Icons are used everywhere; right from software applications, to internet browsers, to operating systems to websites and even in print media. But businesses have to waste a good deal of money and time in manufacturing icons on their own. Professional icons are tough to create and need expertise in terms of creative artists, lots of time and software. But just as in any other field today, here again there are specialized organizations dedicated to manufacturing and supplying ready made icons. This article is meant for those of you who intent to purchase readymade XP icons online for your applications So what are XP style icons?
XP style icons are
in-thing now-a-days and are preferred above all other icons. This is because of fact XP icons look more professional and blend effortlessly into your applications. Some basic features of XP style icons are as follows;
Features of XP style icons
1.) XP style icons have rich color and look richer because of use of gradients 2.) XP style icons have smooth edges and corners that are soft and look slightly rounded 3.) XP icons can have a drop shadow effect that provides additional dimension and contrast to icons 4.) The XP icons look appealing as light source comes from upper left hand corner creating an illuminating effect (You can check out http://www.icongalore.com and ‘iconpharm.com’ to get some idea about XP style icons) What kind of XP icons should I go for?
While purchasing XP icons online you got to be sure of your objectives. There are different types of icons available and each one is specific to a particular application. The different formats, sizes and colors in which XP icons are available are discussed below along with their usage.
Formats in which XP icons are available
1.) Gif, PNG and Jpeg Format Gif/PNG/Jpeg format icons can be used for web applications or any other application which can be accessed with help of a browser.
2.) Ico Format Ico format icons are meant for use in software/GUI applications for windows. You can also use .ico format icons to create icons to display in favorites or bookmark lists of a web browser.
3.) Vector Format A vector format icon (.ai format icons) can be stretched to a huge extent (to king size) and can be used in printing, advertisements etc. They produce sharp images when printed.
Sizes in which XP icons are available
XP icons are available in four different sizes that include 16X16 pixels, 24X24 pixels, 32X32 pixels and 48X48 pixels. 16x16 pixel icons can be used in toolbars, menus and applications, 24x24 pixel icons can be used only in tool bars and display menus, where as 32x32 and 48X48 pixel icons can be used in applications.
Colors in which XP icons are available
XP icons can be brought in four different colors (monochrome, 16 color, 256 color and true/8 bit color) depending on your needs. All icon creators will provide you with icons in 256 and true colors. You can decide on icon color to use in your applications based on your customer needs. Monochrome and 16 color icons are rarely used today.
What should I get after purchasing and downloading icons?
After purchase you should get your XP icons in two formats (.ico and .gif), each format in two colors (256 colors and true colors) and each icon four different sizes (as mentioned above). So in case your purchase an icon package having 100 icons, you should have 100 X 2 X 2 X 4 = 1600 icons. Some icon developers may also provide you icons with drop shadow effect and without drop shadow along with above. Vector icons are not provided by all vendors and those who do provide vector icons would do so only on request. Some good vendors who offer vector icons are icongalore.com and iconpharm.com. In addition Jpeg and PNG format icons are offered for free by some vendors on request while purchase.
