Making Icons For Windows Vista Projects

Developing software or designing a Web site? Make sure your project looks modern and up-to-date by checking the graphics used against modern standards. This article explains the latest trends in drawing modern, good-looking graphics for your software and on-line projects.

With every new release of Windows, Microsoft updates guidelines for icon designers. If you want your project look consistent with the newest version of Windows, it is essential to read and comprehend the guidelines.

Not getting much into technical details, Microsoft points out that Vista-style graphics differ from older XP-style graphics in several ways. The style of the new graphics becomes more realistic than cartoon-line XP icons, but still remains symbolic without becoming photorealistic. Microsoft also extends the icon format by defining the largest size of the graphics to PNG-compressed 256x256 pixel images, ensuring that applications look good on modern high resolution displays. Finally, Microsoft recommends that toolbar icons are optimized for smaller-size viewing experience, and advises that toolbar graphics bear enough visual distinctiveness even in their lowest sizes. Toolbar graphics in Windows Vista have no details such as shadows, and are flat with no perspective.

Well-designed and carefully thought of graphics enhance the appearance of your products, making them more consistent with Windows and third-party software installed on the user's PC. Good graphics improve usability and efficiency of software, making it faster to learn and more intuitive through better communication of ideas through symbols. Good graphics make buttons and actions simpler to learn and to use every day.

Vista Toolbar Icons by 777icons.com are a set of ready-made application and toolbar icons designed in the new Windows Vista style. Strictly adhering to the latest guidelines, the graphics share common style, colors and gamma, and come in all standard sizes and resolutions, including the recently added 256x256 True Color format with semi-transparency. Vista Toolbar Icons can be used in software designed for Windows Vista, as application or toolbar icons, on Web sites and on-line portals. Simply visit 777icons.com to view full-size previews of Vista Toolbar Icons.

By: Victor Ivlichev

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Since Aha-Soft's founding in 2000 and as of 2007, Victor Ivlichev develops image processing software for Windows. He works for quality products, which will help to other computer users.