Frequently Asked Questions

Make transparent background

Use right mouse button to paint with "transparent" color. Areas painted with transparent color will be transparent in your saved icon files.

By default transparent color is white. If you want both white and transparent areas in your icon then you have to select another transparent color.

Make smooth edges

Use "File | Save As..." menu command and select "TrueColor (32 bit) Icon - Auto Smooth Edges" icon format. The edges between transparent and non-transparent areas will be automatically smoothed (semi-transparent pixels added) so that your icon will have less sharp edges.

When you open such icon back with IconEdit2, semi-transparent pixels may have slightly different color. Thus, use this option only as final step of an icon production. Save your work copy as 32-bit or 24-bit icon without the Auto Smooth Edges option.

Create AOL Instant Messenger™ (AIM) buddy icon

- Select "File|48x48 Icon" menu command (buddy icons should be 48x48 pixels);
- Click Open button or select "File|Open..." menu command;
- Locate your favorite BMP, GIF, TIFF, JPEG or PNG image;
- Select "File|Send to AOL Instant Messenger™" menu command.

Camera tool

To make screen snapshots, select Camera tool. The Camera tool has two modes: Simple snapshot and Snapshot with Crop. Simple snapshot mode allows you to capture any 48x48, 32x32 or 16x16 screen area. Snapshot with crop mode allows you to make snapshot of entire screen and then crop desired area from it, including rotation of the cropped area.
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Convert an image file to an icon

To convert an image file (*.bmp, *.gif, *.tif, *.tiff, *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.png) to an icon, simply open the image file with IconEdit2. The source image will be resized to current icon size.

Tip: to make square icon from non-square rectangular image (without constraining proportions), use "Edit | Select All" menu command and then paste image from clipboard - "Edit | Paste" menu command. You need to use some other software to copy image to clipboard first.

Create multi-image icon file

To create multi-image icon file, use "File | Save As..." menu command and select Multi-Image icon format. Then select sizes and color depths which should be included into resulting icon file. Note that smaller images will be created automatically based on larger source image, and 32-bit icons will have transparency edges automatically smoothed.

If you need different images in your multi-image icon file, you can use "Help | Create Multi-Image Icon File" menu command. This allows you to select as many single-image icon files as you need, and combine them into one multi-image icon file.

Get drawing color from the screen outside the IconEdit2

- Use Camera tool to make a snapshot of a screen area which contains the needed color;
- Then use Color Thermometer tool to pick the needed color from IconEdit2 drawing area;
- Then click Undo button to restore your icon image.