Free Custom Icons
Some time ago, I acquired software (freeware) for making PC desktop icons from various image files. Since these are custom-made and not subject to copyright by any other person, I decided to make most of them available to ACHGS web site visitors.
To download (in MS Windows) the zip file with the icons arranged in categorical subdirectories:
Right click on the file link below.
When the menu window appears, select (left click on) "Save Target As."
You should get a file "save" window.
Find the existing folder that you want to download the zip file into; or, create a new folder at whatever level in your file hierarchy you wish and open that folder.
Once the folder in which the downloaded zip file will be saved is opened, the file save window should show the name of the zip file in the small field near the bottom and the type of file ("zip") in the lowest field.
The button in the lower right side of the window for executing the command to save should now read "save."
Click the button.
The window should automatically close once the file download is complete.
The rest of the process for unzipping the file and for using the icons (see below) on your desktop takes place locally and you do not need to continue your connection to the web site.
Hope you enjoy these.
Guidance on using the icons on the desktop:
The icons are designed to replace the default icons already in use on the desktop shortcuts; therefore, create any new shortcuts for the desktop in the manner your MS Windows version provides and allow the operating system to assign whatever default icon is available.
Also, some MicroSoft program shortcuts may not allow the user to alter the desktop icon.
Once a shortcut icon is in use on the desktop, right click on it.
In the menu box that pops up, select (left click) "Properties."
Depending on the type of file that the shortcut executes and the version of MS Windows that you are running, the appearance of the properties window will vary. Examine the window to determine if it offers a view that shows the shortcut icon already in use and a button for executing a change to the icon.
If the icon is one that MS allows to be changed, there should be a button for changing.
Left-click the button.
In the window that appears, select "browse."
Go through the "My Files" or "File Explorer" type window and click on the icon file name to select it to substitute.
When the file name is highlighted, click the "save" button to replace the existing icon name in the shortcut with the newly selected one.
Click the "OK" button to fix the file name in the window.
When the window closes and returns to the previous shortcut properties window, select "Apply" if that button is available. This should put the icon you are changing to in the window above.
Click "OK."
All the windows should close and you will be returned to the desktop.
After a brief pause, the icon for the shortcut you are changing should refresh itself to show your new choice.
Repeat the process for all shortcuts you wish to change icons for.
Think you might want to make some icons of your own using your pictures?
Go to http://www.wildfiredesign.net/iconlab/index.htm
to download the free IconLab software. The program is not large, does not take long to download and is very simple to use. Because of the relatively small size of icons, it may be necessary to crop out the main part of the image you want to put into an icon so that it fills the icon space. Most PCs running MS Windows have MS Photo Editor available by default as part of the main operating system, so sizing, cropping, and limited brightness and contrast adjustment can be done on pictures prior to being imported into the program for making the icon. Nearly square cropped images are best for filling the edit window in IconLab.