Desktop icon

[peterthistle10]

Hi

I want to use a cat picture as the icon for my hard disk.

It is the cat at the bottom left, shown on this website:

http://sgun.hp.infoseek.co.jp/soz/eng/neko02.html

But that is just a .gif image.

Is there a free way to make it into an icon file? Perhaps some kind person could do it for me??

Thanks!

[sirstaunch]

Cute

Save the one you want to the desktop or anywhere on the computer, one click on it's icon so it's highlighted, goto file menu, select get info, then you will see it's picture at the top of the info window. click that icon, then goto edit menu and select copy

Then select the harddisk icon and again, file menu and select get info, click on the icon on the info window, then edit menu and paste

[barhar]

Quick and dirty (free) way:

01. Go to the 'web page', do a right button click ('<control> click', if using a single button mouse) on the desired image file, and select the contextual menu's 'Copy Image' menu item.
02. Locate and click on the (desired) hard disk drive's icon, and select 'Finder's 'File, Get Info' menu item ('Command I').
03. Click on the upper left (small) icon [a blue tint will appear around the icon], and then select 'Finder's 'Edit, Paste' menu item ('Command V').
04. Close the '... info' window.

[peterthistle10]

Thats great and it works thanks!

One small issue - the background to the icon is white, so it looks like a white rectangle on the desktop. Is there a way to get the background transparent so it looks like a proper icon?

[ecirtap]

FYI (in case anybody is interested and/or didn't know): those cats are good-luck symbols - and supposed to bring money/fortune... You'll see them all over shops and businesses in Asia... (I got one too... running on a battery, so the raised arm keeps waving the money to come in... :-))

patrice
http://www.patriceschneider.com/apple-osx/blog/

[sirstaunch]

Originally Posted by peterthistle10

Thats great and it works thanks!

One small issue - the background to the icon is white, so it looks like a white rectangle on the desktop. Is there a way to get the background transparent so it looks like a proper icon?

There are ways to make the white transperant in photoshop or maybe some other icon app. You could look through macupdate.com with search word icon, or icon maker unless someone knows an app in OSX¿?

[fryke]

I believe none are free. I hope to be wrong, though.

[barhar]

Disregarding the 'free' request ...

Download and install 'GraphicConverter' (with the 'Users Manual').

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Creating a 'Transparent' icon.

01. Either drag the web page's graphic onto 'GraphicConverter's icon ('Desktop' or 'Dock' bound), or save the web page's graphic to your Mac and then drag the graphic file onto 'GraphicConverter'.
02. Enlarge the graphic (to 300% or greater) via the popup menu at the low left of the window (you will see '100%' and a downward arrow).
03. Press 'w' (keyboard key - for the 'magic pen', also accessible via the 'Toolbox' - 'Window, Show Toolbox' menu item or 'Command K'), and click between the legs of the kitten.
04. Press and keep pressed the '<shift>' key, as you click somewhere outside the kitten. A dual selection now exists.
05. Select 'GraphicConverter's 'Edit, Make Selection Transparent' menu item.
06. Select 'GraphicConverter's 'File, Save as...' menu item. The 'Save' window will appear.
07. Press 'Command D' to set the 'Desktop' as the new files destination.
08. Make sure the 'Set Format from Extension' check box has a check mark present.
09. Click on the 'Preferences...' button. The 'Preferences' window will appear.
10. Locate 'Save' (in bold type) in the left hand list, and select 'General' under it.
11. Make sure (at least) the 'Add resource fork', and then the 'Create custom icon' check box'es have a check mark present.
12. Click the 'Preferences' window's 'OK' button.
13. Enter a new name for the new file, so as not to overwrite the original file. Just append '_01' to the existing name.
14. Click the 'Save' window's 'Save' button.

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Transferring the transparent icon to a folder / volume.

01. Locate and click once on the icon of the file ('nekoIR08_01.gif') created above, and select 'Finder's 'File, Get Info' menu item ('Command I').
02. Click on the upper left (small) icon, and then select 'Finder's 'Edit, Copy' menu item ('Command C').
03. Locate and click once on the (desired) folder's or hard disk drive's icon, and select 'Finder's 'File, Get Info' menu item ('Command I').
04. Click on the upper left (small) icon, and then select 'Finder's 'Edit, Paste' menu item ('Command V').
05. Close the '... info' windows.

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For 'Icon' creation / editing tools (commercial, shareware, freeware) visit 'VersionTracker'.