IconWorkshop 6.0: Slicker than Snot

Don't ask me where I picked up that phrase – I can't remember. The new version of IconWorkshop is out, and it's just as good as it always has been – replacing Microangelo as my default icon editor several years ago. Naturally, this new release sports a handful of bug fixes and assorted whatnots. In a couple of minutes, I had assembled a rather sweet-lookin' 3D icon with their new objects feature – which is supremely simple to use. Three drag & drops later, and I had created a much cleaner version of the current µTorrent icon (subsequently, sending it on to the program's author for possible integration in future releases). Here's what caught my attention about this release: support for the new Windows Vista icon format…

One of the most important enhancements of Aero is its ability to deal with the high-resolution displays of the future, and that feature a resolution-independent UI. At present, monitors generally have a resolution of 96-DPI (dots/pixels per inch). Simply put, 48×48 icons are displayed on screen in a half-inch square. Future LCD screens however will support resolutions up to 240/320 DPI. Therefore, to be displayed at the same size without quality loss, icons must include much larger images. That's the reason why Vista introduces a new standard for Windows icon size: 256×256 pixels.

All crappy icons must die.

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