Create icons and cursors for Windows with Toolset's icon editor. View, locate, extract and replace icons, eliminate duplicates, and manipulate all image formats. Toolset provides an icon creator plus The Master's set of icon tools, specifically designed to make icons for all Windows platforms. Officially "Certified for Windows Vista" by Microsoft. Version 6.10.8 correctes problem in Studio and Animator when painting semi-transparent pixels; the edits displayed completely opaque pixels in the editing area when the default "texture" background was turned off.Editor's review of Microangelo Toolset Icon master With four extremely intuitive icon-processing utilities, Microangelo Toolset works like the Swiss Army knife of icon and cursor manipulation. Its Studio and Animator components let you create and edit icons and cursors, while the Explorer and Librarian components help you find and manage icons on your system. For producing high-quality custom icons and cursors quickly, it's hard to beat this top-rated utility. The program includes image-editing features such as effects, filters, rotation, and cropping, as well as a huge color palette. Each component performs specific functions, but it might be less intimidating to first-time users if they were bundled in one interface. The Studio/Animator and Explorer/Librarian combinations seem ripe for integration into two tools. The extensive help files, which now include specific valuable information about creating icons for Windows Vista, are quite beneficial for users who need to familiarize themselves with the program's many features. There aren't step-by-step wizards for novices, but the addition of project templates in version 6 make it easier to create the full icon sets you need. Also lacking is an uninstall icon, so to remove it you have to go through the Control Panel. Nevertheless, would-be designers willing to learn and power users alike should appreciate the wide range of Microangelo's functionality.

IconShop is an icon librarian that offers the tools to manage ICL icon libraries. Read and write ICL icon libraries. Drag and drop files and folders from the Windows Explorer onto the IconShop window to process them. Drag and drop icons or icon images between IconShop windows. Extract icons from Windows icons, cursors, animated cursors, BMP bitmaps, GIF bitmaps, TIFF bitmaps, XPM bitmaps, resources, executables and libraries. Export icons to icon, cursor BMP or TIFF bitmap format.

Extract icons from .exe, .dll, .icl, .ico, .ocx, .cpl, .scr files, and save them into .ico or .bmp files. You can search for your PC hard disk to extract all the icons. Support reviewing icons in three modes, saving all added icons by naming rule in default way or your specification.

This small application can view the icons that reside in binary files like DLL, EXE, and many other extension. Founded icon can be saved to properly to icon or bitmap file. Support 32bit full color with alpha blending icon used by Windows XP. Version 1.0.6 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

Hydra icon editor gives its users a lot of tools and abilities to create icons and cursors that they always dreamed about. Some of Hydra abilities are as follow: create and edit icons, cursors, animated cursors, small images and GUI components, powerful drawing and editing tools (Custom shape, polygon, round rectangle, and magic wand), many graphical filters (Bevel, drop shadow, custom filter), many sophisticated effects (Aqua, wave, and jelly), integrated designing environment, multi-layer designing approach (same as Adobe PhotoShop), managing icon libraries, powerful color palette, simple and efficient user interface.

IconMagic can help you create icons of different styles and individualize your desktop and folders. It offers powerful gradient tools, various filters, and many predesigned masks to help you design a specialized icon in minutes. Furthermore, the most appropriate palette will be generated automatically, so you needn't be concerned about the arrangement and assignment of colors.Editor's review of IconMagic Thanks to a good-looking interface and a strong toolset, this program muscles its way to nearly the top of the icon-design heap. We really like IconMagic's attractive, colorful design, which features well-organized buttons for some of the app's more useful editing tools. The extensive feature set also impresses, with a wide range of color palettes, layers, drawing instruments, gradients, and shadows. You won't find sample icons to guide you, but the detailed tutorial is a big help. A preview function lets you see what your final image will look like, and you can even replace your PC's icons with ones of your own design from directly within the program. Only users who need an absolutely professional icon-design tool should skip this one.

This software is a complete icon-creation toolbox. AWicons Editor Pro allows you to create, edit, and manage icons and other small imagery. It handles popular file formats used to store multiple icons of various sizes, and all possible color modes. You can purchase all the tools you need to create graphically rich icons. Version 9.2 supports more languages and adds a 3D shadow effect and a Shoffar icons library. BeeIcons also have been added, allowing you to customize shell icons.Editor's review of AWicons Editor Pro Powerful and attractive, AWicons Editor Pro is a standout in its category. The myriad tools and effects are easy to find and use, and the program even offers foreign-language options during installation. The only thing missing is a full-screen mode. Novices and software authors alike will find AWicons Editor Pro a handy tool for creating custom icons.

From the developer: ""SysTrayX is designed to maximize the way you can use your system tray and is doing that with a few important features : SysTrayX helps you hide some of the less used icons from the system tray - the hidden icons can still be seen and used in the special SysTrayX menu but will no longer permanently take precious space from your system tray; SysTrayX will provide recovery for those icons if anything happens to the system tray; since v3 SysTrayX can also keep the tray icons sorted in a constant order.""

Java_WinIcon is a java program that can be used to add an icon representation for any java program under Windows OS. The program can be used by Java developers to give their Windows Customers an application icon for their java products to be placed on the desktop and on the program menu to launch the Java program like traditional windows programs with just an icon click. Also, end users may use this program to provide themselves the same convenience. Java_WinIcon is written in pure Java so that you can use it anywhere Java Runtime Environment is installed, no matter what OS you are running.

Axialis IconWorkshop is a professional tool designed to create, edit and convert all existing icon formats up to 256x256 for Windows Vista and 512x512 for MacOS 10.5 Leopard. It features a powerful editor which allows you to create professional icons in minutes. Many tools permit you to be productive: automatic image format creation, creation of icons from images including PSD, PNG, JPEG2000, cross-plateform conversion (Win-Mac), automated batch processing (icon creation, conversion, export to images), Photoshop and Illustrator transfer plug-in and more. 10 ready-to-use Photoshop templates permit to work the professional way. 4 object packs containing thousands of images are provided: Glossy Buttons, Realistic Buttons (Aero style), Quick Toolbars and Web 2.0 Icons. They permit to create icons by assembling images together using Drag&Drop. Hundreds of features permit to produce high-quality icons using a fully integrated workspace. Version 6.10 is fully compatible with Windows Vista (features, interface and UAC compliant); adds icons and image objects, creates icons in the professional way by using 10 ready-to-use Photoshop Templates.

IconPackager is a desktop-enhancement utility that lets you change all the common icons used by Windows at once by applying "packages" of icons to them. You can download these packages at Web sites such as WinCustomize.com or create your own by replacing the icons of individual items on your computer one by one, then saving them as an icon package. It's very easy to use and has thousands of icons available in packages on the Net. Version 3.2 adds support for Windows Vista icons including the new live folder icons.

A powerful helper especially designed for office work. Quickly change folder icons (mark folders) to indicate priority (high, normal, low), level of project completeness (done, half-done, planned), work status (approved, rejected, pending) and type of information stored within folder (work, important, temp and private files). Simply right-click on any folder and select the icon or color to be used from the newly added menu option.

Any to Icon converts BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PSD, WMF, WBMP, XPM, TIFF and CUR formats into Windows icons. You can add files and folders from Windows Explorer or other file shells using drag and drop, and you can break down entire icon libraries into individual icons. You can change color resolution and size to create customized icons. Any to Icon allows you to extract icons from folders and libraries. It's easy to process multiple files at once.Version 3.32 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

Extracts icons or icon arrays from files (EXE, DLL, OCX) with ability to scan folders to search for EXE, DLL, OCX files, which contain icons. You can save extracted icons to file - all from file, all from folder or selected only. Supported formats are: ICO, BMP, JPEG, EMF, HTML, DBF. You can print extracted icons (all or selected only). Version 3.32 includes improved algorithm and cosmetic changes.

RealWorld Icon Editor is a feature rich icon maker and extractor. It is able to create Windows XP and Windows Vista icons directly from images and 3D models. Multiple icon creation scenarios are supported. Beside automatically rendering a 3D scene into image and creating an icon, images can be combined using drag and drop. On each generated image, a configurable special effect is applied. A library with 36 icons and source 3D models is included. Version 2006.2 adds Mac OS icon format support, customizable batch operations, parameterized 3D models, image filters with preview.Editor's review of RealWorld Icon Editor It sometimes seems there are as many tools for editing icons as there are icons in the world. But this program stands out, with a built-in 3D editor that can help set newly created icons apart. It doesn't come close to what can be done with a full-fledged graphics package, but certainly proves enough for 64x64 icons, even offering some limited support for 3D Studio files. The interface is fully customizable, with the ability to create helpful macros. All of this said, the software does fall short in several respects. Icons must be designed individually, with no ability to create a whole set at once, as some tools provide. The application lacks features for managing icon libraries, or tools for quickly changing the folder and file icons on your own system. Nevertheless, its unique features may make RealWorld Icon Editor worth a look for icon designers.

Icon Changer is a software application that makes changing icons on the desktop fun and easy. It's a hassle-free way to personalize your desktop without having to open up any computer manuals. Simply click the icon you want to change, point at the one you like and that's all. Change icons to make navigation easier, to group similar applications together, or merely to customize and spice up your desktop. Version 3.7 now can change .URL (internet shortcut) icons.Editor's review of IconChanger Simple but mighty, IconChanger does only one thing--but does it well. After a speedy installation, the program offers a walk-through of its functionality, which basically boils down to this: replacing the icons in Windows Explorer or on your desktop with any of the hundreds IconChanger offers. You can even resize them if you want to. Our only major complaint is we couldn't expand the database of icon options. Desktop decorators will find much to appreciate here.

Need more icon images for your desktop or documents? Where to look for them? The Internet? Good guess, wrong answer. Before downloading one of those gigantic icon collections, consider that one probably exists on your computer already--and it's one click away if you have Icon Catcher. Icon Catcher finds all icons hiding in thousands of files on your computer. Extended filtering options allow users to select icons by color resolution, size, or by any combination of these parameters to make searching easy and fast. The program supports all possible icon formats, including 32-bit XP-style icons with alpha channel, and can process images with various dimensions from 16-by-16 to 96-by-96. Images can be exported to various formats including PNG with true alpha-transparency. It's easy to manage large icon collections with this tool. The program is intuitive and requires no special knowledge.Version 4.1.19 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.Editor's review of Icon Catcher Fans of PC customization are usually aware that icons can hide in many corners of a computer, inside program or installation files. This utility scans hard drives for icons, fishing them out of all their dark hiding holes, as well as capturing icons directly from the computer screen. The well-designed interface can quickly filter icons by size and color depth, removing the inevitable duplicates. Favorites can be exported into libraries, although this feature isn't available in the trial version. Unfortunately, this seek-and-organize program doesn't include features that actually help users change the file and folder icons on a desktop. With this limitation, we see it potentially appealing to avid desktop enhancement fans, but casual users seeking a full icon customization tool may want a more complete package.

This is a tool for converting images or digital photos into Windows icons. Digital Image To Icon Converter makes it possible to use any graphical editor to produce icons. It has the ability to convert digital pictures in the formats BMP, GIF, JPEG (JPG), and PNG to Windows icons (ICO). It has a support for making transparent icons and the user can choose which color to make transparent. Version 1.3 is a bug fixing release.Editor's review of Digital Image to Icon Converter Whether personalizing your desktop or giving yourself a new IM image, turning ordinary images into icons is an ever-popular task. This no-nonsense utility does just that, taking digital photos or images from any of the most popular graphics formats and turning them into icons. One click allows users to create an entire standard set--from 8x8 to 64x64 pixels--with transparent color. The program also has a feature for cutting blank elements and shaping the icon to the core contents of the picture, but in our tests we found this feature to work imperfectly at best. Moreover, we're afraid its price tag may turn off ordinary computer users looking for what is ultimately a niche utility, while professional designers will prefer a full-blown graphics package. Nevertheless, amateur icon makers may well want to give this a try.

This program generates icons from picture files. Why pay a ton of money for icons when you can create your own. This program is very simple to use and is very inexpensive so anyone can use it.

IconDeveloper is a program that makes it a snap to create your own icons for Windows. With only a few clicks, any image you find on the Internet or create in a paint program can be turned into an icon. A host of built-in features automatically will create different sizes and formats of an icon, saving you a great deal of work. It even can change the colors of entire sets of icons (i.e. change all those blue folders to yellow folders without touching the rest of the icon). IconDeveloper 1.3 adds support for Windows Vista icons.Editor's review of IconDeveloper Icon creation made easy For better or worse, creating icons can't get much simpler than with IconDeveloper. If you want to tinker with images or build them from scratch, look elsewhere. This simple utility imports existing images and converts them to icons, and that's about all. The import process could hardly be easier. Just open a graphics file (the program supports most major formats), and IconDeveloper displays the image in a variety of dimensions. Choose as many as you like. The program converts the image and displays the result in a clean three-pane interface. IconDeveloper supports batch processing and can import images from the clipboard. It's a lucky thing the program is so easy to use, since it lacks a step-by-step wizard, and the online help is dubious at best. However, anyone who knows enough to build icons in the first place will find it a sleek and useful utility.

@icon sushi is an image to icon converter that supports the mask editor and the creation of Windows XP 32bit icons. Import: ICO/BMP/PNG/PSD/EXE/DLL/ICL, Export: ICO/BMP/PNG/ICL.

IconUtils is a new smoothly organized icon processing machine, which helps you to work with graphic files of various formats, create and edit your own icons (including Windows Vista icons) with color depths up to 32-bit True Color, print icon images, convert icons to files and more. This functional package consists of 4 specialized tools: IconLover, Any to Icon, Icon to Any, and Aha View. Version 4.10 added ability to make TGA images for PDA devices, support for Unicode characters, ability to customize file type icons.Editor's review of IconUtils Though simple to use, IconUtils offers a very powerful suite of icon-creation tools. The installer places four shortcuts on your desktop (if you decide you want them): Any to Icon, Icon to Any, AhaView, and IconLover. As you might guess, Any to Icon and Icon to Any convert various image files into icons and vice versa. Both utilities are fast and easy to use. IconLover, the actual icon-creation program, provides a plethora of implements and effects for creating attractive icons of any size. For instance, you'll find a large color palette as well as basic tools for zooming, rotating, painting, and drawing. And while its interface may overwhelm newer users, seasoned designers won't have a problem. AhaView is a simple, no-frills utility for viewing and converting images. We would have preferred a single application window that combined all four programs, but nevertheless, IconUtils packs a lot of functionality into a small file, making it an attractive choice for Web designers and other creative types.

Use Iconoid to hide your desktop icons when your cursor is not on the desktop so that you can see your desktop wallpaper. Also, make your desktop icon backgrounds transparent or change the color of the text or background. Save and restore icon positions and Hide windows quickly. Iconoid can be hidden or it can live in the system tray. Other features as well. Very customizable. Not resource intensive. Version 3.8.4 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, and bug fixes.Editor's review of Iconoid Highly configurable and easy to use, Iconoid makes quick work of customizing your icons' appearance and behavior. The program cannot be set to launch on start-up, but after a manual launch it's easily accessible via the system tray. The help files are extensive and useful, and the number of icon variables you can modify is impressive. Those looking to gain more control over the icons on their desktops will find Iconoid helpful.

Use this simple utility to edit Windows icons. IconoMaker contains a variety of paint tools to let you edit icons in either standard or custom sizes, in color depths up to 32-bit True Color. For Windows XP and Windows Vista icons, you can use semi-transparent areas. You can import and export ICO, PNG, XPM, and other images. Paint tools include color replacer, pencil, brush, flood fill and other. You can paint your icons exactly pixel by pixel. Version 3 includes support for Windows Vista icons and adds ability to draw smooth lines and shapes as well as support for BMP, GIF, and JPEG graphic formats.Editor's review of IconoMaker This application allows users to quickly create or edit Windows-supported icons; however, it lacks advanced features such as animation and sound. The well-designed interface makes the tool selection intuitive. Tool options include a color selector, text, shapes, a pencil, a brush, and flood fill. Windows XP users get the added ability to apply semitransparent areas on the icon. Color options range from monochrome to 32-bit and the icons can be created in standard or customized sizes. Image files such as ICO, ICPR, PNG, and XPM can be opened and saved, but this tool lacks the ability to recognize and import standard graphic files such as JPEG, BMP, and TIFF. This 15-day-trial program is useful for icon editing and creation, but entry-level users will need to look through the help file to use it.

Icon Library Manager, Image Icon Converter, Icon Explorer, Web Icon Extractor, Icon Library Download. Create icons from images in 30 formats, from Web pages, from screen capture, Export icons to 20 format files. Download icons (40,000+). Quickly generate html files for icons. Version 5 build 2005.10.18 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.Editor's review of ABBIcon Pro A powerful and extensive program, ABBIcon Pro boasts a straightforward interface and plenty of tools for managing, creating, and converting icons. It comes with an impressively large collection of premade icons depicting everything from a computer monitor to Austin Powers. You can't edit the bundled icons, but you can create your own images and export them to 17 file formats. ABBIcon Pro also extracts icons from folders and files and converts graphics, including those from Web sites. You can organize icons in libraries and folders, and sort and search them by keyword, size, and color parameters. (A peculiar bug we noticed during testing was that the program doesn't display found icons.) Web developers and anyone else who routinely deals with icons will find ABBIcon Pro a good addition to their toolboxes.

Pretty Icon Maker is a powerful icon/cursor editor that will enable you to create beautiful, professional looking icons with ease. The program can create, extract, and convert all windows icons from monochrome(1 bit) to Windows XP Icons with Alpha Channel(32 bit). A comprehensive collection of drawing tools and effects are included. All drawing tools have anti-alias and smoothness functions and excellent 3D gradient effects.

If you like everything dull, typical and common, don't ever visit BeeIcons.com or download Bee Icons. This program is intended for all fashion-conscious PC users who are willing to go beyond desktop beauty standards and make computer desktop the ultimate expression of their style. Bee Icons allows changing over 250 system icons by applying themes to them. Your PC will stand out from thousands of boring look-alikes, generating the OOOHs and AAAHs.Version 4.0.2.1 updates Norwegian, Romanian and Korean translations, adds Estonian translation, and contains numerous bug fixes.Editor's review of Bee Icons For the most part, Bee Icons does all you need to customize your system icons. You have your choice of more than 50 elegant themes, or you can choose icons one by one. Before opening an icon package, you can immediately preview its contents. Our only quibble is that the program can't automatically assign icons to a folder based on properties such as content type, size, date, and so forth. It is possible to save your icon set to apply on other computers. For those in need of a quick and easy desktop refresh, Bee Icons is a fine solution.

Easy Icon Maker is a small and easy-to-use icon-editing program. It allows you to edit a transparent or opaque icon with sizes of 16x16, 32x32, 48x48, or 64x64, or those that are customized. The colors may be monochrome (one bit), 16-color (four bits), 256-color (eight bits), true-color (24 bits), or true-color and alpha-channel (32 bits). You also may extract an icon from a binary file such as EXE, DLL, or OCX. You may import from or export to graphic files, and a capture button allows you to capture any area on the screen to the editor. Filter functions allow you to process the icon with special effects such as lightening, darkening, softening, and sharpening.Version 5.0 fixed alpha channel transparent problems, fixed known bugs, and improved stability and interface.Editor's review of Jordan Smith's Easy Icon Maker Primarily designed for editing preexisting icons and buttons, Easy Icon Maker also can be used to create basic icons from scratch. The program' features unorthodox yet intuitive interface. A detailed view of the icon you're working with takes up the most screen real estate, surrounded by a selection of common editing tools. A search function scans your PC for available icons to edit, and you can import various graphics. As for features, Easy Icon Maker gives you a lot to work with. Besides letting you alter basic attributes such as color and size, the app has a nice arsenal of effects, including sharpening, softening, embossing, and inverting. it even allows working with channels and set transparency to alpha channel. On the whole, Easy Icon Maker is a nice editing program that will be useful to Web designers or to anyone else who routinely works with icons.

Assign eye-catching icons to individual Windows folders, making every folder different. Simply select a folder and pick an icon you like from the built-in gallery of 350 icons, and the job can be done in only four mouse clicks.version 1.4.66 is a bug fixing release.Editor's review of Folder Style This utility adds variety to folder icons so that you can spot the one you need at a glance. The simple Folder Style interface makes it easy to change the look of an individual folder, although changing a large group takes a while. The program comes with a large collection of icons, including some for the Mac, or you can use your own images. Folder Style doesn't classify icons, which makes it difficult to view large collections. The program also doesn't let you automate icon changes based, for example, on when you last accessed the folder or file type. However, if all you want to do is customize folder icons, Folder Style may suffice.

IconStudio is a powerful advanced icon maker & cursor creator and extractor. IconStudio allows you to create and edit 32 x 32 buddy icons as well as import and export icons. You can create cursors as well. The program can create and edit icons with image formats in either standard or custom sizes, with color depths up to 256 colors. You can make buddy icons, aim buddy icons, messenger icons, and any other types of custom icons quickly & easily. The icon maker includes a full set of paint & editing tools include: pixel paint pencil, color picker, flood fill, eraser, transparency tool, text tool, line tool, rectangle and ellipse tools. It supports multiple undo & redo history so that you can always correct your mistakes when creating or editing icons & cursors.

Microangelo Creation is a robust, feature-packed icon editor. The application composes images using multiple editing layers. This strategy provides the maximum flexibility to position, manipulate, and blend the individual elements of an image. Creation excels in creating XP alpha-blended icons. It also frees the artist from the shackles of a fixed, 256-color palette when editing hi-color icons, allowing smooth gradients and full antialiasing. Creation's built-in Publish Check feature identifies and helps you resolve potential problems, assuring you that your final result always will support the Windows platforms you intend. Version 2.0 includes an image prefill option to speed development of all image formats. Complex selections can be built using any combination of Select tools. New 'highly visible' Selection and Shape cursors insure you'll always see the editing cursor clearly. Microangelo Creation is recommended for avid icon artists and professional developers.Editor's review of Microangelo Creation This basic icon- and cursor-creation tool packs solid tools into a very nice interface. Microangelo Creation uses a flexible work area with floating palettes you can rearrange for convenience. The tool icons hide a number of variations on their basic theme, which you access by clicking and holding the icons. Each tool also triggers contextual toolbars over the work area for even more options. Layers and opacity help you make complex images suitable for Windows XP. You'll also find a tool for automatically filling an object with color. In a major improvement over earlier versions, the New Format command lets you create icons in the standard size formats, from 16x16 to 48x48. However, each cursor set needs a standard arrow, text selection, window resizing, timer, and so on, on which the application still doesn't provide guidance. Also, the program doesn't support the ability to create animated cursors. Design tips are hidden away in the Authoring Topics subsection of the Reference Information help section, and if the program mentions how to install icons and cursors in Windows, we couldn't find it. Despite those bobbles, Microangelo Creation offers first-rate drawing tools for power users.

IconForge is a complete graphics suite for creating, extracting, and modifying icons, cursors, animated icons or cursors, and other images. It is used for creating icons for bookmarks and Favorites for your Web site, building filmstrip animation sequences, stitching together panels of icons, or even editing photos and other images. The program supports TWAIN scanners and camera devices, plug-in filters, and pressure-sensitive stylus and tablet devices.Version 7.12 includes enhancements to cut and paste, file dialogs, enlarge canvas function, color selector, correction of an annoyance when run on multiple monitors.Editor's review of IconForge Using the same icons, cursors, and wallpaper is like having houseguests overstay their welcome. IconForge lets you give your desktop a new personality with icons and cursors created from scratch or from existing images. This simple-to-master program employs tools common to many basic paint programs. IconForge is designed to work with small graphics, so every modification is made at the pixel level. Pixel by pixel, we were able to easily create icons from scratch using a full set of painting tools, patterns, and effects filters. Although it lacks a history panel, which would let you select from a list of previously performed actions to revert to a specific point, we found the utility packed with tools that made the creation process a snap. In addition to its basic function, IconForge comes with several other tool functions. ImageForge edits larger images prior to importing; ActivIcons places animated icons on your desktop; and Distribute Icons lets you pack icons into an installer file. Anyone looking to spruce up his or her PC can benefit from this program.

Icon Constructor converts BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG, PSD, TGA, and TIFF formats into Windows icons. You can find many images on the Internet and convert them to icons for use on your Windows desktop and in applications. It supports Windows XP icons in 32-bit color depth with an alpha channel; now you can create semitransparent XP icons easily. With only a few clicks, any image you find on the Internet or create in a paint program can be turned into an icon. Assign eye-catching icons to individual Windows folders, making every folder different. Our FriendlyLINK technology allows for the ability to create icons using pictures of your friends and family. By clicking on this icon, the default e-mail client will start and you'll be able to send an e-mail. The simple Icon Constructor interface makes it easy to change the look of an individual folder.Version 2.3 features a new user interface and styles, and adds ICQ, AIM, and e-mail shortcuts.Editor's review of Icon Constructor With its well-designed and stylish interface, Icon Constructor 2 is a good fit for a broad audience but may not be sufficiently robust for professional use. Icon Constructor takes images and transforms them into icons. Once created, the icon can be saved as a separate ICO file, attached to a folder or sent via e-mail. The clean interface is well designed and is easy to use for even the most basic computer operator. To convert, simply select a few basic options (all in clear buttons on the main program page). Icon Constructor doesn't allow image editing, but can crop or adjust the brightness/contrast of an image. It also allows you to change the size of icons, if the three predefined options aren't what you're looking for. The selection of image frames are limited. Overall, Icon Constructor is a basic yet reliable program that should please users looking to simply assemble icons without much fuss or frills.

Create and edit 16, 256, or full-color icons for use in all versions of Windows with Anything's an Icon. Use the image conversion tool to convert scanned images of friends and family, images from digital cameras, images from the Internet into full color icons. Compress any size images or JPEGs into icons. Use a full color pallet with transparency and drawing tools to get the right look. This program includes a sample library of 256-color icons scanned from popular games. Version 2.0d has a few bug fixes, small enhancements, and changes to contact information within the program.Editor's review of Anything's an Icon Perfectly serviceable if not quite perfect, Anything's an Icon offers most of the necessary image-editing tools to icon artists. Modify existing icons or create them from scratch using the expected color, font, and drawing functions available here. Some advanced options are missing, such as effects, sharpening and, more significantly, cropping. Icons can be saved in color formats ranging from 16-bit to 24-bit. Occasional icon creators may be satisfied with Anything's an Icon, but pros may need a more powerful option.

This image editor fully supports ICO, CUR, and BMP files of all color formats, including 32-bit. It also supports the loading of PNG and JPEG files. Use it to create multi-image icons and cursors from existing images in one click. You can convert professional images with transparency created with Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro into high-quality Windows XP icons or cursors with an alpha channel. To modify images, Paint Express offers various drawing tools, filters, and effects, as well as a built-in extractor for extracting icons, cursors, and bitmaps from resources in EXE, DLL, and OCX files. The searching results can be filtered based on file type and color. The program also features a screen-capture tool for grabbing any image from the desktop, including an Internet picture, a window, or a toolbar. You can edit, save, print, or convert the captured picture to an icon, a cursor, or a bitmap.Version 1.3 adds the ability to read PNG and JPEG files.Editor's review of Paint Express This program offers a decent set of tools for editing and creating cursors and icons. Before launching the program for the first time, you can choose whether to automatically associate it with any BMP, ICO, or CUR files on your PC. The interface likely will be old hat to those who are familiar with other image-editing apps, though we really wished the developer would have included a wizard or tutorial to assist less-experienced users. You'll find typical features such as color palettes, a variety of drawing tools, and a resizing function. Paint Express also serves up several filters and effects, such as blur, sharpening, opacity, and grayscale. Because it's not as self-explanatory as some other similar programs, this one will be best for those already versed in image-editing software.

Create graphics with your favorite painting program, then convert them into icon files with this program. You also can convert icon files into different images. The program supports BMP, ICO, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, and RAS formats. You can change the dimensions and the color depths of the images. You also can set pixels to be transparent, or, if the image has a color depth of 32bpp (Windows XP icon format), you can set an alpha value for each pixel. The program has its own menu in the mouse's right-button menu in Windows Explorer, where you can easily convert images from ICO, BMP, JPEG, PCX, PNG, RAS, and TGA to ICO, BMP, JPEG, PCX, PNG, RAS, and TGA.Editor's review of Frontbase Image to Icon The unsophisticated Frontbase Image to Icon lacks the kinds of features and usability that would make it first-rate. You can create nonanimated icons (including translucent ones for Windows XP), but the interface isn't convenient; you must manually design icons containing several images of different resolutions and color depths. The drop-down image list didn't impress us, either. Of the commands integrated into the Windows Context menu, JPEG conversion is the most useful. Frontbase Image to Icon's editing tools are conducive to experimentation, as you can always undo or revert. Without a tool to change local system icons, however, the program is unlikely to appeal to nondesigners, and most design professionals will probably want a more convenient tool. For that group in between, the intermediate or occasional designer, Frontbase Image to Icon may be of use.

Mark important folders, organize your data! Change an icon for any folder with two clicks. Select one of 129 professionally designed XP-style icons (colored, numbered, marked folders) or use any external icon. Extendable set of 262 specially chosen system icons is installed with FolderIcon XP. All changes may be logged and then reviewed or canceled one-by-one or all at once. You can change system's default folder icon. Batch processing (change all parents/subfolders) is supported. Simple and usable interface.

From the developer: "AWicons lets search, create, edit, import, export and manage icons, cursors, small graphics. Features: multilingual interface; full Windows XP icons support; many formats supported (ico, cur, ani, png, gif, bmp, jpg); all color formats supported (mono, 16, 256, 24-bits, 32-bits); many drawing tools; many drawing modifiers; many effects; import from large image and executables; working with icons library (icl)."

IconView Pro is a handy utility to manage Windows icons and icon libraries. It can extract icons from EXE, DLL, icon libraries, and other executable files that contain icon resources. The extracted icons can be saved in ICON, BMP, GIF, and JPEG formats, and also can be saved in icon libraries (collections of icons). It supports true-color and multiresolution icons.Editor's review of IconView Pro This small utility quickly locates and displays icons and throws in some handy features to boot. IconView Pro extracts icons in their true colors, saving them as ICO files or as BMP, JPEG, or GIF images. The straightforward interface displays the number of files searched and the number of icons found. We were thrilled with the batch-save option, which lets you save all selected icons in the same format, and the icon library, which groups selected icons into one file. One annoyance is a pop-up window that reminds you that you are using a trial version; it appears nearly every time you try to save or create a library. Beginning and intermediate users interested in managing their icons will find IconView Pro a good choice.

GetIcon is an icon ripper that supports EXE, DLL, SRC, SYS, and other executables. It is fast, small, and easy to use. Just select the directory (even a whole disk) and then click on Search. After some time you will get many icons in the destination directory.Editor's review of GetIcon This executable does such a great job of quickly extracting and saving icons that its plain-vanilla look won't bother you a bit. Select a source directory and a destination directory, hit Search, and you'll be amazed at how quickly GetIcon produces results. In seconds you'll see the number of icons found and the number of scanned files, all saved in the ICO format. The Search button would be more accurately labeled Execute since with one step, the application finds, extracts, and saves the files. It also would have helped if a Create Folder button were included. Despite these minor complaints, anyone wanting a speedy way to save their icons in one folder should get this handy freeware.

PixelToolbox is the complete solution for designing desktop graphics for the Windows operating system. Create, edit, and apply 1-bit patterns, wallpaper tiles, icons, and cursors - all from a single integrated environment. PixelToolbox offers the standard set of painting tools along with a few filters and features not found in other software. The unique interface, tools, and workflow were engineered to maximize your creative potential.

E-Icons lets you customize the shell icons on your system easily and quickly. You can change any of the standard Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP icons for the desktop, Start menu, drives, folders, and files. It also lets you use icon themes so you can change all icons at once or create your own themes, and it gives you the opportunity to assign an icon to any folder, any drive, and any registered file type.

IconCool Icon Editor is an icon editor that has all the functions for creating and editing ICO, ANI, CUR, GIF, JPEG, WMF, EMF, TGA, and WBMP files. You can convert images in 25 formats to icons, and you can modify or replace icon images in EXE, DLL, ICL, or any other format directly. The program includes 60 image filters, including blurring, sharpening, embossing, diffusing, and color balance. It has 15 image effects, including linear gradient, radial gradient, rectangular gradient, WAV, 3D shadow, 3D button, text gradient effects, noise, and arbitrary rotation. It has a smart image-capturing tool, which can be used to capture various-size images from desktops or from any other software. It supports Windows XP icons in 32-bit color depth with an alpha channel, so that you can create semitransparent XP icons. Version 5.60 build 70710 includes improvements for Vista icon and GIF formats creation.

Customize Icons allows you to change standard Windows icons and customize desktop attributes. You can easily replace, colorize and save the icons Windows uses to display various objects--My Computer, Recycle Bin, Internet, Start menu items, drives, system folders, your folders and other. You can also hide or change shortcut overlays. There are also commands that change the desktop icons size and color resolution, rebuild the icon cache.

Icon Plugin for Photoshop enhances Adobe Photoshop with an ability to export and import Windows icons (.ico). Thanks to this ability, users can create icons directly in Adobe Photoshop, using its powerful arsenal of creative tools and stylistic options. No intermediate files or extra icon editors are required. The plug-in supports multi-format icons, transparency and semi-transparency and allows making icons compatible with Windows XP and Vista.

ZNsoft Icon Maker 2.3 is an editor of icon simple and easy to use which to allow you create icons and cursors like Pro with a hundred examples, you can create of icons to start from your images and your photographs in only one clicks. ZNsoft Icon Maker 2.3 supports the English Language.Editor's review of ZNsoft Icon Maker Icons are the road signs of the computer desktop, helping computer users navigate an often-confusing maze of applications and shortcuts. This program is aimed at helping designers create graceful icons, but it falls short of rivals in several respects. The interface and toolbox look much like the Paint program that is included with Windows, offering only basic tools such as pen, fill, brush, and text, along with a few effects. The program allows users to convert image files into the ICO format, but can't extract images from executable files as do other programs of this type. On the whole, ZNsoft Icon Maker provides a foundation for making well-designed icons, but lacks the broader feature set most professionals will require.

IcoFX is an award winning freeware icon editor. It is an all-in-one solution for icon creation, extraction and editing. It is designed to work with Windows XP and Windows Vista icons supporting transparency. With a wealth of tools and more than 40 effects at your fingertips, theres virtually no limit to the icons you can create.

FolderHighlight is a tool, that makes the management of your folders' appearance more flexible and handy. With FolderHighlight you can mark out important folders with a color or an icon. Even though Windows already allows you to customize folder icons for this purpose, FolderHighlight is a much easier to use as it integrates into the Explorer right-click menu, so you can quickly mark any folder without having to go through additional dialogs. Version 1.3 new feature Infotip management is now available. You can easily manage Infotip for your folders. This is another great way to highlight your folder. New icons with improved color quality. New feature Clean is now available. You can remove colors from multiple folders at once. Editor's review of FolderHighlight While this program lets you change the appearance of the folders on your system, it's certainly nothing to write home about. FolderHighlight doesn't have, nor does it need, an interface. You'll simply right-click on any of your folders, within opened windows or on your desktop, then select the program's name on the menu presented. From there you can choose from one of six colors, including the standard default yellow, or you can select one of the three custom icons to further categorize folders. Though this simple utility could use some additional icon images, color palettes, and overall features, we suppose it could prove beneficial to anyone bogged down with numerous folders.

Using Folder Tweaker, you're able to change your folders' background image and icon within seconds. Folder Tweaker also integrates itself to your context menu, which make it easy for you to perform this task whenever you want. No installation required. Version 1.1 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

ByaiIcons is a small utility that will allow you to load and display the icon resources found in any disk file or application program. ByaiIcons allows you to select icon resources to be saved as individual ICO files. You may also drag file icons directly on to the Icon Extractor main window to quickly open and view the icon resources found in the specified disk file. ByaiIcons reads DLL, EXE, and OCX file formats.