- 1). Open Adobe Photoshop and click the "File" menu. Click "New." Type "AIMIcon" into the "Name" box. Type "48" into both the "Width" and "Height" boxes. Select "pixels" from each drop down menu. Pull down the "Background Contents" menu and select "White." Click the "OK" button.
- 2). Pull down the "View" menu and select "Fit on Screen" to expand the workspace. This won't enlarge the icon, but gives you more room to draw.
- 3). Double-click the top-left box in the "Color Picker" at the bottom of the "Tools" column. Select a background color for the icon, such as pink, and click the "OK" button. Click the "Paint Bucket" tool in the middle of the "Tools" column. Click the white space of the icon, which fills with color.
- 4). Right-click the shape tool, four icons above the "Color Picker." Select "Custom Shape Tool" from the fly-out menu.
- 5). Pull down the "Shape" menu on the toolbar at the top of the screen. Choose a shape for the icon, such as a paw print or a flower. Click into the "Color" box on the toolbar. Choose a contrasting color -- one that will stand out from the background -- and click "OK."
- 6). Position the cursor in the top-left corner of the "AIMIcon" box. Click and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the cursor to the bottom-right corner and release the mouse. The icon shape appears and fills in with color.
- 7). Click the "File" menu. Select "Save As." Pull down the "Format" menu and click "BMP." If Photoshop asks you to flatten layers, click "Yes" or "OK." Choose a place to save the icon where you'll remember to find it to upload to AOL and click the "Save" button.
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