<s>
In	O
computing	O
,	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
a	O
pictogram	B-Application
or	O
ideogram	O
displayed	O
on	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
screen	I-Device
in	O
order	O
to	O
help	O
the	O
user	O
navigate	O
a	O
computer	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
icon	B-Application
itself	O
is	O
a	O
quickly	O
comprehensible	O
symbol	O
of	O
a	O
software	O
tool	O
,	O
function	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
data	B-General_Concept
file	I-General_Concept
,	O
accessible	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
and	O
is	O
more	O
like	O
a	O
traffic	O
sign	O
than	O
a	O
detailed	O
illustration	O
of	O
the	O
actual	O
entity	O
it	O
represents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
serve	O
as	O
an	O
electronic	O
hyperlink	O
or	O
file	B-Operating_System
shortcut	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
program	O
or	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user	O
can	O
activate	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
using	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
,	O
pointer	O
,	O
finger	O
,	O
or	O
voice	B-Application
commands	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
activating	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
,	O
the	O
user	O
can	O
move	O
directly	O
into	O
and	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
identified	O
function	O
without	O
knowing	O
anything	O
further	O
about	O
the	O
location	O
or	O
requirements	O
of	O
the	O
file	B-Operating_System
or	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icons	O
as	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
of	O
the	O
computer	O
system	O
,	O
in	O
conjunction	O
with	O
windows	O
,	O
menus	O
and	O
a	O
pointing	B-Device
device	I-Device
(	O
mouse	B-Device
)	O
,	O
belong	O
to	O
the	O
much	O
larger	O
topic	O
of	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
that	O
has	O
largely	O
supplanted	O
the	O
text-based	B-Application
interface	I-Application
for	O
casual	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
computing	O
definition	O
of	O
"	O
icon	B-Application
"	O
can	O
include	O
three	O
distinct	O
semiotical	O
elements	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Icon	B-Application
,	O
which	O
resembles	O
its	O
referent	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
road	O
sign	O
for	O
falling	O
rocks	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
category	O
includes	O
stylized	O
drawings	O
of	O
objects	O
from	O
the	O
office	O
environment	O
or	O
from	O
other	O
professional	O
areas	O
such	O
as	O
printers	O
,	O
scissors	O
,	O
file	B-Operating_System
cabinets	O
and	O
folders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
category	O
includes	O
standardized	O
symbols	O
found	O
across	O
many	O
electronic	O
devices	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
power	O
on/off	O
symbol	O
and	O
the	O
USB	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
skeuomorphism	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
example	O
is	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
floppy	B-Device
disk	I-Device
to	O
represent	O
saving	O
data	O
;	O
even	O
though	O
floppy	B-Device
disks	I-Device
have	O
been	O
obsolete	O
for	O
roughly	O
a	O
quarter	O
century	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
still	O
recognized	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
save	O
icon	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Synecdoche	O
is	O
considered	O
as	O
a	O
special	O
case	O
of	O
metonymy	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
usual	O
sense	O
of	O
the	O
part	O
standing	O
for	O
the	O
whole	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
single	O
component	O
for	O
the	O
entire	O
system	O
,	O
speaker	B-Device
driver	I-Device
for	O
the	O
entire	O
audio	O
system	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
icons	O
can	O
be	O
categorised	O
as	O
brand	O
icons	O
,	O
used	O
to	O
identify	O
commercial	O
software	B-Application
programs	I-Application
and	O
are	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
brand	O
identity	O
of	O
a	O
company	O
or	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
commercial	O
icons	O
serve	O
as	O
functional	O
links	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
to	O
the	O
program	O
or	O
data	B-General_Concept
files	I-General_Concept
created	O
by	O
a	O
specific	O
software	O
provider	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
icons	O
are	O
usually	O
depicted	O
in	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interfaces	I-Application
,	O
icons	O
are	O
sometimes	O
rendered	O
in	O
a	O
TUI	B-Application
using	O
special	O
characters	O
such	O
as	O
MouseText	B-Device
or	O
PETSCII	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
limited	O
in	O
size	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
standard	O
size	O
about	O
a	O
thumbnail	O
for	O
both	O
desktop	B-Device
computer	I-Device
systems	O
and	O
mobile	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
frequently	O
scalable	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
are	O
displayed	O
in	O
different	O
positions	O
in	O
the	O
software	O
,	O
a	O
single	O
icon	B-Application
file	B-Operating_System
such	O
as	O
the	O
Apple	O
Icon	B-Application
Image	O
format	O
can	O
include	O
multiple	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
icon	B-Application
optimized	O
to	O
work	O
at	O
a	O
different	O
size	O
,	O
in	O
colour	O
or	O
grayscale	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
on	O
dark	O
and	O
bright	O
backgrounds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
colors	O
used	O
,	O
of	O
both	O
the	O
image	O
and	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
background	O
,	O
should	O
stand	O
out	O
on	O
different	O
system	O
backgrounds	O
and	O
among	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
detailing	O
of	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
image	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
simple	O
,	O
remaining	O
recognizable	O
in	O
varying	O
graphical	O
resolutions	O
and	O
screen	O
sizes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
most	O
systems	O
,	O
users	O
can	O
create	O
and	O
delete	O
,	O
replicate	O
,	O
select	B-General_Concept
,	O
click	O
or	O
double-click	O
standard	O
computer	O
icons	O
and	O
drag	O
them	O
to	O
new	O
positions	O
on	O
the	O
screen	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
customized	O
user	B-Application
environment	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
these	O
are	O
the	O
power	O
symbol	O
and	O
the	O
USB	O
icon	B-Application
,	O
which	O
are	O
found	O
on	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
electronic	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
designing	O
software	O
operating	O
systems	O
,	O
different	O
companies	O
have	O
incorporated	O
and	O
defined	O
these	O
standard	O
symbols	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
MSDN	O
defines	O
the	O
standard	O
icon	B-Application
use	O
of	O
error	O
,	O
warning	O
,	O
information	O
and	O
question	O
mark	O
icons	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
their	O
software	O
development	O
guidelines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
organization	O
invested	O
in	O
the	O
promotion	O
of	O
effective	O
icon	B-Application
usage	O
is	O
the	O
ICT	O
(	O
information	O
and	O
communications	O
technologies	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
published	O
guidelines	O
for	O
the	O
creation	O
and	O
use	O
of	O
icons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
a	O
Signifier	O
pointing	O
to	O
a	O
Signified	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Easily	O
comprehendible	O
icons	O
will	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
familiar	O
visual	O
metaphors	O
directly	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
Signified	O
:	O
actions	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
initiate	O
or	O
the	O
content	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
revealed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Metaphors	O
,	O
Metonymy	O
and	O
Synecdoche	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
encode	O
the	O
meaning	O
in	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Signified	O
can	O
have	O
multiple	O
natures	O
:	O
virtual	O
objects	O
such	O
as	O
Files	O
and	O
Applications	B-Application
,	O
actions	O
within	O
a	O
system	O
or	O
an	O
application	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
monitor	B-Device
,	O
compact	O
disk	O
,	O
mouse	B-Device
,	O
printer	O
etc	O
...	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
includes	O
the	O
basic	O
icons	O
used	O
for	O
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
,	O
file	B-Operating_System
folder	O
,	O
trashcan	O
,	O
inbox	O
,	O
together	O
with	O
the	O
spatial	O
real	O
estate	O
of	O
the	O
screen	O
,	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Desktop	B-Application
Metaphor	I-Application
,	O
pg	O
2	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
desktop	B-Device
computer	I-Device
icons	O
developed	O
over	O
several	O
decades	O
;	O
data	B-General_Concept
files	I-General_Concept
in	O
the	O
1950s	O
,	O
the	O
hierarchical	O
storage	O
system	O
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
the	O
file	B-Operating_System
folder	O
and	O
filing	O
cabinet	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
1960s	O
,	O
and	O
finally	O
the	O
desktop	B-Application
metaphor	I-Application
itself	O
(	O
including	O
the	O
trashcan	O
)	O
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dr.	O
David	O
Canfield	O
Smith	O
associated	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
icon	B-Application
"	O
with	O
computing	O
in	O
his	O
landmark	O
1975	O
PhD	O
thesis	O
"	O
Pygmalion	O
:	O
A	O
Creative	O
Programming	B-Application
Environment	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dr.	O
Smith	O
later	O
served	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
principal	O
designers	O
of	O
the	O
Xerox	B-Operating_System
Star	I-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
became	O
the	O
first	O
commercially	O
available	O
personal	O
computing	O
system	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
desktop	B-Application
metaphor	I-Application
when	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1981	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
desktop	O
and	O
icons	O
displayed	O
in	O
this	O
first	O
desktop	O
model	O
are	O
easily	O
recognizable	O
by	O
users	O
several	O
decades	O
later	O
,	O
and	O
display	O
the	O
main	O
components	O
of	O
the	O
desktop	B-Application
metaphor	I-Application
GUI	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
model	O
of	O
the	O
desktop	B-Application
metaphor	I-Application
has	O
been	O
adopted	O
by	O
most	O
personal	O
computing	O
systems	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
decades	O
of	O
the	O
20th	O
century	O
;	O
it	O
remains	O
popular	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
simple	O
intuitive	O
navigation	O
by	O
single	O
user	O
on	O
single	O
system.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
only	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
21st	O
century	O
that	O
personal	O
computing	O
is	O
evolving	O
a	O
new	O
metaphor	O
based	O
on	O
Internet	O
connectivity	O
and	O
teams	O
of	O
users	O
,	O
cloud	B-Architecture
computing	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
new	O
model	O
,	O
data	O
and	O
tools	O
are	O
no	O
longer	O
stored	O
on	O
the	O
single	O
system	O
,	O
instead	O
they	O
are	O
stored	O
someplace	O
else	O
,	O
"	O
in	B-Architecture
the	I-Architecture
cloud	I-Architecture
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cloud	O
metaphor	O
is	O
replacing	O
the	O
desktop	O
model	O
;	O
it	O
remains	O
to	O
be	O
seen	O
how	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
common	O
desktop	O
icons	O
(	O
file	B-Operating_System
,	O
file	B-Operating_System
folder	O
,	O
trashcan	O
,	O
inbox	O
,	O
filing	O
cabinet	O
)	O
find	O
a	O
place	O
in	O
this	O
new	O
metaphor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
further	O
type	O
of	O
computer	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
more	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
brand	O
identity	O
of	O
the	O
software	B-Application
programs	I-Application
available	O
on	O
the	O
computer	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
function	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
as	O
the	O
hyperlink	O
icons	O
described	O
above	O
,	O
representing	O
functionality	O
accessible	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
and	O
providing	O
links	O
to	O
either	O
a	O
software	B-Application
program	I-Application
or	O
data	B-General_Concept
file	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
these	O
company	O
and	O
program	O
logos	B-Device
represent	O
the	O
company	O
and	O
product	O
itself	O
,	O
much	O
attention	O
is	O
given	O
to	O
their	O
design	O
,	O
done	O
frequently	O
by	O
commercial	O
artists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
to	O
create	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
consistency	O
in	O
the	O
UI	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
some	O
GUI	B-Application
systems	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
)	O
,	O
on	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
which	O
represents	O
an	O
object	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
)	O
a	O
certain	O
additional	O
subsystem	O
can	O
add	O
a	O
smaller	O
secondary	O
icon	B-Application
,	O
laid	O
over	O
the	O
primary	O
icon	B-Application
and	O
usually	O
positioned	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
its	O
corners	O
,	O
to	O
indicate	O
the	O
status	O
of	O
the	O
object	O
which	O
is	O
represented	O
with	O
the	O
primary	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
instance	O
,	O
the	O
subsystem	O
for	O
locking	O
files	O
can	O
add	O
a	O
"	O
padlock	O
"	O
overlay	O
icon	B-Application
on	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
which	O
represents	O
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
in	O
order	O
to	O
indicate	O
that	O
the	O
file	B-Operating_System
is	O
locked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
computer	B-Device
monitor	I-Device
continues	O
to	O
display	O
primary	O
icons	O
on	O
the	O
main	O
page	O
or	O
desktop	O
,	O
allowing	O
easy	O
and	O
quick	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
most	O
commonly	O
used	O
functions	O
for	O
a	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
secondary	O
icons	O
do	O
not	O
provide	O
a	O
link	O
like	O
the	O
primary	O
icons	O
,	O
instead	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
show	O
availability	O
of	O
a	O
tool	O
or	O
file	B-Operating_System
on	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Above	O
all	O
,	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
itself	O
must	O
remain	O
clearly	O
identifiable	O
on	O
the	O
display	O
screen	O
regardless	O
of	O
its	O
position	O
and	O
size	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Programs	O
might	O
display	O
their	O
icon	B-Application
not	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
desktop	O
hyperlink	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
in	O
the	O
program	O
title	O
bar	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
Start	O
menu	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
Microsoft	O
tray	O
or	O
the	O
Apple	O
dock	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icon	B-Application
design	O
factors	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
the	O
topic	O
for	O
extensive	O
usability	O
studies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
icon	B-Application
needs	O
to	O
be	O
clear	O
and	O
easily	O
recognizable	O
,	O
able	O
to	O
display	O
on	O
monitors	O
of	O
widely	O
varying	O
size	O
and	O
resolutions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
icon	B-Application
needs	O
to	O
be	O
colorful	O
enough	O
to	O
easily	O
pick	O
out	O
on	O
the	O
display	O
screen	O
,	O
and	O
contrast	O
well	O
with	O
any	O
background	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
increasing	O
ability	O
to	O
customize	O
the	O
desktop	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
important	O
for	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
itself	O
to	O
display	O
in	O
a	O
standard	O
color	O
which	O
cannot	O
be	O
modified	O
,	O
retaining	O
its	O
characteristic	O
appearance	O
for	O
immediate	O
recognition	O
by	O
the	O
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
color	O
it	O
should	O
also	O
provide	O
some	O
visual	O
indicator	O
as	O
to	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
state	O
;	O
activated	O
,	O
available	O
or	O
currently	O
not	O
accessible	O
(	O
"	O
greyed	O
out	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
standard	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
generally	O
the	O
size	O
of	O
an	O
adult	O
thumb	O
,	O
enabling	O
both	O
easy	O
visual	O
recognition	O
and	O
use	O
in	O
a	O
touchscreen	B-Device
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
width	O
and	O
height	O
of	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
are	O
the	O
same	O
(	O
1:1	O
aspect	O
ratio	O
)	O
in	O
almost	O
all	O
areas	O
of	O
traditional	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
example	O
is	O
when	O
application	O
icons	O
"	O
wobble	O
"	O
in	O
iOS	B-Application
to	O
convey	O
to	O
the	O
user	O
they	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
be	O
repositioned	O
by	O
being	O
dragged	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
different	O
from	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
with	O
animated	O
graphics	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
Throbber	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
static	O
icons	O
and	O
icons	O
with	O
animated	O
graphics	O
,	O
kinetic	O
behaviors	O
do	O
not	O
alter	O
the	O
visual	O
content	O
of	O
an	O
element	O
(	O
whereas	O
fades	O
,	O
blurs	O
,	O
tints	O
,	O
and	O
addition	O
of	O
new	O
graphics	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
badges	O
,	O
exclusively	O
alter	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
's	O
pixels	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stated	O
differently	O
,	O
pixels	O
in	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
can	O
be	O
moved	O
,	O
rotated	O
,	O
stretched	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
on	O
-	O
but	O
not	O
altered	O
or	O
added	O
to	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
its	O
primary	O
function	O
as	O
a	O
symbolic	O
image	O
,	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
design	O
should	O
ideally	O
be	O
divorced	O
from	O
any	O
single	O
language	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
products	O
which	O
are	O
targeting	O
the	O
international	O
marketplace	O
,	O
the	O
primary	O
design	O
consideration	O
is	O
that	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
non-verbal	O
;	O
localizing	O
text	O
in	O
icons	O
is	O
costly	O
and	O
time-consuming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
graphical	O
devices	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
computer	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
fulfill	O
GUI	B-Application
functions	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
computer	O
icons	O
described	O
above	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
each	O
of	O
these	O
related	O
graphical	O
devices	O
differs	O
in	O
one	O
way	O
or	O
another	O
from	O
the	O
standard	O
computer	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
graphical	O
windows	O
on	O
the	O
computer	B-Device
screen	I-Device
share	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
visual	O
and	O
functional	O
characteristics	O
of	O
the	O
computer	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Windows	O
can	O
be	O
minimized	O
to	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
format	O
to	O
serve	O
as	O
a	O
hyperlink	O
to	O
the	O
window	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
where	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
provides	O
a	O
single	O
button	O
to	O
initiate	O
some	O
function	O
,	O
the	O
principal	O
function	O
of	O
the	O
window	O
is	O
a	O
workspace	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
minimized	O
to	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
hyperlink	O
when	O
not	O
in	O
use	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
time	O
,	O
certain	O
GUI	B-Application
widgets	O
have	O
gradually	O
appeared	O
which	O
are	O
useful	O
in	O
many	O
contexts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
these	O
widgets	O
,	O
a	O
user	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
define	O
and	O
manipulate	O
the	O
data	O
and	O
the	O
display	O
for	O
the	O
software	B-Application
program	I-Application
they	O
are	O
working	O
with	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
control	O
widgets	O
are	O
standardized	O
pictograms	B-Application
used	O
in	O
the	O
graphical	B-Application
interface	I-Application
,	O
they	O
offer	O
an	O
expanded	O
set	O
of	O
user	O
functionalities	O
beyond	O
the	O
hyperlink	O
function	O
of	O
computer	O
icons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
GUI	B-Application
icon	B-Application
is	O
exemplified	O
by	O
the	O
smiley	O
face	O
,	O
a	O
pictogram	B-Application
embedded	O
in	O
a	O
text	O
message	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
smiley	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
extension	O
other	O
emoticons	B-Protocol
,	O
are	O
used	O
in	O
computer	O
text	O
to	O
convey	O
information	O
in	O
a	O
non-verbal	O
binary	O
shorthand	O
,	O
frequently	O
involving	O
the	O
emotional	O
context	O
of	O
the	O
message	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
emoticons	B-Protocol
are	O
very	O
different	O
from	O
the	O
icon	B-Application
hyperlinks	O
described	O
above	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
text	O
hyperlink	O
performs	O
much	O
the	O
same	O
function	O
as	O
the	O
functional	O
computer	O
icon	B-Application
:	O
it	O
provides	O
a	O
direct	O
link	O
to	O
some	O
function	O
or	O
data	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
design	O
requirements	O
,	O
icon	B-Application
creation	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
time-consuming	O
and	O
costly	O
process	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
a	O
plethora	O
of	O
icon	B-Application
creation	O
tools	O
to	O
be	O
found	O
on	O
the	O
Internet	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
professional	O
level	O
tools	O
through	O
utilities	O
bundled	O
with	O
software	O
development	O
programs	O
to	O
stand-alone	O
freeware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Given	O
this	O
wide	O
availability	O
of	O
icon	B-Application
tools	O
and	O
icon	B-Application
sets	O
,	O
a	O
problem	O
can	O
arise	O
with	O
custom	O
icons	O
which	O
are	O
mismatched	O
in	O
style	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
icons	O
included	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icons	O
underwent	O
a	O
change	O
in	O
appearance	O
from	O
the	O
early	O
8-bit	O
pixel	O
art	O
used	O
pre-2000	O
to	O
a	O
more	O
photorealistic	O
appearance	O
featuring	O
effects	O
such	O
as	O
softening	O
,	O
sharpening	O
,	O
edge	O
enhancement	O
,	O
a	O
glossy	O
or	O
glass-like	O
appearance	O
,	O
or	O
drop	O
shadows	O
which	O
are	O
rendered	O
with	O
an	O
alpha	B-Algorithm
channel	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Icon	B-Application
editors	O
used	O
on	O
these	O
early	O
platforms	O
usually	O
contain	O
a	O
rudimentary	O
raster	B-Application
image	I-Application
editor	I-Application
capable	O
of	O
modifying	O
images	O
of	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
pixel	O
by	O
pixel	O
,	O
by	O
using	O
simple	O
drawing	O
tools	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
applying	O
simple	O
image	O
filters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Professional	O
icon	B-Application
designers	O
seldom	O
modify	O
icons	O
inside	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
editor	O
and	O
use	O
a	O
more	O
advanced	O
drawing	O
or	O
3D	O
modeling	O
application	O
instead	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
function	O
performed	O
by	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
editor	O
is	O
generation	O
of	O
icons	O
from	O
images	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
icon	B-Application
editor	O
resamples	O
a	O
source	O
image	O
to	O
the	O
resolution	O
and	O
color	O
depth	O
required	O
for	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
functions	O
performed	O
by	O
icon	B-Application
editors	O
are	O
icon	B-Application
extraction	O
from	O
executable	O
files	O
(	O
exe	O
,	O
dll	O
)	O
,	O
creation	O
of	O
icon	B-Application
libraries	O
,	O
or	O
saving	O
individual	O
images	O
of	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
icon	B-Application
editors	O
can	O
make	O
icons	O
for	O
system	O
files	O
(	O
folders	O
,	O
text	O
files	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
have	O
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
extension	O
of	O
.ICO	O
for	O
Windows	O
and	O
web	O
pages	O
or	O
.ICNS	O
for	O
the	O
Macintosh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
the	O
editor	O
can	O
also	O
make	O
a	O
cursor	O
,	O
the	O
image	O
can	O
be	O
saved	O
with	O
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
extension	O
of	O
.CUR	O
or	O
.ANI	O
for	O
both	O
Windows	O
and	O
the	O
Macintosh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
new	O
icon	B-Application
is	O
simply	O
a	O
matter	O
of	O
moving	O
the	O
image	O
into	O
the	O
correct	O
file	B-Operating_System
folder	O
and	O
using	O
the	O
system	O
tools	O
to	O
select	B-General_Concept
the	O
icon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Windows	O
XP	O
you	O
could	O
go	O
to	O
My	O
Computer	O
,	O
open	O
Tools	O
on	O
the	O
explorer	O
window	O
,	O
choose	O
Folder	O
Options	O
,	O
then	O
File	B-Operating_System
Types	O
,	O
select	B-General_Concept
a	O
file	B-Operating_System
type	O
,	O
click	O
on	O
Advanced	O
and	O
select	B-General_Concept
an	O
icon	B-Application
to	O
be	O
associated	O
with	O
that	O
file	B-Operating_System
type	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developers	O
also	O
use	O
icon	B-Application
editors	O
to	O
make	O
icons	O
for	O
specific	O
program	B-Application
files	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assignment	O
of	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
to	O
a	O
newly	O
created	O
program	O
is	O
usually	O
done	O
within	O
the	O
Integrated	B-Application
Development	I-Application
Environment	I-Application
used	O
to	O
develop	O
that	O
program	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
if	O
one	O
is	O
creating	O
an	O
application	O
in	O
the	O
Windows	B-Library
API	I-Library
he	O
or	O
she	O
can	O
simply	O
add	O
a	O
line	O
to	O
the	O
program	O
's	O
resource	O
script	O
before	O
compilation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
icon	B-Application
editors	O
can	O
copy	O
a	O
unique	O
icon	B-Application
from	O
a	O
program	B-Application
file	I-Application
for	O
editing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
a	O
few	O
can	O
assign	O
an	O
icon	B-Application
to	O
a	O
program	B-Application
file	I-Application
,	O
a	O
much	O
more	O
difficult	O
task	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simple	O
icon	B-Application
editors	O
and	O
image-to-icon	O
converters	O
are	O
also	O
available	O
online	O
as	O
web	B-Application
applications	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
notable	O
computer	O
icon	B-Application
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Axialis	B-Application
IconWorkshop	I-Application
–	O
Supports	O
both	O
Windows	O
and	O
Mac	O
icons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IconBuilder	B-Operating_System
–	O
Plug-in	O
for	O
Photoshop	O
;	O
focused	O
on	O
Mac	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microangelo	B-Application
Toolset	I-Application
–	O
a	O
set	O
of	O
tools	O
(	O
Studio	O
,	O
Explorer	O
,	O
Librarian	O
,	O
Animator	O
,	O
On	O
Display	O
)	O
for	O
editing	O
Windows	O
icons	O
and	O
cursors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	B-Application
Visual	I-Application
Studio	I-Application
-	O
can	O
author	O
ICO/CUR	O
files	O
but	O
cannot	O
edit	O
32-bit	O
icon	B-Application
frames	O
with	O
8-bit	O
transparency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
is	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
raster	O
graphic	O
applications	B-Application
capable	O
of	O
creating	O
and	O
editing	O
icons	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
GIMP	B-Application
–	O
Image	O
Editor	O
Supports	O
reading	O
and	O
writing	O
Windows	O
ICO/CUR/ANI	O
files	O
and	O
PNG	O
files	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
converted	O
to	O
Mac	O
.icns	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ImageMagick	B-Language
and	O
GraphicsMagick	B-Application
–	O
Command	O
Line	O
image	O
conversion	O
&	O
generation	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
create	O
Windows	O
ICO	O
files	O
and	O
PNG	O
files	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
converted	O
to	O
Mac	O
.ICNS	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IrfanView	B-Protocol
–	O
Support	O
converting	O
graphic	O
file	B-Operating_System
formats	O
into	O
Windows	O
ICO	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
ResEdit	B-Operating_System
–	O
Supports	O
creating	O
classic	B-Application
Mac	I-Application
OS	I-Application
icon	B-Application
resources	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
