Icon Contest
 

A recent thread asked how many made their own icons. Here's your chance to see how you do. Your icon must be 32x32 or 16x16 and may be both. Small icons, particularly the 16x16 size, can rarely be effectively made by reducing a larger image, regardless of the reduction algorithm. They require a precision of simple expression comparable to some Japanese drawing techniques. If you want to see an example of how bad reduction can be, simply look at the favicon on my site. The 'D' with the orbiting electrons had far too much detail to retain with 256 pixels. I plan to simplify it Real Soon Now.

As for practical application, Windows normally uses your 'normal' icon, the 32x32, on the desktop and your 16x16 on the taskbar. If you don't provide both, Windows will resize. The results can be ugly.

The contest will end on approximately September 15. The results will be judged by the members. I'll put up a poll at that time. You will have to vote for one and only one entrant, but you may comment further in the thread.

This sounds pretty interesting. I will be finishing up a project rather soon and I will need to make some icons for it, so I'll post one of them here when I am done (then everyone can see my horrible graphic design skills hahah).

Sounds like a great idea DaWei.

I think my icons that i have made in the past would probably be laughted at if i posted them here. They are quite primative, mostly just one or two letters on some sort of background. I think i might attempt something new though. Just have to think of an idea and then be ready to be out classed by just about everyone. :)

There should also be a vote for the worst icon lol.

No need. My favicon would win that hands-down. I plan to put up another that I developed for an image-analysis app.

My icon-making skills consist of Googling for an appropriate image and fiddling with it a little. I think I'll pass on this one. :)

This is what I usually do, but if I did the program on a contract then I try and make a nice icon my self, but usually fail and get my friend to make one for me lol.

For anyone who is looking to start making icons for this contest, All you have to do is make an image in your favorite drawing program and then save it. Download a program called Irfan View and open your image, and then save it as a .ico file. I'll whip up an icon as soon as I finish a project of mine.

Here is the icon of my program Phonebook:

http://www.freewebs.com/ivan_korhner/Phonebook.ico

In the words of Bender Bending Rodriguez "Well, I'm Boned"

I think i should give up now and never try to compete with people who have 100 times the artistic ability that i do. :)