HOWTO |Add, resto re and edit a folder ico n

1 Get started

Image2icon favours drag and drop. On the left, we have our copy of Image2icon open, ready for dropping documents on to. Then in Finder, we’ve opened two windows. One has the folder we want to apply our icon to, and the other has the image we’re planning on using.

2 Drag and drop

Use an image with lots of contrast (so it stands out) and that’s quite large (OS X’s icons max out at 1024x1024 pixels). For logos, PNG is a good format, rather than the lossy JPEG. Regardless, drag your image into Image2icon’s well, and then drag your folder to the same well.

3 Restore an icon

The item you dragged into the well takes on your new icon. If you decide you later want to remove it, open the app or click the back arrow, then click the Restore tab. Drop the item with the custom icon on to the well and it will spin away, before revealing its default icon.

4 Adjust your design

Now fine-tune your icon. Get back to the point we were at in step 2, and click the sliders icon to the top-right of the well. In the pop-up, use the sliders to adjust offsets, the zoom level, and image rotation. You can also add a custom background colour. ‘Reset all’ reverts.

5 Export your work

If you want to save your custom icon rather than immediately apply it, click Export and choose an option. ICNS is OS X’s native icon format, but ‘Folder’ does the job for storage. You can drag these saved items back to Image2icon to apply their icons to other files and folders.

6 Remove backgrounds

Some features unlock via IAP. For example, remove backgrounds by dragging the slider under the well. Note that this only removes flat colour around an icon – here, white areas within letterforms remain. For more complex edits, try Instant Alpha (see tip above).

7 Use folder templates

You can apply an image to one of the built-in templates, rather than your icon solely being the image itself. Preview any option by clicking it in the sidebar. Folder (Engraved) is the standard OS X design, but Folder (Center) offers more clarity. Export/save needs the full version.

8 Get creative

Underneath folder templates are other options, including documents, hard drives, and even vinyl sleeves. Remember that your image’s dimensions might not be suitable for all of the various shapes; in order to avoid cropping your image, use the zoom tool mentioned in step 4.