Create custom icons and cursors from scratch.

There's nothing wrong with the default Windows icons, but sometimes you need to add a little personality to your desktop. That leaves you with two options: download new icons or make your own. Finding new icons online is easy, but if you want something really creative, or if you want to use personal images, download today's free file. It'll turn you into a pixel Picasso, a da Vinci of the desktop, a Michelangelo of... well, you get the idea.

IconArt is an icon editor that lets you create icons and cursors from scratch or from existing images. You can also modify existing icons and cursors.
  1. Launch the program. You'll see a blank slate divided into 1x1-pixel squares. The program defaults to 32x32 icons, the normal size for desktop icons.
  2. Start drawing your icon using the tools (pen, spray can, and so on) on the left.
  3. Use the color palette to color in the squares. Think paint by numbers without the numbers.
  4. Use the text box to add text.
  5. If you feel you've mastered the program, try creating an animated cursor. Click the button that looks like a piece of film (it's called the "Animation Sequencer") and go to town.
  6. Use the Save As button to save your icon.
  7. To save a cursor, click the "Save the current icon as a cursor" button. Set the hotspot (the part of the cursor that does the clicking) and save the cursor.


IconArt also provides Import and Open buttons for finding existing graphics, icons, and cursors. Shrink down a portion of the image or select the part you want to use. You can also extract icons from any EXE or DLL file. It's a great way to pull icon art out of other programs.

Take a deep breath. We're in the home stretch. It wouldn't be fair to tell you how to make all these new icons and cursors and not tell you how to change them. Although instructions are a little different for each version of Windows, here are the basics.
  • Change system icons
    1. If you want to change your My Computer, Recycle Bin, or other system icons, right-click an empty space on your desktop and select Properties.
    2. Select the tab containing your icons. For example, the Effects tab in Windows 98.
    3. Select the icon you want to change and click the Change Icon button.
    4. Browse for your new icon, select it, and click OK.


  • Desktop shortcuts
    1. Right-click the icon and choose Properties.
    2. Click Change Icon.
    3. Browse for your new icon, select it, and click OK.


  • Folders
    1. In Windows XP or Windows 2000, right-click the folder and choose Properties.
    2. Click Change Icon.
    3. Browse for your new icon, select it, and click OK.

    In Windows 98, use a third-party application such as Folder Style.

  • Cursors
    1. Go into your Control Panel and double-click the Mouse properties.
    2. Go to the Pointers tab and select the cursor you want to change.
    3. Browse to your new cursor and click OK to change it.


It sounds like a lot to learn, but once you start playing with IconArt you'll be creating awesome icons in no time.

Download IconArt now