Rockstar Icon Designer - Kate McInnes [61]
twitter.com/armanycat
artdesigner.lv
facebook.com/verymadcat
Appendix: Resources
Free Open-source Software
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) - gimp.org
Raster based image creation and manipulation program. Compatible with Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
Inkscape - inkscape.org
Vector based image creation and manipulation. Compatible with Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.
Icon Creators
Axialis Icon Workshop - axialis.com
Creates and converts ICO, ICN, Image Strips, Icon Libraries, Android and iOS icons. Supports object layering for in-program icon creation and has object libraries to help create icons from premade drop shadows, shapes and objects. Has added plugins for Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for importing and exporting image assets. Compatible with Windows.
Iconcool Studio - iconcool.com/studio.htm
Creates Cursors, ICO and iOS icons. Supports object layering for in-program icon creation and has object libraries to help create icons from premade drop shadows, shapes and objects. Has an added plugin for Adobe Photoshop to import and export image assets. Compatible with Windows.
Microangelo Toolset - microangelo.us
Creates icons and cursors for Windows 95 – 7. Has drawing and editing tools. Compatible with Windows.
Microangelo Creation - microangelo.us
Creates icons and cursors for Windows XP – 7. Has drawing and editing tools and supports object layering for in-program icon creation.
IconBuilder - iconfactory.com/software/iconbuilder
Filter for Adobe Photoshop and Fireworks for creating and exporting icon. Has compatible versions for Windows and Mac OS X.
Desktop Replacement and Icon Library Creation
CandyBar - panic.com/candybar
Changes system icons to user defined custom icons in Mac OS X. Builds and saves icon libraries. Compatible with Mac OS X.
Microangelo On Display - microangelo.us
Changes system icons to user defined custom icons in Windows. Compatible with Windows XP – 7.
Stardock Icon Packager - stardock.com/products/iconpackager
Changes system icons to user defined custom icons in Windows. Compatible with Windows XP – 7.
Acknowledgements
For my friends and family who have supported me through the good and the bad. Who never discouraged me from following my dreams (well, perhaps one or two times when it seemed like freelance would eat me alive!). Who always know how to make me laugh. Who never judge me, even if I've been working in my pajamas for a week and forget to brush my hair, and who most of all believe that I can achieve whatever I set my mind to. No matter what people say, believing in yourself is not enough. Family and friends are the unfair advantage we all need.
A super special thank you to Dad, Adrian and Sean, I would never have finished this book without your help.
Illustration by Sean Kelly and Kate McInnes
Endnotes
[1] guidebookgallery.org — http://www.guidebookgallery.org/articles/thexeroxstararetrospective
[2] Apple Computer, Inc. (1996-12-20). "Apple Computer, Inc. Agrees to Acquire NeXT Software Inc.". Press release.
[3] Be Inc. for its BeOS system, or license either Sun Microsystems' Solaris operating software or Microsoft Corp's Windows NT.
[4] Apple's Copland Project: An OS for the Common Man
[5] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/history
[6] With Windows 95's Debut, Microsoft Scales Heights of Hype - Washington Post August 24, 1995
[7] Apple Computer Inc. Press Release - August 8, 1997
[8] http://iconfactory.com/design/detail/windows_xp
[9] http://www.kde.com/announcements/ZD-Innov-CeBIT99.php
[10] statowl.com – “Operating System Version Usage”Dec '10 - May '11
[11] https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Brand#Light:%20Ubuntu%20is%20, Lightware: A Fresh Look for Ubuntu, Ubuntu Wiki 2009
[12] http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp
About The Author
Kate McInnes specializes in Communication Design and Digital Illustration. Based in Melbourne Australia, she is the Associate Editor of Vectortuts+ and one half of the creative duo McKelly. Find her on Twitter at twitter.com/bittenbypixels
Table of Contents
Introduction