When installing our operating system, be it Windows 10 or Windows 11, one of the aspects that users give greater importance to is customization, in order to improve the daily and continued use of this software. One of these important elements are the icons given their simplicity, effectiveness and allow us to transmit all the information clearly and quickly.
That is why to have a complete customization of the operating system, it is not only enough to set a desktop background or theme, but some users prefer to go one step further and be able to create their own icons. For this we can make use of some programs or web applications with which we can have our own icons and provide our computer with extreme customization.
Create icons with these programs
With these programs for Windows we can create and design our own icons. Some are simpler and others something deeper, so that we can choose the level of customization that we want to grant it.
EasyPicture2Icon
This simple, intuitive and free program allows us to create our own customizable icons, even with transparent backgrounds, from an image file, being compatible with the most common ones (GIF, BMP, JPEG, JPG and PNG). In addition, regardless of the type of file that we opt for, we can convert these to an ICO file , which is compatible with Windows. To get started, all we have to do is download it from the Majorgeeks website .
Once the program is open, we must load the image from our hard drive, for which we click on “File” and “Open”. Next, from its main interface we can obtain icons in different sizes such as 16 x 16, 32 x 32 and 48 x 48. And beyond converting images into icons, the software practically lacks editing elements, hence its simplicity and that it is oriented for users without too many demands.
Just below the sizes for the icon we find its transparency selector to use it if necessary. At the bottom, we have three options to shape the element we are designing, as well as the controls that allow us to open a new image or save the current project, for which it will only be necessary to click on “Save Icon” .
AWicons
We are talking about a fairly complete program, with an interface that is quite loaded with elements that we can put in Spanish. With it we will be able to create and customize our icons to a large extent given the large number of tools it has. To begin with, we must download AWincons for free from its website.
All the configuration of our workspace is found in its main canvas from where we are going to create our icon. We can put it in Spanish from the “Edit” and “language” tab. Around it we will find its different tools such as effects, color, library or the properties of the pencil or the fill. Therefore, it will be necessary to adapt the interface to the degree of customization that we want to give our icon. We must select the image by clicking on the “Open” folder or by pressing F3.
From its interface we have everything we need to create our icon, with tools such as pencil, fill, blur, change the color and create geometric shapes. With all these elements we can create and customize the icon at important levels, it all depends on our skill. Once finished we just have to click on the “Save” button (F2) to obtain our ICO file.
icoFX
It is a professional and paid program with which we can create our icons from scratch and with a color depth of up to 24 bits or import an image or capture to convert it into an icon. These can reach a resolution of 1024×1024 in PNG compression, being compatible with formats such as SVG, JPG, GIF, TIF, among others. The program has a free 14-day trial version that we can obtain from its website.
Once installed we find an image editor with tools such as different brush sizes, hardness, shape and more than 40 types of effects and filters. Simply click on the “Windows icon from image” option, and it will ask you to choose an image from your computer in order to edit it. From there we will have editing tools such as magic wand, blur, fill color, layers, etc.
If we go to its “Settings” screen we can edit the brightness, saturation, contrast, as well as set its color balance, add shadows, opacity and dissolve. We can also change the size of the image, flip it and rotate it. In addition, we can play with the colors of the image to achieve the desired tone. Once finished, just click on its “Save” icon (Ctrl + S) to obtain our ICO file.
Customize Icons With These Web Apps
In case we do not want to install any software on our computer, we can also create and design icons by using these web applications that we run from our own Internet browser.
Icon Convert
By using this web application we can directly use our Internet browser with which we can generate elements as used as icons, which we can use directly from your website. With this tool we will be able to upload any image stored on our hard drive and convert it into a customized icon in a matter of seconds. For this, it puts at our disposal various customization tools to be able to adapt any element that we are going to create to our tastes. To get started, just click on this link to their official website .
From this website you can create icons from PNG or JP images . We only have to load a photo, change the size, crop it, give it the desired shape, as well as add borders and shadows. To do this, the first thing will be to select the image that we want to convert, clicking on the “Select a file” button and then on “Uploader” so that it is uploaded to the platform.
Later, we choose the external design that we want to give to the icon among those that are shown in the interface. Here, we can opt for different shapes such as circular, square or even heart. Once the external appearance has been selected, we must customize other parameters such as its size or output format, from among some of the standards that it offers us.
Finally, we only have to obtain and save the new icon that we have just generated, just click on the “Convert Ico” button located at the bottom of the screen. Once converted, we click on Download your icon(s) to be able to download it to our computer.
X icon editor
This online tool will allow us to create icons of up to 64 x 64 pixels for free . Icons can be created from scratch or from an image. For this, it has a practical and intuitive editor that includes functionalities such as the eraser, pencil, color palette, brushes, etc. To get started, just click on this link to access the developer’s website .
Now we must insert the image that we want to convert into an icon, for which we click on the “Import” button. This will open a new window where we must click on “Uploader” and select the image. Once chosen, we select the desired resolution. From now on we can edit it to our liking with its complete set of tools.
We find these tools located in the left column, as well as the different colors that we can add. We can always observe the result that we are obtaining through its preview function, which we access by clicking on the Preview button. Once we have finished your design, we can export it to our computer by clicking on the “Export” button.
