Making OS X Dock Icons

BC
Posted By
Bill_Connelly
Nov 29, 2006
Views
737
Replies
10
Status
Closed
Is there a simple Plugin available for Photoshop CS or Indesign (Illustrator, etc), for making OS X Dock icons?

Not feeling very creative … and would like a ready-made application.
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B
Bernie
Nov 29, 2006
Maybe this.
I have not looked at it closely.
< http://www.digitalwaters.net/progetti/ing/2006/09/08/fasticn s.html>
BC
Bill_Connelly
Nov 29, 2006
Thanks … looks promising, but I’ll have to wait on this one … I’m only at OS X 10.3.9 … they require 10.4+.
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Nov 30, 2006
I’d suggest Export Icon. Works very well…

<http://www.kineticcreations.com/exporticon/>
R
Ram
Nov 30, 2006
Buried deep in the Developer folder, if you installed Developer Tools from the OS install DVD, there’s also Apple’s Icon Composer.

Developer / Applications / Utilities / Icon Composer.app

Lightning fast, and free.
BC
Bill_Connelly
Nov 30, 2006
Thanks. I looked at the Developer folder, and that app simply makes the icons, or sets, the proper size(s) for icons.

Same thing for the Export Icon application … except it takes a Photoshop processed image, and creates the different sizes (I think … unless I missed something) .. Exporting it.

I have to admit, I believe I am looking for a set of Photoshop Actions, that takes an image, and creates an interesting, glassy-looking-covered icon image of the Aqua Interface Generation …

By the time I get to making it the correct size, I can do that much … well, now that I’ve read about those suggested application’s requirements …

I decided to begin researching (trying) different Bezels, Drop Shadows, Clear Coats (my terminology) … eventually I’ll arrive at a suitable set of Actions myself.

Suggestions still welcomed. Layering suggestions for "Clear Coating"?
WG
Welles_Goodrich
Nov 30, 2006
Bill,

I’m still confused by your use of the term Dock Icon. In the dock are icons. That’s all, they are special files used for icons and require the format which Export Icons or Apple’s Icon Composer creates.

If I understand you now, you wish to know how to make the glass/plastic button effect which Apple popularized in their Aqua theme. Something like this?

<http://homepage.mac.com/wellesgoodrich/GlassA.jpg>

There are a zillion ways to do this. In my case I’ve been setting up clear glass and plastic styles for years and have several dozen varieties for different circumstances. I’d suggest that you Google "Aqua Buttons Photoshop" or "Glass Styles Photoshop" and you’ll find many excellent tutorials and free styles. Check out the Adobe Studio Exchange. I haven’t been there in quite a while but I bet you would find some excellent styles. One tip about styles…they almost always have to be scaled for the best result in each use.

Good Luck!
B
Bernie
Nov 30, 2006
< http://www.macmerc.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid =70>
BC
Bill_Connelly
Nov 30, 2006
Thanks, again.

I was thinking icons for the Dock, meaning Get Info type Preview images, spelling it Dock Icon … no wonder I confused you guys.

I’m going with the macmerc.com reference for now … and the Developer’s Icon Composer if I choose to make an icon for the Dock …

Apologies for my raggety learning curve … it just smoothed out … slick as glass …
CS
Carl_Stawicki
Nov 30, 2006
Make the icon art in Photoshop, then use IconComposer to make the actual .icns file. Then take that and drop it onto icns2icon <http://www.icons.cx/goodies/>, which makes the icon of the .icsn file the actual icon. From there you can do the copy/paste routine between the Get Info dialogs.

That’s my "cheap bastard" approach to making icons.
BC
Bill_Connelly
Nov 30, 2006
Thanks, you "CB".

Things are working now …

Good to laugh these days, whenever possible …

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