# svg and system icons In addition to being good for creating visually interesting artwork, vectors are a great format for making quick web graphics and system icons. [Icon design links from adobe ](https://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/icon-design.html) is a nice introduction to the design process. ## working with svg files SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphic. These are a generic vector file format that can be used to move graphics between drawing programs. More importantly, they can be used directly as graphics in web browsers. As vector files, they are smaller than image files. They are also more flexible because they can be edited with CSS code. - [tips for designing and exporting svg icons with illustrator from medialoot](https://medialoot.com/blog/tips-for-designing-and-exporting-svg-icons-with-illustrator//) - [what is the best way to export my svg icons from illustrator? from wpicons](https://www.wpicons.com/documentation/what-is-the-best-way-to-export-my-svg-icons-from-illustrator/) - [how to export vector icons to multiple sizes and formats in adobe illustrator from iconfinder](https://blog.iconfinder.com/how-to-export-vector-icons-to-multiple-sizes-and-formats-in-adobe-illustrator-34cb3bdae09f) - [the different ways of getting svg out of adobe illustrator from css-tricks](https://css-tricks.com/illustrator-to-svg/) way more than you need unless you are a web coder, but [using svg from css-tricks](https://css-tricks.com/using-svg/) is a great introduction to how you can use svg on the web ## working with windows icon files ICO files are the icon files that are used with Microsoft Windows operating systems. These are the actual icons you would see on your computer desktop or in your file manager. They are a special breed of file with some specific quirks, including being one of the few file formats that Adobe products don't work with. There are tricks and tools to get your work into the ICO format though. - [using adobe photoshop or illustrator to create an ICO from jon graft](https://medium.com/@JonGraft/using-adobe-photoshop-or-illustrator-to-create-an-ico-82e573279f6b) - [5 ways to create a windows icon file from ico convert](https://icoconvert.com/5-ways-to-create-a-windows-icon.htm) ## working with macos icon files Mac computers handle icons differently. They can use PNG graphics for the base graphics. The challenge with Macs is packaging and processing those files into the proper formats. Here's a some help with that. - [create your own custom icons in osx from rocketyard](https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/28492-create-your-own-custom-icons-in-10-7-5-or-later/) - [creating custom icons from o'reilly](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/modding-mac-os/0596007094/ch04s03.html) --- tags: #vector #resources #icons home: [[! vector drawing resources]]