Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

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PBJim
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Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by PBJim »

I'm looking for advice on options for custom icon design, mostly for ButtonImageGadgets. This includes a paid design service, if such thing is available, or getting someone trained.

BarryG — I recall you mentioned a commercial application you used. Perhaps you wouldn't mind mentioning which application it is, thanks.

Style we want is mixed text and graphics, similar to these, but for business application functions.

Image
Last edited by PBJim on Fri Oct 18, 2024 7:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by AZJIO »

PBJim wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 5:35 am BarryG — I recall you mentioned a commercial application you used, though I haven't been able to find the thread.
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by Bitblazer »

compare the licenses and prices : Iconshock Flaticons and there is also the option of creating your own set with an AI
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by Marc56us »

Hi,

I have often used Axialis products.
They also have an editor that lets you merge icons by function Axialis IconGenerator
It's easy enough to use, and the quality/price ratio is interesting.

Sample of what I have done with PureBasic and her products
(Clipboard ico is the same with overlay)
Image

Done with PB form designer and large toolbar (but toolbar himself made with hands because PBF can't handle new large toolbar)
Image

:wink:
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by PBJim »

Marc56us wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 1:09 pm I have often used Axialis products.
Thanks for the replies. The set of 192 business icons is reasonably close to what we were looking for, if a bit on the small side.

I'm not sure what they mean by overlays. Is it for instance, placing a 'lock' icon over another icon?
Bitblazer wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 12:16 pm compare the licenses and prices : Iconshock Flaticons and there is also the option of creating your own set with an AI
Yes, I had seen Flaticon, thanks. I felt that the quality of the icons on a lot of those sites are actually not that great. I've tried many of them in our application and they look unimpressive, hence we thought it better to have something designed similarily to the style shown in the examples.

Since posting, I've seen a site where freelancers offer icon design services. They vary in price from a few dollars to $100. Most are about $35. Don't know what they're like though :D The expectations are quite high in software presentation these days and if we don't match Microsoft, Apple and the rest of them, then clients think it's not good enough.
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by Marc56us »

I'm not sure what they mean by overlays. Is it for instance, placing a 'lock' icon over another icon?
Yes, that's right.
They offer bitmap and vector icons.
With their (free) software, you can superimpose icons of different sizes on top of each other, in every corner. This makes for uniform actions. That's what I did for the clipboard icon in my first screenshot.

Below is a screenshot of their software.
Select the base icon, then the overlay, then the position
Image
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by le_magn »

Marc56us wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 8:58 pm
I'm not sure what they mean by overlays. Is it for instance, placing a 'lock' icon over another icon?
Yes, that's right.
They offer bitmap and vector icons.
With their (free) software, you can superimpose icons of different sizes on top of each other, in every corner. This makes for uniform actions. That's what I did for the clipboard icon in my first screenshot.
Hi Marc, I wanted to ask you if the icons in the basic set(in free version of the software) are also free to use for commercial purposes or if there is a requirement to include attribution or linkback
Image
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by BarryG »

PBJim wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 5:35 amBarryG — I recall you mentioned a commercial application you used. Perhaps you wouldn't mind mentioning which application it is, thanks.
Not me? I've downloaded free icon sets, if that's what you mean? Or do you mean that I use "IcoFX" to edit my icons?
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by jamirokwai »

Hi there,

you could use https://fontawesome.com. It comes as a ttf, with which you could even create icons and images dynamically. I use it in some apps for a while now, and the license for commercial apps seems reasonably priced.

Edit: Just had a look, they offer subscriptions now. I got a lifetime pro license for about 50 € during their original kickstarter.
Regards,
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by PBJim »

BarryG wrote: Sun Oct 20, 2024 1:05 am
PBJim wrote: Fri Oct 18, 2024 5:35 amBarryG — I recall you mentioned a commercial application you used. Perhaps you wouldn't mind mentioning which application it is, thanks.
Not me? I've downloaded free icon sets, if that's what you mean? Or do you mean that I use "IcoFX" to edit my icons?
That's the one Barry, thanks. Yes, it was your post about using IcoFX in the thread, "Anti-virus false-positive tip".
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by Marc56us »

le_magn wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2024 10:45 pm Hi Marc, I wanted to ask you if the icons in the basic set(in free version of the software) are also free to use for commercial purposes or if there is a requirement to include attribution or linkback
Yes,

"Free icons are licensed under the Axialis Free Icon License. The short version is:
  • You can: use the icons in all projects, including commercial ones.
  • You must: give credits and add a link to us: "Icons by Axialis" by adding the html code below:"
  • [ ... ]

Personally, I always put an attribution in the About box and SplashScreen, even for freeware and even if the creator doesn't explicitly request it, simply as a matter of thanks. :wink:
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Re: Need professional-looking icons for a desktop application

Post by Bitblazer »

On a sidenote, their Axialis Icon Workshop professional is currently 50% off.
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