Custom Icon Set: Free Download

I've written recently about icons in web design, a trend that doesn't appear to be going out of style anytime soon. With sites like iStockPhoto.com and IconFinder.com offering thousands for download, it's clear there is no shortage of icons depicting any subject.

Custom Icons

However, in my experience, there are times when that perfect icon can't be found, or simply doesn't exist. I've had several instances where I've had to create an icon for a very specific use case.

My Design Process

I usually start by studying photographs and existing icons that are similar to that which I'm trying to create. Then I "sketch" it in Photoshop; that is, create a bitmap rendering of the icon. I push pixels around until I've got what I think looks good.

Once the pixels are in place, I begin to trace my drawing with paths as a way of vectorizing the icon. A vector-based icon is ideal because it can be re-sized easily, and made smaller or larger without distortion or pixelation of the image.

I then save the vector art as a custom shape and name it appropriately. And anytime in the future I need call on my custom icon, I grab it from my dropdown menu and plop it on the canvas. Voilà!

Free Download

Like I said, over the years I've collected a few custom icons, and now I'm going to share a few with you. Please don't hesitate to download my free custom icon set, for use as you see fit. Yes, they're a bit random but what makes them a set is the fact that I designed each of them for a specific purpose, hopefully so you don't have to. Enjoy!