Icon files don't have extensions - how am I supposed to edit them?

[Verdanice]

Hi,

I've got a gripe with OS X - well, a new gripe to add to the list. I've been downloading and applying new icons for a couple days. Now I'd like to edit one to create a custom icon. I tried opening the icon file in Photoshop, no go. So I checked what extension it was by enabling 'show all file extensions' in the Finder preferences. Sure, all file extensions show up, but none on the icons. I believe they're PNG images, but when i rename them as PNGs Photoshop still can't read them. When I put the fiel on my USB drive to try it on my Windows machine, the file shows up as a 0kb, extension-less file.

What's going on? I'd appreciate any input on this one, I'm sure there's an explanation out there.

Screenshot (http://gavinsmith.ca/wth.png)!

[lancestraz]

Zip and upload one of the icons you're having trouble with.

Also, how have you been "applying" them?

[Verdanice]

Zip and upload one of the icons you're having trouble with.

Also, how have you been "applying" them?


I've been applying them both using Candybar and Finder, one at a time obviously. Attached is the zipped icon, good idea.

[Sean Dempsey]

That's not how icons work in OSX.

Get "pic2icon" and "icon2png", they are free programs that either take an icon and make it a PNG file... or take a png file and make it an icon.

Easiest thing in the world. I've made dozens of custom icons this way, and also edited regular ones.

[lancestraz]

I've been applying them both using Candybar and Finder, one at a time obviously. Attached is the zipped icon, good idea.
The extension for the icon you attached is ".icn". To edit it, do what Sean Dempsey said.

[Verdanice]

Thanks, guys, it looks like that'll work - though Icon2PNG seems to export up to 128x128 only. Whatever, I'll deal with that.

I don't understand why 'show all file extensions' doesn't.. well, show all extensions.

Thanks again!