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How to create an .icns macOS app icon

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macos-app-icon.md

How to create an `.icns` macOS app icon

How to make an application icon for macOS using iconset & iconutil

Saving images

Save your app icon with the following names & dimensions:

Name	Dimensions
`icon_16x16.png`	`16x16`
`[email protected]`	`32x32`
`icon_32x32.png`	`32x32`
`[email protected]`	`64x64`
`icon_128x128.png`	`128x128`
`[email protected]`	`256x256`
`icon_256x256.png`	`256x256`
`[email protected]`	`512x512`
`icon_512x512.png`	`512x512`
`[email protected]`	`1024x1024`

Creating an `.iconset`

Move all of the images into a new folder
Rename the folder to: icon.iconset
Confirm the file extension when prompted

This will convert the folder of images into an iconset, this can be verified by quick looking with the spacebar - a resizable preview of your icon should now appear.

Converting to `.icns`

Navigate to the directory containing your icon.iconset in the terminal
Run iconutil with the following command: iconutil -c icns icon.iconset
Your icon.icns will be generated in the current directory

erwinagpasa commented Apr 24, 2022

➜ icon.iconset iconutil -c icns icon.iconset
icon.iconset:Iconset not found.
➜ icon.iconset

Author

jamieweavis commented Apr 24, 2022

@erwinagpasa the command is iconutil

Try running iconutil -c icns icon.iconset

erwinagpasa commented Apr 25, 2022

Thanks bro

irfanawanens commented Dec 8, 2022 •

edited

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iconutil -c icns icon.iconset didn't work for me...
here is the error:
icon.iconset:Failed to generate ICNS.

Author

jamieweavis commented Dec 8, 2022

@irfanawanens did you name your icons correctly? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/31632304/iconseterror-failed-to-generate-icns

irfanawanens commented Dec 8, 2022

Yes,
Thank for the comments,
the issue was the the alpha of png files,
I rest the icons with alpha, and then it worked for me,
Thanks @jamieweavis

MichaelBelousov commented Dec 8, 2022

here's a bash snippet for automating making an icns from some other image using imagemagick which you can brew install.

output_path=/tmp/output.iconset

# the convert command comes from imagemagick
for size in 16 32 64 128 256; do
  half="$(($size / 2))"
  convert my_large_image.png -resize x$size $output_path/icon_${size}x${size}.png
  convert my_large_image.png -resize x$size $output_path/icon_${half}x${half}@2x.png
done

iconutil -c icns $output_path

EasyG0ing1 commented Jan 27, 2023

Just an FYI, I wrote a program based on these instructions that does all the work for you.

danneu commented Apr 8, 2023 •

edited

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Now I have an .icns package but I've been struggling for 20min to add it to Xcode. 😄 Not even Assets.xcassets menu lets you import a .icns file.

EasyG0ing1 commented Apr 11, 2023 •

edited

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Now I have an .icns package but I've been struggling for 20min to add it to Xcode. 😄 Not even Assets.xcassets menu lets you import a .icns file.

@danneu The irony cannot be ignored ... ☺

rakkesh commented Aug 23, 2023

brew install is an overkill, just for creating an app icon. To convert to various sizes, simply run -

$ sips -z <Y> <Y> Icon1024.png --out icon.iconset/icon_<Y>x<Y>.png,
where, <Y> is the size.

Example,
$ sips -z 16 16 Icon1024.png --out icon.iconset/icon_16x16.png
$ sips -z 32 32 Icon1024.png --out icon.iconset/[email protected]

Benitoite commented Sep 11, 2023 •

edited

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As an applescript droplet and using sips... drag any image onto the droplet and get the resulting .icns

image-to-icns applescript droplet

on open the_files
	repeat with i from 1 to the count of the_files
		tell application "Finder"
			set myFileName to POSIX path of item i of the_files
			set exten to name extension of item i of the_files
		end tell
		set orig_path to POSIX path of (((path to me as text) & "::") as alias) as string
		set my_path to orig_path & "icon.iconset"
		do shell script "mkdir " & my_path
		do shell script "sips -z 1024 1024 " & myFileName & " -s format png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 512 512 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 256 256 " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 128 128 " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png"
		do shell script "sips -z 64 64 " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 32 32 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 16 16 " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_16x16.png"
		do shell script "iconutil -c icns " & my_path
		do shell script "mv " & orig_path & "/icon.icns " & orig_path & "/$(basename " & myFileName & " ." & exten & ").icns"
		do shell script "rm -r " & my_path
	end repeat
end open

Paste into a New document in /Applications/Utilities/Script Editor and save the script as an Application

paulrudy commented Sep 20, 2023

As an applescript droplet and using sips... drag any image onto the droplet and get the resulting .icns

image-to-icns applescript droplet

on open the_files
	repeat with i from 1 to the count of the_files
		tell application "Finder"
			set myFileName to POSIX path of item i of the_files
			set exten to name extension of item i of the_files
		end tell
		set orig_path to POSIX path of (((path to me as text) & "::") as alias) as string
		set my_path to orig_path & "icon.iconset"
		do shell script "mkdir " & my_path
		do shell script "sips -z 1024 1024 " & myFileName & " -s format png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 512 512 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 256 256 " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 128 128 " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png"
		do shell script "sips -z 64 64 " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 32 32 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 16 16 " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_16x16.png"
		do shell script "iconutil -c icns " & my_path
		do shell script "mv " & orig_path & "/icon.icns " & orig_path & "/$(basename " & myFileName & " ." & exten & ").icns"
		do shell script "rm -r " & my_path
	end repeat
end open

Paste into a New document in /Applications/Utilities/Script Editor and save the script as an Application

Thanks for this!

Here's a version of your script that returns the .icns file to the location of the passed image file, instead of to the location of the Applescript droplet.

on open the_files
	repeat with i from 1 to the count of the_files
		tell application "Finder"
			set myFileName to POSIX path of item i of the_files
			set orig_path to POSIX path of (container of (item i of the_files) as alias)
			set exten to name extension of item i of the_files
		end tell
		set my_path to orig_path & "icon.iconset"
		do shell script "mkdir -p " & quoted form of my_path
		do shell script "sips -z 1024 1024 " & myFileName & " -s format png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 512 512 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 256 256 " & my_path & "/icon_512x512.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 128 128 " & my_path & "/icon_256x256.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png"
		do shell script "sips -z 64 64 " & my_path & "/icon_128x128.png --out " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 32 32 " & my_path & "/[email protected] --out " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png"
		do shell script "cp " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png " & my_path & "/[email protected]"
		do shell script "sips -z 16 16 " & my_path & "/icon_32x32.png --out " & my_path & "/icon_16x16.png"
		do shell script "iconutil -c icns " & my_path
		do shell script "mv " & orig_path & "/icon.icns " & orig_path & "/$(basename " & myFileName & " ." & exten & ").icns"
		do shell script "rm -r " & my_path
	end repeat
end open

Mikeint0sh commented Oct 3, 2023

Modified the script from @MichaelBelousov

output_path=~/Desktop/tmp
mkdir output_path

# the convert command comes from imagemagick
for size in 16 32 64 128 256 512; do
  convert ~/Desktop/Logo.png -resize x$size $output_path/icon_${size}x${size}.png
done

mv $output_path ~/Desktop/icon.iconset
iconutil -c icns ~/Desktop/icon.iconset
rm -r ~/Desktop/icon.iconset

Benitoite commented Oct 3, 2023

@Mikeint0sh There are still the @2x files to generate.

angelobdev commented Oct 25, 2023 •

edited

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@Benitoite

Here's an updated version:

#!/bin/zsh

# Checking if ImageMagick is installed...
magick_path=$(where magick)

if [[ $magick_path == *"not found"* ]]; then
  echo "Image Magick needs to be installed!"
  echo "You can install it by running 'brew install imagemagick'"
  exit
fi;


# Reading logo file name...
echo "Please insert the image file path: "
IFS=. read file extension

input_file=$(pwd)/${file}.${extension}
output_path=$(pwd)/tmp/${file}

echo "Generating icons..."

mkdir -p $output_path
for size in 16 32 128 256 512; do
  double_size=$((2*$size))

  echo "Generating ${size}x${size}"
  convert $input_file -resize ${size}x${size}\! $output_path/icon_${size}x${size}.png

  echo "Generating ${size}x${size}@2x"
  convert $input_file -resize ${double_size}x${double_size}\! $output_path/icon_${size}x${size}@2x.png
done

echo "Generating iconset..."
mv $output_path ${output_path}.iconset

echo "Generating icns file..."
iconutil -c icns ${output_path}.iconset -o ${file}.icns

echo "Cleaning..."
rm -r ./tmp

echo "Done!"

Just run the script in any directory and insert the logo file path (the larger the better).
It will automatically generate the icns file in the current folder.

andreif commented Nov 8, 2023 •

edited

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For those who don't want to install ImageMagic via brew

#!/bin/bash
set -e

test -n "$1"
name="${1%.*}"

iconset="${name}.iconset"
rm -rf "${iconset}"
mkdir -p "${iconset}"

for s in 16 32 128 256 512; do
  d=$(($s*2))
  sips -Z $s "$1" --out "${iconset}/icon_${s}x$s.png"
  sips -Z $d "$1" --out "${iconset}/icon_${s}x$s@2x.png"
done

iconutil -c icns "${iconset}" -o "${name}.icns"
rm -r "${iconset}"

save it to e.g. script.sh, and use it like

$ chmod +x script.sh
$ script.sh icon.png

paulrudy commented Nov 8, 2023

@andreif thank you! very brief

YektaDev commented Feb 6, 2024

This can be useful for step 1.

alptugan commented Feb 10, 2024

Yet another app for that purpose.
It's native app, and uses built-in bash functions on Mac.
https://github.com/alptugan/icns-creator

jamieweavis/macos-app-icon.md

How to create an .icns macOS app icon

Steps

Saving images

Creating an .iconset

Converting to .icns

erwinagpasa commented Apr 24, 2022

jamieweavis commented Apr 24, 2022

erwinagpasa commented Apr 25, 2022

irfanawanens commented Dec 8, 2022 • edited Loading

jamieweavis commented Dec 8, 2022

irfanawanens commented Dec 8, 2022

MichaelBelousov commented Dec 8, 2022

EasyG0ing1 commented Jan 27, 2023

danneu commented Apr 8, 2023 • edited Loading

EasyG0ing1 commented Apr 11, 2023 • edited Loading

rakkesh commented Aug 23, 2023

Benitoite commented Sep 11, 2023 • edited Loading

image-to-icns applescript droplet

paulrudy commented Sep 20, 2023

image-to-icns applescript droplet

Mikeint0sh commented Oct 3, 2023

Benitoite commented Oct 3, 2023

angelobdev commented Oct 25, 2023 • edited Loading

andreif commented Nov 8, 2023 • edited Loading

paulrudy commented Nov 8, 2023

YektaDev commented Feb 6, 2024

alptugan commented Feb 10, 2024

How to create an `.icns` macOS app icon

Creating an `.iconset`

Converting to `.icns`

irfanawanens commented Dec 8, 2022 •

edited

Loading

danneu commented Apr 8, 2023 •

edited

Loading

EasyG0ing1 commented Apr 11, 2023 •

edited

Loading

Benitoite commented Sep 11, 2023 •

edited

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angelobdev commented Oct 25, 2023 •

edited

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andreif commented Nov 8, 2023 •

edited

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