Png's are one of the most popular graphic files but unlike the gif and jpg formats its usage has not yet widely extended to the website design field. Before moving to the subject of the icons themselves, it is worth to mention that the new version of Internet Explorer 7 bundled with Windows Vista™ finally fully supports png as long as other well known web explorers, so the enhanced capabilities of this format can be exploited to the full extent.

The Vista interface distinctively supports a huge size for icons, 256 x 256 pixels, which can be seen by choosing Extra Large Icons in the View submenu, right-clicking on any blank area of the explorer window or the desktop. In this mode view the icons can show an almost photographic amount of details.

So, at the time of rendering an image file to be used as the 256 px icon, a number of effects can be applied in order to get an attractive icon. One is the shadow of the depicted object, which needs to follow the same perspective as the whole icon. But additionally the icons can also have glowing effects, for example for lightning parts of an object that will smoothly fade over the background (png can handle several levels of transparency) and also glass effects and areas showing translucency. Just like shadows, other semi transparent mediums like water, smoke or sparks must be prevented from being cropped outside the canvas of the image.

A quality Vista icon can be nearly photographic, however it is recommended to follow certain rules so the icon will appear naturally inserted into the Vista graphic look. It is good to use less saturation than the standard used in Windows XP™ since this is one of the main characteristics of the Aero™ visual style. In the same way, the icon should communicate its message with even more accuracy than a real image of an object, so its representation will need a complete balance between the use of complex effects and a soft clean general look. Finally, semi transparent effects should not be used in the icon versions of 24 and 16 px.

The endless possibilities now available in Windows Vista icons can be found at www.iconshock.com where you can find professional examples of icons in multiple styles suitable for any visual environment.

XP icons were a great advance from the classic look of those developed for previous releases of Windows. This time, Vista™ allows the implementation of 256 x256 icons, with fading shadows, which can have a lot more of details and interesting graphic options. However, in order to make an appropriate Vista™ icon that has seamless unity with the general look of other icons, there are some facts about lights and shadowing that you must keep on mind.

As long as several icon images are to be presented with perspective (a kind of low birds-eye view) you need to visualize the correct source of light. The standard for Vista™ is a parallel light that comes from the front-left side of the object. The idea of placing the light that way is to enhance the feeling of a solid object standing on the screen. Now this same source of light calls for a natural shadow that sets the object into its surroundings.

A convenient way to achieve such effect is to take the overall shape of the object, filling it with black, and then skewing it until you get the same angle of the right side vanishing point. Next, fade the shadow just as it happens in real world: closer to the object the shadow is heavier, and the far part of the shadow smoothly dissolves to transparent.

It is also important to consider that the shadow should not be cut out at the border of the whole icon, so make the object a bit smaller than the canvas if tends to be voluminous. The correct way to adjust the length of the shadow is to shorten it without changing the angle of the perspective. About the opacity of the shadow, it is recommended to use values between 30-50%. Objects with overlapping parts need to have its respective inner shadows as well as floating parts also will project shadows at the “floor” level of the perspective. Due to this, don't forget to make a proper adjustment of the size of the object in order to have enough space in the canvas for shadows.

Finally, in the case of flat objects (such as those intended for depicting different types of files and documents) a drop shadow layer effect (with an upper-left light source, at 130 degrees) will be enough to give the appealing sensation of spatiality.

Another smart way to get the best results for icons to be used in Vista™ is to visit the huge imagery available at www.iconshock.com where you can find professionally made icons or request the creation of custom ones.