[K-Man]

I found a way to turn graphics into icons without an icon editor.

(Okay, last time I posted a tip like this, everyone under the sun knew about it; but maybe this one is better.)

Pretty much everyone has "Paintbrush", and you can use it to create the image for your icon. There are just a few things which you must do in certain instances.

If you want to make an icon for your "favorites" list in IE, it MUST be 16 x 16, and must be saved as "indexed 16-color bitmap".

I'm not certain what size-limit, if any, is imposed for desktop icons.

Once you've created your image and saved it in the appropriate format, go into "My Computer". Click to edit the name of the file, and simply change the extension to .ico

You'll get a little warning about changing the extension like that. It's just telling you what you already know though.

You should then be able to use your image as an icon.

The only drawback to this method, is that your icon must have a colored background; because paintbrush has no "transparent" color.

Now, you can all tell me how you've known this for years, and I can look silly again...

[Deathblow]

Oh sure, everyone knows that :P

Haha, just kidding, thanks for the tip, keep em coming.

[Big-K]

I'm pretty sure that an icon editor would be the only way to make it a transparent background. The only graphics format that allows transparency(of the bigger ones) is .gif . Jpeg's, bitmap's, and probably tiff's dont support it.

[K-Man]

A little update here:

I've experimented around with this process, and found that it only works with .bmp graphics.

For your desktop: you can use 16color, 256color, or 24bit truecolor, and changing the extension to .ico will literally make the graphic an icon.

For your IE "Favorites": you can only use 16color, and again, they MUST NOT be larger than 16 x 16 pixels.

Now for a good laugh at my expense: I thought I had made an icon with a transparent background, but I think the background color just happens to match my menu's color scheme!

I'll keep playing around with this, and see what else might be possible.

[MightyQueenC]

Great tip K-man.

And ...I see no issue at all with changing my desktop background to match my purdy new icons

Keep those tips comin'...
Carolyn

[K-Man]

Thanks MQ, you are too kind!

[KeithKman]

Nice tip!