Using Photoshop

• 1). Open Photoshop, pull down the "File" menu and click "New." Name the file "GoodIcon." Set the dimensions; icons are very small files, so set dimensions around 1 in. by 1 in., click the "Transparent" button under the "Contents" section and click the "OK" button. When a small box opens on the Photoshop workspace, pull down the "View" menu and click "Fit on Screen" to give yourself more room to draw.
  
  
• 2). Double-click the top-left square of the "Color Picker," which is the two overlapping colored boxes on the "Tools" palette. Select a color for the icon and click "OK." Click the "Paintbrush" tool, pull down the "Brush" menu and select the #3 brush.
  
  
• 3). Draw the outline of the icon, such as a folder, triangle, peace sign or pumpkin. Click the "Paint Bucket" tool and click inside the icon to fill it with color.
  
  
• 4). Switch back to the "Paintbrush," select the #1 brush head, choose a new paint color and add accents to the design. Remember that because icons are small, very fine details may be hard to see.
  
  
• 5). Pull down the "File" menu and click "Save As." Pull down the "Format" menu and select "GIF." Save the icon to your computer.
  
  

Using Paint

• 1). Open Paint, click "Image" and select "Attributes." Type dimensions such as 1 in. by 1 in. and click the "OK" button. When the Paint workspace adjusts, pull down the "View" menu, click "Zoom" and select "Large Size." Pull down the "Image" menu again and uncheck "Draw Opaque." If it is already unchecked, leave it as it is.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Pencil" tool and select a paint color from the "Color Picker." Draw the outline of the icon, such as a paw print, shamrock, wine glass or smiley face. Click the "Fill with Color" tool, which looks like a paint can, and click inside the icon to fill it with color.
  
  
• 3). Click back to the "Pencil" tool, change paint colors and add more to the icon, such as facial features or fire flames.
  
  
• 4). Click the "Airbrush" tool, which looks like a spray can, and click the small whirl head below it. Choose a new paint color and click around the white space of the icon, adding confetti-like sparkles to the icon.
  
  
• 5). Pull down the "File" menu and click "Save As." Type a name for the icon, select "GIF" as the "Save as type" and save it to your computer.
  
  

Using Publisher

• 1). Open Publisher and click "Blank Print Publication." This opens an 8.5 in. by 11 in. page on the screen; change it to icon size by pulling down the "File" menu and selecting "Page Setup." Click "Custom" and type in a new size, such as 1 in. by 1 in. and click "OK." The Publisher workspace automatically adjusts and zooms on the screen.
  
  
• 2). Pull down the "Insert" menu, click "Picture" and select "Clip Art." Pull down the "Results should be" menu and check the "Clip Art" box only.
  
  
• 3). Type a word or phrase, such as "stop sign," "race car," "book" or "baseball" into the "Search for" box and click "Go." Scroll through the results and double-click an image to add it to the icon workspace. It probably opens much too large, so grab a corner and shrink it down to size.
  
  
• 4). Pull down the "File" menu, select "Save As" and give the icon a name. Select a place to save it to on your computer and click "Save."