IconBuilder is a popular plugin for Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...

, Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop Elements

Adobe Photoshop Elements is the consumer version of the Adobe Photoshop raster image editing product, targeted at hobbyist users and hence sold at a fraction of the cost of the professional product. It contains most of the features of the professional version but with fewer and simpler options...

 and Macromedia Fireworks

Macromedia Fireworks

Adobe Fireworks is a bitmap and vector graphics editor. It was originally developed using parts of xRes by Macromedia, which Adobe acquired in 2005, and aimed at web designers for rapidly creating website prototypes and application interfaces...

 for the editing and creation of computer icons

Icon (computing)

A computer icon is a pictogram displayed on a computer screen and used to navigate a computer system or mobile device. The icon itself is a small picture or symbol serving as a quick, intuitive representation of a software tool, function or a data file accessible on the system. It functions as an...

 created and used by The Iconfactory

The Iconfactory

The Iconfactory is a small software and graphic design company that specializes in creating icons and software for creating and using icons. The company was founded in April 1996 by Corey Marion, Talos Tsui, and Gedeon Maheux. Lead Engineer Craig Hockenberry joined the company in 1997 and Artist...

. It supports all icon sizes for both Mac OS X

Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...

 and Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

. IconBuilder was created when there was no official tool from Apple Computer

Apple Computer

Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...

 for making icons in the .icns

Apple Icon Image

The Apple Icon Image format is the icon format used in Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X. It supports icons of 16×16, 32×32, 48×48, 128×128, 256×256 and 512×512 pixels, with both 1- and 8-bit alpha channels and multiple image states...

 format introduced by Mac OS 8.5.

The Windows version is at version 2.0, lagging far behind the Macintosh version. The Mac OS 9

Mac OS 9

Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...

 version is frozen at 3.1. Version 8 adds support for Windows Vista

Windows Vista

Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...

's 256×256 icons.

Alternatives are Folder Icon Maker X and Viou.

Features

• Create icons of any size, up to 1,024×1,024 pixel
  Pixel
  In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
  
  s.
• Supports Mac OS X icon drop state.
• Export to multiple file formats simultaneously.
• Import existing icons.
• File integrity checks.

External links

• IconBuilder website
• Ko Maruyama (5 Oct 2005) IconBuilder 8 The IconFactory lets you take a closer look at art, Digital Media Online