How to create an icon in Paint (with pictures)

This article will show you how to create an icon in Windows 10 using the graphics editors Microsoft Paint and Paint 3D. In Microsoft Paint, you can create basic icons, or if you need a more complex image, use Paint 3D.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Paint

Step 1. Remember the limitations of Microsoft Paint

Unfortunately, you cannot create a transparent image in Paint; since most icons are at least partially transparent (so that the desktop appears behind them), an opaque icon will be square. Plus, it will include different colors than the ones you used to create the icon.

It is best to create black and white icons in Microsoft Paint, as other colors can be distorted.
To solve the transparency issue, save the Paint project as an image (not an icon) and then use an online converter to convert that image to an icon.

Step 2. Open the Start Menu

Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 3. Start Paint

Type paint, and then click Paint at the top of the Start menu. Microsoft Paint will open in a new window.

Step 4. Display the grid lines

This will make it easier to create the icon:

Click on the "View" tab at the top of the window.
Check the box next to Gridlines in the Show or Hide section of the toolbar.
Click on the "Home" tab to go to it.

Step 5. Click Resize

It's in the toolbar at the top of the Paint window. A pop-up window will appear.

Step 6. Check the "Pixels" box

It's near the top of the pop-up window.

Step 7. Uncheck the "Maintain aspect ratio" box

This option is in the center of the window. If you have previously worked with a canvas that was not square, disabling this option will create a new canvas with all sides of the same length.

Step 8. Create a 32 x 32 canvas

Enter 32 on the Horizontal line. Then enter 32 in the "Vertical" line and click "OK" at the bottom of the window.

Step 9. Zoom in on the screen

Since the 32 x 32 canvas is quite small, click the "+" sign in the lower right corner of the window seven times to zoom in on the screen.

Step 10. Draw the icon

Select a color in the upper right corner of the window, then hold down the left mouse button and drag your pointer across the canvas to draw an icon.

Change the size of the brush you are using if you like. To do this, click "Thickness" at the top of the "Home" tab, and then select the line of the desired thickness from the menu

Step 11. Save the icon

If you want to convert the icon later, click File> Save, choose a location to save, and click Save. But to save the created picture as an icon, follow these steps:

Click "File".
Choose Save As> Other Formats.
Enter a name for the icon, and then enter the.ico extension (for example, if the icon will be named "alternative_Word", enter "alternative_Word.ico").
Open the File Type menu and select 256 Color.
Select a folder to save on the left side of the window.
Click Save> OK.

Step 12. Convert the image to an icon

If you saved your Paint project as an image (for example, in-p.webp" />

Go to http://icoconvert.com/ in your computer's web browser.
Click “Choose file”.
Select the JPEG file and click Open.
Click Upload.
Crop the image if necessary, then scroll down and click Select None.
Scroll down and click "Convert ICO".
Click on the Download your icon (s) link when it appears.

Step 13. Use the created icon as a shortcut

To do this, assign the icon to the appropriate shortcut on your computer.

Method 2 of 2: Paint 3D

Step 1. Remember the limitations of Paint 3D

Unlike Microsoft Paint, you can create transparent images in Paint 3D, but you cannot save them as icons directly from Paint 3D.

To convert an image to an icon, use the online ICO Convert

Step 2. Open the Start Menu

Click on the Windows logo in the lower left corner of the screen.

Step 3. Launch Paint 3D

Type paint 3d, and then click Paint 3D at the top of the Start menu.

Unlike Microsoft Paint, Paint 3D is only available on Windows 10 computers.
Paint 3D was first introduced in spring 2017. If you don't have Paint 3D on your computer, update Windows 10.

Step 4. Click Create

It's near the top of the window.

Step 5. Click on Canvas

It's a square icon in the upper-right side of the window. The right side panel will open.

Step 6. Click on the white switch next to "Transparent canvas"

The switch turns blue

- this means the canvas will be transparent.

If the switch is blue, the canvas is already transparent

Step 7. Resize the canvas

In the right pane, do the following:

Open the "Percentage" menu and select "Pixels" from it.
Change the value in the Width field to 32.
Replace the value in the "Height" field with 32.

Step 8. Zoom in on the screen

To do this, move the slider in the upper right corner of the page.

Step 9. Draw the icon

Go to the Brushes tab, which is marked with a brush icon at the top of the window, and then select a brush, a color, change the size of the brush (if necessary), and then hold down the left mouse button and drag over the canvas to draw the icon …