Tips for creating icons

Icon templates

• Download the Icon templates for Android 4.0 for use with Inkscape.

Creating good-looking low-resolution icons

• Set your document size to the size of the lowest resolution icon (e.g. 18x18 for ic_menu_.. icons)
• Turn on grid lines on the pixel level and align your graphics on the pixel level in such a way that the graphics looks good in the lowest resolution ldpi.
• You may want to use the icon preview feature from Inkscape. See the following issues on how to set the correct icon sizes:
• https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/214769
• https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/+bug/754399

Directory structure

The directory structure for launcher icons should be:

ic_launcher_clock/...
                  ic_launcher_clock.svg
                  drawable-ldpi/...
                                ic_launcher_clock.png    (36x36)
                  drawable-mdpi/...
                                ic_launcher_clock.png    (48x48)
                  drawable-hdpi/...
                                ic_launcher_clock.png    (72x72)
                  drawable-xhdpi/...
                                 ic_launcher_clock.png    (96x96)

The directory structure for action bar icons should be:

ic_menu_send/...
             holo_light/...
                        ic_menu_send.svg
                        drawable-ldpi/...
                                      ic_menu_send.png    (18x18)
                        drawable-mdpi/...
                                      ic_menu_send.png    (24x24)
                        drawable-hdpi/...
                                      ic_menu_send.png    (36x36)
                        drawable-xhdpi/...
                                       ic_menu_send.png    (48x48)
             holo_dark/...
                       ic_menu_send.svg
                       drawable-ldpi/...
                                     ic_menu_send.png    (18x18)
                       drawable-mdpi/...
                                     ic_menu_send.png    (24x24)
                       drawable-hdpi/...
                                     ic_menu_send.png    (36x36)
                       drawable-xhdpi/...
                                      ic_menu_send.png    (48x48)

The directory structure for status bar icons should be:

ic_stat_notify_mail/...
                    ic_stat_notify_mail.svg
                    drawable-ldpi/...
                                  ic_stat_notify_mail.png    (18x18)
                    drawable-mdpi/...
                                  ic_stat_notify_mail.png    (24x24)
                    drawable-hdpi/...
                                  ic_stat_notify_mail.png    (36x36)
                    drawable-xhdpi/...
                                   ic_stat_notify_mail.png    (48x48)

See also Android Design Guidelines.

Common mistakes

Set both transparency and opacity

For action bar icons, don't set both, opacity and the "A"-slider in RGBA or HSLA, to 60 or 80.

• Holo dark:
• WRONG: RGBA="ffffff50" + opacity="80",
• RIGHT: RGBA="ffffffff" + opacity="80".
• Holo light:
• WRONG: RGBA="3333333c" + opacity="60"
• RIGHT: RGBA="333333ff" + opacity="60".

In other words, with RGBA or HSLA, set the "A"-slider to 255 (instead of 60 or 80), otherwise you set the opacity twice.