Specifications for designing and creating style icons

The digital design introduces a new icon design style. The following are the specific specifications for designing and creating style icons.
The icon style should be interesting, colorful, and dynamic, because the current system supports 32-bit icons and the edge is very smooth. After drawing every icon in the vector program, you can use Adobe Photoshop to process the image more perfectly. This specification is designed for designers. When creating images, we recommend that you work with high-level graphic designers, especially graphics designers with rich experience in vector and 3D software.

The purpose of the icon design overview is to familiarize you with the new style of Windows XP and prepare for creating an icon.
Icon style features
(1) rich colors are used to supplement the appearance of Windows XP.
(2) different angles and features add dynamic vitality to the image.
(3) the corners of the elements are gentle and smooth.
(4) the light source is located in the upper left corner of the icon, and other parts of the surround light are illuminated.
(5) the gradient effect gives the icon a stereoscopic effect, which makes the icon look more plump.
(6) projection makes the icon more contrast and stereoscopic.
(7) adding a contour can make the image clearer.
(8) daily objects (such as computers and equipment) have a more modern personal appearance.

Icon size
Windows XP icons can be in four sizes. The following four sizes are recommended:
(1) 48x48 pixels
(2) 32x32 pixels
(3) 24x24 pixels
(4) 16x16 pixels

Icon color depth support
Windows XP supports 32-bit icons. The 32-bit icon adds an 8-bit alpha channel to the 24-bit image. Smooth the edge of the icon and blend it with the background.
Each Windows XP icon should contain the following three color depths to support different display settings:
24-bit image plus 8-bit alpha channel (32-bit)
8-bit image (256 colors) with 1 transparent color
4-bit image (16 colors) with 1 transparent color

Color palette
The main color used in the icon.

Object angle and group
Windows XP style icons use a grid: not all objects use 16 × 16 complex images to achieve better results. Some objects are usually displayed as visual images: Document icons, symbolic icons (such as warning or information icons), and single object icons (such as magnifiers)

Unless overlapping secondary objects are created to clearly express the meaning of the icon, intuitive images should be used for readability and integrity. You should also consider how to view icons by group to determine how to group objects.

Projection
After projection is used, the Windows XP icon is clearer and more stereoscopic. This effect can be achieved in Photoshop, which will be described later in this guide. To add a projection to an image, double-click the image layer in Photoshop and select Drop Shadow. Then, change Angle to 135, Distance to 2, and Size to 2. The projection is 75% opaque black.

Profile
When you draw an XP style icon, you can add a contour to the image to make it clearer and ensure that the image has good effects on different background colors.

Concept
Consider the following factors when creating a design drawing:
Use existing concepts to ensure that your thoughts are expressed. Consider how icons appear in the user interface environment and how they are used as part of the icon set. Consider the cultural background of the image. Avoid using letters, words, hands, or faces in icons. When the icon must be used to represent a person or user, make it as popular as possible. If the image in the icon is composed of multiple objects, consider how to make the image smaller. We recommend that you use no more than three objects in the icon. For the size of 16 × 16, you can also consider deleting some objects or simplifying the image to make it easier to recognize.

Transparent tools
Open a dialog box for Gif Movie Gear (GMG) with your icon displayed. Use the straw tool to click the background color of the icon. This color is changed to dark yellow green (or the transparent background color is selected in GMG ). Repeat all four and eight frames. To Save the Icon, select File> Save Icon ....

Create toolbar
In addition to projection, Windows toolbar icons use the same style as other icons. Since the toolbar icons are very small, we recommend that you use simple images. If the image is displayed in an intuitive way, you can clearly express the meaning of the icon without using other complex methods.

Create AVI
Windows XP uses 8-bit AVI. The process of creating a. avi file is the same as that of creating an icon-prepare an image in Photoshop and drag it to GMG. Follow the instructions below to create an 8-bit icon. To save AVI with GMG, go to File> Export As-> AVI file.
When creating a. avi file, consider the following factors: Use the magenta (R255 G0 B255) as the background transparent color. In Photoshop, it is important not to have stray pixels. Set the filling capacity to 0, and confirm that the tab is not selected.