two panes. Save your icon by clicking Save and designating a location for the file. Click Close to exit the filter. Now you can use your personalized icon as you would any other Mac icon.
Choose Macintosh – Normal from the drop-down in the upper-left.
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BONUS TIP: Creating an icon with a transparent background.
If it's something relatively simple, like a bold, black signature or a simple logo on a solid-colored background, you can remove the background using Photoshop's Magic Wand tool. Here's how:
1. Open the image in Photoshop. Select the Magic Wand tool and click on the background of the image. If it doesn't select all of the background initially, press Control and click in the area you want to add. In the drop-down that appears, select Add to Selection. Continue doing this until all of the background is selected. (Remember to include the spaces inside letters too.)
We had to do four Add to Selections to select all of the white background on the Mac|Life logo, including separate additions for the enclosed portions inside the lowercase a and e.
2. To select the text (rather than the background) go to Select > Inverse (or press Shift-Command-I). Press Command-X to cut out the text only (Edit > Cut). Create a new file with a transparent background (Command-N). Name your file, and be sure to select Transparent for the background next to Background Contents. To paste the cut text currently in the clipboard into your new file, press Command-V (Edit > Paste).
Photoshop helpfully creates your new file in the same dimensions and resolution as the open file. Just be sure to select Transparent for the background.
3. Now save your new file as a PSD file (default format). Now when you create your icon using the steps previously outlined, it will maintain a transparent background.
Our original image (top) and our new image, now with a transparent background (bottom).
ibi12
April 23, 2010 at 9:22am
I have an aluminum Macbook and have tried this a couple times with no luck. Is there some option that needs to be set in System Preferences that I have missed or something? Or does this just apply to Macbook Pros? internet fax programs
benet
November 10, 2009 at 8:55pm
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jkent
June 26, 2007 at 9:20am
Use GIMP. Free replacement for photoshop that is easily good enough for this kind of thing.
Walid
June 07, 2007 at 2:23pm
Nice. Here's the way I do it:
Required software: Icon Composer, which I believe is in the OSX devkit, icns2icons, free, and of course, photoshop.
Open the image of your future icon in P'Shop, and copy the layer (Apple-J). Drag the "Background" layer to the garbage can icon in the lower-right corner of the layers palette. Get rid of What you don't want in the remaining layer. If you want a drop shadow, make it in a new layer which you'll place underneath the one with your image. Crop the file as close to the edges as you can. Make the canvas square in "canvas size". Save one 128x128pxls copy of the file, one 48x48, one 32x32, one 16x16, ALL IN .PSD FORMAT to preserve transparency.
Open Icon Composer. Double-click the 128x128 space on the window, and find the 128x128pxls psd file. Do the same for the 48x48, 32x32 and 16x16 spaces and click yes to incorporate the mask every time. Save the icns file. You now have a generic icon. Drag the file on the icns2icon icon and Shazaam! You he an icon ready to use.
Not better or worse, just different.
Enjoy
Walid
Sahyun
August 22, 2007 at 6:10am
Once you have your .PSD image with transparency, drag the file into Pic2Icon (free, http://osxiconeditor.phatcode.net/Pic2Icon.html; the site has an IconEditorPack with links to the above mentioned icns2icon and Gimp ). This turns the picture into a good image you can copy in "Get Info" and paste for the folder or file icons in their Get Info panes. The image can also be brought into Icon Composer to create your .icns icon.
Leslie Ayers
June 07, 2007 at 4:51pm
The coolest part about your way is that it's free! :-)
Thanks for sharing.
~Leslie
