Png's are one of the most popular graphic files but unlike the gif and jpg formats its usage has not yet widely extended to the website design field. Before moving to the subject of the icons themselves, it is worth to mention that the new version of Internet Explorer 7 bundled with Windows Vistaâ„? finally fully supports png as long as other well known web explorers, so the enhanced capabilities of this format can be exploited to the full extent.
The Vista interface distinctively supports a huge size for icons, 256 x 256 pixels, which can be seen by choosing Extra Large Icons in the View submenu, right-clicking on any blank area of the explorer window or the desktop. In this mode view the icons can show an almost photographic amount of details.
So, at the time of rendering an image file to be used as the 256 px icon, a number of effects can be applied in order to get an attractive icon.
One is the shadow of the depicted object, which needs to follow the same perspective as the whole icon. But additionally the icons can also have glowing effects, for example for lightning parts of an object that will smoothly fade over the background (png can handle several levels of transparency) and also glass effects and areas showing translucency. Just like shadows, other semi transparent mediums like water, smoke or sparks must be prevented from being cropped outside the canvas of the image.
A quality Vista icon can be nearly photographic, however it is recommended to follow certain rules so the icon will appear naturally inserted into the Vista graphic look. It is good to use less saturation than the standard used in Windows XPâ„? since this is one of the main characteristics of the Aeroâ„? visual style. In the same way, the icon should communicate its message with even more accuracy than a real image of an object, so its representation will need a complete balance between the use of complex effects and a soft clean general look. Finally, semi transparent effects should not be used in the icon versions of 24 and 16 px.
The endless possibilities now available in Windows Vista icons can be found at www.iconshock.com where you can find professional examples of icons in multiple styles suitable for any visual environment.
