What resolution is required to generate an Android launcher icon? Android icons need to be provided in at least five different sizes, six if supporting older low density displays. In the PNG box a resolution is entered which is the width of the PNG to create (with the height calculated to maintain the correct aspect ratio). Fortunately Open Clip Art has an option to obtain a PNG file. The SVG graphic can be saved to the local machine using the Download button. Click on the graphic to bring up its details. Several pages into the search results a graphic titled A simple globe contributed by user jhnri4 was chosen. Icons are square, so look for an image that if bounded by a square it would fill most of that square.Keep in mind Android design guidelines.Clear and simple designs with smooth lines and bright, neutral colors will scale well and look good on a screen.The graphic will be scaled down dramatically, so not too much detail, the search thumbnail is a good indicator.
When looking for a graphic to use as an icon there are some pointers to keep in mind: Page through the thumbnail search results which have extra info (title, contributor, submission date, number of downloads). Thus graphics apparently unrelated to the search text may appear, though this also means that occasionally a useful unexpected graphic will be found. This is because the search not only includes the name of the graphic, but also tags, descriptions, partial words, misspellings or terms in a different language. The search results that appear may include graphics that do not always appear logical. Go to and use the Search Openclipart box. Find a Good Starting Imageįirst find a suitable free graphic as a starting point. Take a look at the Android design web pages and the pages on multiple resolutions and icons at the Android Developers site. If you are new to working with the graphical resources of an Android App you may want to get familiar with some concepts and get an overview of the various types of assets that an App will require. Here a simple Hello World App ( Your First Android Java Program) is used.
There are high quality free tools available for this image conversion, such as GIMP, Inkscape or Paint.NET (Windows only).įor this tutorial use any App project available, your own or one from Android Example Projects.
A graphics program is used to add a border, resize and save to the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format. Once a suitable graphic has been chosen it needs to be converted into an Android compatible icon. This makes them great for scaling to icon size. The 100,000 images are provided in scalar vector graphic (SVG) format.
For example the Open Clip Art Library is a great source for free graphics that can be adapted for icons (and other App uses). If you have a lack of time or expertise to make an good icon there are plenty of free clipart and graphics resources available from the Internet.
Another option is required for a more professional looking complex icon. It is good for a basic icon, stop gap designs, internal company Apps or as placeholders. However it does not provide much finesse. This is a tool that makes it easy for a new launcher icon to be generated. One option is to use Studio's built in Image Asset utility.
This tutorial shows how to easily generate a good Android launcher icon. However, there are many who find that doing the graphics in an App is a chore. Developers sometimes struggle to produce good graphics, the lucky few with access to a graphical artist, either professionally or through friends, or are good artists themselves, will have finer control on the graphics within their App. A good icon helps the initial impression of the App and helps with getting it to stand out from the crowd. It will represent the App as a shortcut (launcher icon) on the Apps screen and in Settings. The icon will usually be the first graphical representation of the App that a user encounters on Google Play. One of those tasks is to provide a good icon. When an Application (App) is nearly ready for release thought turns to the tasks to get it ready for the Google Play marketplace.