How to... create icons for your desktop

Teaching Pre K-8, Mar 2003 by Lindroth, Linda

TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR CLASSROOM

A picture truly can be worth a thousand words

I use a variety of software programs to help support and reinforce curriculum standards both in the classroom and in the computer lab for my students. Many of these programs come with their own icons for creating a shortcut on the computer desktop or in a class folder or login directory. I also use a variety of Internet shortcuts on my classroom computer desktop to assign certain resources to students for projects, research activities and skill reinforcement. Graphics make it possible for K-2 students to easily find the correct software shortcut. Here are ways to create your own icon graphics. Note: Consider using a graphics tablet and pen for serious icon design. See the list of Graphic Tools Reviewed by clicking on the Technology link at www.TeachingK-8.com

Icon graphics from scratch

Using a paint program like Microsoft Paint or an icon editor such as MicroAngelo (available at www.download.com), teachers and students can create original artwork to be used for icons. Open your paint program, draw a simple picture or design and then save the image as a 32 x 32 pixel graphic. The three-letter extension should be ".ico" so it can be used to replace the icon used for any software program. This is because .GIF and .JPG files cannot be read as icon graphics. They have to be converted to .ico files for icon use. An ico file is a collection of bitmap images which can be used as a 16 x 16 pixel image (with 16 colors) or a 32 x 32 pixel image (with 256 colors).

Icon graphics from existing pictures

Whether you use a picture taken with a digital camera or scan a drawing done by a student with traditional paper and art media, you can create beautiful personalized icons for each student or group of students in your classroom. If you're using a scanned picture or digital photo, you'll need to open the picture in an editing program such as Microsoft Image Composer or Adobe Photoshop. Change the image size to 32 x 32 pixels and be sure to save your graphic as a .ICo image so it can be recognized and used as an icon.

There are several downloadable products for creating icons.

*IconForge - www.cursorarts.com/ ca_if.html Software that will allow you to create an ico bitmap image, a cursor, or desktop wallpaper. $37.95.

* MicroAngelo - www.download .com/ Icon editor which allows you to resize and save as an ico file. * Web Development Links: Graphic Tools - www.huntfor.com/web /links/graphic.htm This site offers links to many icon and graphics editors which let you capture or create icons, cursor graphics and more.

* Icon Bank 4.0 - www.sprite works.com/ More than 5,000 icons organized in 54 categories. $20.

* IconBuilder www.iconfactory.com/ This filter for use with Adobe Photoshop makes it easy to create professional icons. Available for OS X, XP, Mac or Win. $69.

Finding free icon graphics on the Internet

This is perhaps the easiest way to build your collection of icons. There are many websites that offer free icons for educational use. Here are just a few that I've found to be dependable and which offer a wide variety of icons for use in the preK-8 curriculum.

* The KidsDomain: Icon Mania www.kidsdomain.com/ Hundreds of icons categorized by subject area and downloadable by group.

*Awesome Clipart for Kids - www.awesomeclip artforkids.com/ Check out this site - the name says it all.

Clip Art Searcher www.webplaces.com/

search/ Quick search for graphics and icons on the web.

* The Icon Factory - www.iconfac tory.com/ Everything related to icons. Download graphics from the Icon Cold Storage Warehouse.

* Icon Archive - www.iconarchive .coral More than 7000 icons in .GIF and .ICO format.

Always make sure you've checked the copyright information before you download or use an icon from a website. Since the directions for changing an icon differ between Mac and Windows machines and between operating systems, you may want to use the helpful directions at www.kidsdomain.com/icon /howcopy.html Check with your technology support staff if the directions give you trouble.

Try these tutorial sites to help you in creating new icons. I hope you and your students have fun.

* Making a Favicon (Favorites or Bookmark graphic) - This tutorial shows you how to create an icon for a uRL shortcut. www.purple-owl.com Icon Magic - visit www.TeachingK-- 8.com and click on Technology, then How To for a PDF file you can use with your students.