Creating Icons – The Right Tool for the Task

How to Create Unique Icons

When it comes to creating icons, having the right tool is essential. While programs such as CorelDraw have the ability to create .ico files, they are just not designed for the task. Of course, for the majority of your icon needs, you can probably find something suitable for free on the internet today, but sometimes you have to have something custom.

In order to produce a set of uniform, high-quality icons that are crisp and detailed, you will need a professional program. Recently, I did a lot of research and testing of both free and paid icon design programs in search of something that would deliver professional results without an impossibly high learning curve. I tested IcoFX (free), Axialis IconWorkshop (paid), AWicons Pro (paid), Microangelo Toolset (paid), and Greenfish Icon Editor Pro (free). Since I’m used to having to learn new software quickly, I must admit that my testing wasn’t in-depth, rather it was about ease of use. Program after program presented me with lots of frustration until I tried Axialis Icon Workshop.

The Axialis Icon Workshop impressed me with the ease of importing graphics, selecting colors, adding text, and creating icons of a variety of sizes all at once with a few clicks. The help text was good and the tools logical. I found the limited ability to undo steps once they had been unselected a bit frustrating, but once I figured out the quirk, I took greater care in placing elements before unselecting them. I was able to create a set of 6 high-quality and relatively complex icons for desktop software shortcuts in under two hours from the time of installing the program. That’s not too bad in my book given that part of that time was spent looking at the included library items and locating some additional graphics. Its $50 price tag and 30 day trial period make it a good buy for anyone who needs to create icons for the web or software.

So stop struggling with trying to find an existing icon that will be good enough for your project or trying to use a program that just isn’t designed for the job and take a test drive of the Axialis Icon Workshop!