How to Set Up Custom Windows 11 Desktop Icons With Paint 3D and Junior Icon Editor

Many customers add shortcuts for opening software program and instruments to the Windows 11 desktop. Shortcuts added can have default icons, however you don’t have to stay with them. You’ll be able to as an alternative design {custom} icons and add them to shortcuts on the desktop.

To arrange {custom} Windows 11 desktop icons, you’ll have to have appropriate design software program put in. Paint 3D and Junior Icon Editor are two freeware software program packages with which you’ll be able to create icons. That is how one can arrange desktop icons with Junior Icon Editor and Paint 3D.

How to Set Up Customized Desktop Icons With Paint 3D

Paint 3D is a more superior Paint model with further instruments for including 3D shapes and stickers. Windows 10 consists of that app, but it surely doesn’t come pre-installed on Microsoft’s latest platform. However, it’s simple to revive that app in Windows 11. You’ll be able to create a desktop icon with Paint 3D in Windows 11 like this:

1. Click on Begin and Microsoft Retailer on the menu.
2. Kind the key phrase Paint 3D within the Search apps field.
3. Choose Paint 3D to view the MS Retailer web page for that app.
4. Click on Get to put in the design app.
5. Then choose Open on Paint 3D’s web page.
6. Click on the New button.

   

7. Choose Canvas on the prime of Paint 3D.
8. Uncheck the Lock facet ratio field.
9. Enter 32 within the Width and Peak bins.
10. Activate the Clear canvas choice.

    

11. Click on the Zoom (+) button to develop the small canvas.
12. Then choose the Brushes tab to entry and make the most of Paint 3D’s drawing instruments with which to design your icon. You too can create your icon by including shapes or stickers to the canvas from the 2D Shapes, 3D Shapes, and Stickers tabs.

    

13. If you’ve completed designing your icon, click on the Menu button.
14. Choose Paint 3D’s Save as choice.

    

15. Click on the Picture button.
16. Choose the PNG (Picture) format on the Save as kind menu.

    

17. Press Save to carry up a listing choice window.
18. Select a folder to avoid wasting the icon picture
19. Click on Save to avoid wasting the picture.

An alternate choice is to avoid wasting your picture as a BMP file in Paint 3D. You’ll be able to choose so as to add icon-sized photographs with the BMP format to desktop shortcuts. Nonetheless, BMP picture icons received’t have clear backgrounds.

If you would like your icon to have a clear background, you’ll want to avoid wasting the picture as a PNG as instructed above. Then you’ll be able to convert that PNG picture to a clear icon with the required ICO format. That is how one can convert your icon’s PNG file to ICO with On-line-Convert.com’s conversion net app:

1. Open the ICO Converter net app in browser software program.
2. Choose the Select File choice.

   

3. Subsequent, choose your icon’s PNG picture file from the listing it’s saved in and click on Open.
4. Press the conversion software’s inexperienced Begin button.

   

5. Click on Obtain to avoid wasting the icon file in your browser’s default obtain folder.

Now you’ll be able to add your icon to a shortcut on Windows 11’s desktop. Proper-click a shortcut you wish to apply the brand new icon to and choose Properties. Press Change Icon to carry up an icon choice window. Click on Browse, choose your {custom} icon and press Open to verify. Choose the OK > Apply choices so as to add it.

How to Set Up Customized Desktop Icons With Junior Icon Editor

Junior Icon Editor is software program designed particularly for creating {custom} icons. That software program allows you to design and save icons with the ICO format, so that you don’t have to convert photographs. Nonetheless, it doesn’t embrace any choices for including 3D shapes and stickers to icon designs like these in Paint 3D. You’ll be able to create {custom} icons on your desktop with Junior Icon Editor like this:

1. Open the Junior Icon Editor web site.
2. Choose the Obtain free icon editor choice.
3. To open the setup wizard, carry up your browser’s Downloads tab first. Chrome’s and Edge’s Downloads tabs share the identical Ctrl + J hotkey.
4. Click on junior-icon editor.exe on the prime of the Downloads tab.
5. Choose Subsequent within the Putting in Junior Icon Editor window.
6. Click on the setup wizard’s I agree choice.
7. Keep deciding on Subsequent to put in Junior Icon Editor with default set up choices.

   

8. Click on End with the Launch utility now choice chosen.
9. Choose a dimension choice within the New Icon window. The 32 x 32 radio button is a mid-size icon choice to go for.

   

10. Select a shade setting for the icon on the proper facet of the New Icon window.
11. Click on OK to open the canvas and design instruments.
12. Design your icon with the drawing instruments on the left facet of the Junior Icon Editor window. You’ll be able to choose colours from the palette on the proper.

    

13. To save lots of a completed icon design, click on the File choice.
14. Choose Save as to carry up a window for saving information.

    

15. Enter a title within the File title field.
16. Select someplace to avoid wasting your icon.
17. Click on Save to complete.
18. Now add your {custom} icon to a desktop shortcut.

Junior Icon Editor has comparatively standard-fare design instruments to arrange icons with. You’ll be able to choose Pencil, Airbrush, and Paintbrush choices in its toolkit. Click on the small arrows on the Paintbrush and Airbrush buttons to pick out completely different brush types and thickness ranges for these instruments.

This design software program consists of choices for including fundamental crammed or empty rectangles and squares to icons. Plus you’ll be able to choose so as to add straight and curved strains and arcs. Paint 3D has 24 2D form choices together with 3D objects and fashions, which is considerably higher.

Junior Icon Editor’s grid function, enabled by default, is a helpful addition. Its grid consists of many small squares that show you how to design cleaner, symmetrical icons. Zooming in up near the grid will provide you with better design management over finer particulars.

You don’t essentially have to begin icons from scratch in Junior Icon Editor. As a substitute, you’ll be able to import and edit present software program icons or these downloaded from the net by clicking File > Open. Nonetheless, you’ll have to extract utility icons with IconViewer first earlier than you’ll be able to import them. Alternatively, you’ll be able to choose to open picture information after which save them within the ICO format.

Add More Trendy Customized Icons to Your Desktop

So, now you’ll be able to enliven your Windows 11 desktop by changing some boring default icons with more fashionable custom-designed alternate options. There are lots of different apps with which you’ll be able to design icons, however Paint 3D and Junior Icon Editor most likely pack in sufficient modifying instruments to fulfill nearly all of customers. You’ll be able to simply arrange visually interesting shortcut icons in Windows 11 and 10 with each software program packages.