[Project Complete] Software icon - $60 - Rush deadline: March 23rd.

[trevorh]

(Admin code added by Palmer - 7476698621)

This should be pretty easy money for someone with software icon experience. We need a software icon in .ico format for our new program, Print Audit 5. The file should contain the following sizes: 16x16, 32x32 and 48x48. The color depths should be 24-bit with 8-bit alpha (32-bit), 8-bit and 4-bit.

For the design I am thinking we can use the round part of the Print Audit 5 logo, but with the words Analysis, Reduction and Recovery removed from the puzzle pieces. The size of the 5 will probably need to be increased to make it clear on the 16x16 icon.

Here's an EPS of our logo:

http://www.printaudit.com/images/Print_Audit_5_logo.eps

The 32x32 and 16x16 8-bit icons are the most important and hardest to make look good. Please make sure the edges are smooth. The icon does not have to be round, but round is preferred.

If you are not familiar with creating windows icons, please refer to this guide:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnwxp/html/winxpicons.asp

Deadline: March 23.

[trevorh]

Is anyone working on this?

[pracus]

bad file :)

[trevorh]

Thanks, but there are two major problems. You have don't have transparency or 8-bit color icons. I can't make any kind of judgement until I see those.

[pracus]

http://republika.pl/airliners2004/Print_Audit_5_icons.zip

[trevorh]

Looking better. The transparency needs work though. I would focus on the 16x16 for now because that is the most imporant. You can see in the attached pictures that it looks good on lighter backgrounds, but not on the darker blue. You can see the sample icon in the attachment also has a bit of jaggedness, but not as much as yours. I know it's nearly impossible to make the edges completely smooth in 256 color. I would consider smoothness similar to the edges on the sample to be acceptable.

[trevorh]

Pracus and anyone else thinking of joining. The icon doesn't have to be round, although I would prefer that it be. If you can think of a creative way to make it look good square then go for it. That way you don't have to deal with the 256 color transparency issues.

[pracus]

I'll try until you're happy :)

http://republika.pl/airliners2004/Print_Audit_5_icon.ico

[trevorh]

The 16x16 is looking a lot smoother now, but it looks more oval than circular now too. Your colors need work too. They are too bright. The green around the 5 should be more of dark blue-green, but you can worry about that later if you want and just try to make it more circular for now. Thanks.

[pracus]

http://republika.pl/airliners2004/PA_5_icon.ico

[trevorh]

The colors are good now, but I'm not crazy about the look of the 32x32 and 48x48 icons. Please go back to the design you originally had for those 2 sizes, except use these new colors.

The edges of the 16x16 need work. The colors you particularly want the transparency to look good on are the blue used in the Windows XP theme title bars and task bar, the dark purplish-blue used in the title bars of the classic Windows theme, and the gray used in the taskbar of the classic Windows theme. Thanks.

[trevorh]

Hi, have a look at these samples. The top icon is the latest one you sent me. The others are modified versions. I think the key to making it look good on all backgrounds is giving it a somewhat octagonal look instead of perfectly round. The 'test 4' icon looks good on darker backgrounds and not so good on lighter ones. I think test 8 one looks the best.

[trevorh]

Here is the modified file. Can you change the green color around the 5 to the more bluish color you used in your previous icons? And then all you have to do is add the other color depths and we're done.

[pracus]

like this?
sorry if I misunderstood something
http://republika.pl/airliners2004/test.ico

[trevorh]

These look fine. The first .ico you posted in this thread had the icons in true color. You need to add those true color icons to the icon file too. You can have true color and 256 color icons together in the same .ico file. Please also make the true color ones transparent and change that original green you used to the bluish-green color you're using in the 256 color icons. Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

[pracus]

like this? http://republika.pl/airliners2004/test.ico

[trevorh]

Yes, the 32x32 and 16x16 true color ones still aren't transparent though. The 48x48 true color one is transparent but the edges are pretty jagged. You should be able to make the edges on the true color icons look perfectly smooth.

[pracus]

ooops! sorry, my mistake! I've hosted bad file
http://republika.pl/airliners2004/test.ico

[PixelMaster]

I see this contest is still going!!
Here's my offer.

[trevorh]

Pracus, the edges are still very rough. If you look at other round, true color, icons in XP you will see that their edges are almost perfectly smooth. I think what you need to do is create a .png file with a transparent background from your original vector and then import it into microangelo, or whatever program you're using. You may want to take another look at that guide link I posted above. Thanks.

[pracus]

sorry for all mistakes all the time!
i hope that will be good :)

http://republika.pl/airliners2004/PA5.ico

[trevorh]

Sorry pixel, you got here a little too late. Pracus wins. Contest over.

[PixelMaster]

trevorh,
I am glad you were able to find the quality you think you were looking for. :)

[PixelMaster]

Good job Pracus, and congratulations. ;)

[pracus]

thanks to you, PixelMaster and to you, Trevorh!