A while back I wrote an bài viết about link. I've decided to follow it up with a tutorial on how to make icons! They're actually much the same- the major difference is size.

bạn will need an image editing program. I use Corel Paint cửa hàng Pro but I think most people use Photoshop.

There's also the following online programs but I've never used them and this tutorial isn't necessarily meant to be used with them because I have no idea what these programs are capable of doing.

link
link
link




the Size of Your biểu tượng Matters


Now this part is extremely important and I can't tell bạn how many các biểu tượng I've seen that have been botched because they were incorrectly sized.

Your biểu tượng must be SQUARE [even on all sides].
Rectangular các biểu tượng end up stretched, blurry, cut off hoặc overly pixelated when uploaded on picks hoặc as your thông tin các nhân picture.




The following are acceptable biểu tượng dimensions:
100x100
200x200

I prefer to work in 200x200. It gives bạn room to see what you're doing and increases the general image quality. When fanpop resizes it for a pick hoặc thông tin các nhân image, it looks good.



Creating Your biểu tượng Template

Never just crop an image and call it an icon. bạn should always use a template. It just makes biểu tượng creation so much easier and allows bạn to be thêm creative. Especially if bạn make a lot of các biểu tượng [which I do].

Open up your program and create a new file.
Size: 200x200
Background: black
File type: JPEG

Save it for future use as your biểu tượng template. hoặc just save this one.


Choosing Images

Now you'll want to select the picture you're going to make an biểu tượng out of. Always choose large, high quality hình ảnh to work with.



Google image tìm kiếm is not always your friend. It may take time and effort to hunt down good screencap sites but it's definitely worth it in the long run. It makes your job so much easier because there's only so much editing that bạn can do to a poor quality image to make it better. Also, it may seem strange to choose such large pictures to make a small biểu tượng out of but trust me, good biểu tượng making is all about the quality of the nguồn material.



Resizing Images

So now that you've chosen your nice big picture, it's time to resize it so it will fit on your icon.

Find the Resize tool in your program's options. Mine is located under a menu called 'Image'. Yours could be located somewhere else. Just look through all the menus until bạn find it.

Open the Resize tool. It should give bạn the dimensions of the picture you're trying to resize.
Example:
Width: 1280 pixels
Height: 700 pixels

Change the height to 210 pixels. Only change the height and make sure that the 'Maintain aspect ratio' box is checked. Otherwise your image will be totally warped.

The reason bạn don't resize it to exactly the height of your biểu tượng is because you'll want to give yourself some leeway to di chuyển it around. It's very hard to position it precisely and if it's off even just a little bit it will leave a gap at the hàng đầu, đầu trang hoặc bottom of the icon.

Also, bạn don't have to resize the image to 210. bạn can experiment with different sizes/crops but we'll get to that in just a moment. First let's establish how to copy and paste.



Adding an Image to the Template

So bạn have your resized image and are ready to make it into an icon. You're going to copy and paste it to the biểu tượng template as a layer.

The Copy tool is in the 'Edit' menu. Just click it and you're done. The image is copied and ready to be pasted. Go back to your biểu tượng template.

The Paste tool is also in the 'Edit' menu. It may offer bạn several options: Paste as New Image, Paste as Selection and Paste as New Layer.

Choose Paste as New Layer.
It will drop the image directly in the center of your icon.



Cropping Your Icon

This is the part where bạn position the image so that it shows the section that bạn want to see. bạn can get really creative with this!

Use the Move tool to change the position of the image.
Just click and drag.
As I đã đưa ý kiến earlier, bạn don't have to resize it to 210. bạn can resize it to 450, 300, 572- whatever!
That way bạn can zoom in on certain sections of the image.

bạn can also position the image in different ways, be creative!
You'd be surprised at how easy it is to make an biểu tượng look cool just bởi cropping it differently.







Editing Your Icon

So bạn have your image resized and cropped just the way bạn want it. Now it's time to làm dáng, vân sam, sam it up a bit.

Sharpen
This tool is found in the 'Adjust' menu- as are all the basic tools to refine your image. I use the lowest setting. bạn do not want to overuse the sharpen tool, it will pixelate your biểu tượng way too much. If you're using a high quality image then bạn don't need to sharpen much at all.


Brightness and Contrast
Again, this tool is in the 'Adjust' menu. For most pictures bạn don't need to go crazy with this tool. Usually just bump up the brightness bởi about 10 and the same for the contrast. If bạn make it too bright, the darks will look washed out. If bạn give it too much contrast, the darks will nuốt, nhạn the light.

Saturation
Saturation is how intense the màu sắc are. Now depending on the effect you're going for bạn might want to increase hoặc decrease the saturation. bạn can play around with this until bạn find something bạn like. The Hue & Saturation tool should be in the same menu as the Brightness & Contrast tool. I wouldn't recommend changing the hue unless bạn want to go for a really funky effect.

There are many different tools located in the 'Adjust' menu that bạn can use to tweak your images. I recommend exploring them, playing around with them and finding what works the best for you.


Ok now bạn have a good, basic icon. But bạn could make it better...



Advanced

Watermarks and how to get rid of them

One of my biggest pet peeves about các biểu tượng is when bạn can see a watermark on the image. It's usually from the network that aired the tv hiển thị and it's really not that hard to get rid of.

Now we are venturing into thêm advanced tools and be aware that not every program will call them the same thing.

In my program, it's called the Push tool.
What it does:
Pushes the pixels around the image.

How you're going to use it:
To cover up the ugly symbol.
bạn can adjust the size of the tool [you'll want it to be small] and the opacity [you'll want it to be in the midrange] bạn won't want the opacity at 100% because the edges will be too hard [like in the first sample image].
bạn just want to gently try to push the pixels around until it looks like the symbol was never there. Start in an area where the symbol isn't, then just click and drag the pixels over the symbol. Don't use the same starting point for the whole thing. Choose the pixels that look like they belong in that spot. In this image I used the black shadow to cover the bottom of the symbol. The thêm gray shadow on his neck to cover the rest, being careful not to get any dark pixels on his chin. Most programs have an 'Undo' option that can erase your last stroke if bạn make a mistake.




Layers

Now we're going to get into layers and how bạn can use them to improve your biểu tượng and make it different.

The image that bạn added to your template is a layer. You're going to create one hoặc thêm layers to go on hàng đầu, đầu trang of it to add different effects.

In order to see and arrange your layers: Go to the 'View' menu, scroll down to 'Palettes' and there should be an option that says 'Layers'.
[Note: some programs automatically have the Layer Palette open in your workspace so bạn may not need to open it.]
It's just a little window that shows the layers one on hàng đầu, đầu trang of the other. bạn can di chuyển them up hoặc down as bạn need. bạn can also change the opacity and blend mode of your layers.









You'll want to create a new layer the exact size of your biểu tượng template. In my program I simply go to the bottom layer [called the Background], right click on it and choose 'Duplicate'.
If bạn are unable to do that the simplest other way of doing it just to create another black biểu tượng template, then copy and paste it as a new layer.


You're going to need the Fill tool. It should look just like a paint bucket. Now bạn get to choose a color. bạn may have noticed the color palette on the right hand side of your workspace. It will offer bạn many choices. After you've picked one, just click on the black layer with the Fill tool and there bạn go.

bạn can also choose a gradient [a blend of 2 hoặc thêm colors]. To do this, there should be a drop down menu that lets bạn pick between solid hoặc gradient. bạn can use one of the preset gradients hoặc make your own. bạn can also change the angle of your gradient and the number of times it's repeated.

After you've filled your layer with color, make sure that it's on hàng đầu, đầu trang of your image layer. Now you'll want to change the blend mode and opacity in order to get different effects. bạn can get all kinds of different looks with this and bạn can also add thêm layers to get even thêm effects.




I usually use this specific gradient [one that I created] set to Overlay at varying opacity levels on every biểu tượng I make to just give it thêm punch.









Then if I want something with a bit thêm panache hoặc a different color, I'll add 1 hoặc thêm layers- playing with different blend modes and opacity levels until I'm satisfied.
















Texture

bạn can also add textures as another layer. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail about textures because they really aren't much different than color layers. bạn just have to play with the blend modes and opacity until bạn get what bạn want. In this case Google is your friend. Here's some examples of textures:


The only thing I want to point out is that if your texture is obscuring something vital in your biểu tượng [a character's face for example] bạn can always use the Eraser tool on it. The eraser tool looks like an eraser of course. Use a very low opacity setting on it [5%] and set the hardness level at about 50. The hardness is just how soft hoặc hard the edge of the eraser is. Gently erase some of the texture to let vital features hiển thị through a little better.




Text


Text isn't my strong suit. It's kind of hit and miss with me. I'd have to say that it's bởi far the most difficult part of biểu tượng making. Luckily, các biểu tượng don't necessarily need it to be pretty! But in case bạn want to do it, I'll give bạn the basics.

You'll need the Text tool, which will look just like a letter of the alphabet [I've seen it as a T hoặc an A]. When bạn open it, there will be a box to write in and some options to change the size, font and color. Sometimes these options won't appear in the text window but at the hàng đầu, đầu trang of your workspace hoặc in the color palette.
When bạn type usually a xem trước of it will appear on your icon.

Now the text is going to be added as another layer. Which means that bạn can use blend mode effects and change the opacity for it too.

I would recommend adding each word as an individual layer rather than typing it all into the text box at once. This way bạn can di chuyển each word independently into the position bạn desire. Which makes it easier to fit the text around the subject of your biểu tượng if bạn need to. In order to add them as separate layers, type one word in the box and add it: then select the hàng đầu, đầu trang layer of the biểu tượng and add another word. Repeat for every word. Otherwise it will group them all together as one layer and when bạn try to di chuyển them, it will di chuyển them all at once.



Size, color and font

Some tips to help make your text legible: Keep in mind that your biểu tượng is going to be small. As bạn add the text, occasionally zoom out on the biểu tượng to get an idea of how it's going to look.

Most times you'll want to avoid thin, delicate fonts because they won't hiển thị up well. Use fonts that are bolder, thicker.

Try to use màu sắc that contrast with the image. Again, it's going to make them easier to read.






Sometimes it's helpful to give the text a Drop Shadow to make it pop out more. The drop shadow tool can be found in the 'Effects' menu under '3d effects'. What it does is makes it look like there's a shadow hoặc outline under the text. bạn can choose different màu sắc but for most các biểu tượng black works the best. I recommend a strong opacity level and low blur level. bạn can also change the angle of the shadow both vertically and horizontally. Be aware that once bạn add a drop shadow to your text bạn can no longer chỉnh sửa it.





Please proofread your text before you're finished. There are online dictionaries that can help bạn with spelling if bạn need it. There's nothing thêm sloppy-looking than an biểu tượng with poor spelling and that kind of ruins the point of all the hard work bạn just put into making it.
If you're interested in downloading some cool fonts to use, I recommend this website: link





I hope this guide has provided bạn with some useful tips on how to make icons. If bạn have any các câu hỏi hoặc need clarification on anything, just leave a bình luận and I'll try to help as best I can.