Backstory
More than an year ago I installed windows 11 and finally migrated all my scripts to beta of AHK 2. Since it still had old icons, I made some Win11 styled icons for personal use.
A few months ago I figured out that AHK 2 is finally out of beta. It's amazing, but its new icon isn't that great I think. It fits Win8 or maybe early Win10, but both of them were actual about 10 years ago. So I thought it can't hurt to make my icons more presentable and suggest them as an official replacement. Plus, current script icon is still old, it probably needs update in any case.
A few months ago I figured out that AHK 2 is finally out of beta. It's amazing, but its new icon isn't that great I think. It fits Win8 or maybe early Win10, but both of them were actual about 10 years ago. So I thought it can't hurt to make my icons more presentable and suggest them as an official replacement. Plus, current script icon is still old, it probably needs update in any case.
Option 1: Completely new icons
How often do you see the AutoHotkey icon? I bet not as often as your scripts folder full of .ahk files. So why not to focus on their look instead?
When you double click a script file, it may do some background processes, put an icon to the system tray, or even show a window with unique set of controls that do their automated magic somewhere inside. AutoHotkey scripts are like little apps that do their own stuff, there's no any parent window that you always see (like seeing Visual Studio after clicking a .csproj file or Notepad after clicking a .txt file). So I think the script icon deserves a better icon than "a text file belonging to X" one.
My executable and script icons are literally the same icon, the only difference is a cut corner (this detail is inspired by Adobe icons, I really like their cut corner). The rectangle shape works both for scripts (reminds of a file icon) and executable (reminds of a keycap shaped something between a letter and a NumEnter keys).
Inspired by Fluent design used in windows 11. Every icon resolution is made by hand, so all of them are pixel perfect.
The paused tray icon idea is borrowed from an actual AHK icon (an H without the horizontal line, this is genius). But suspended icon got S letter like in AHK 1: though the transparent icon idea is interesting, bit in fact it looks quite the same being in the system tray (unless you use dark mode so your taskbar is not white).
As a bonus, there's a compiled script icon. It's the script one but blue. There's no any idea behind the color, I just think it looks nice ^_^;
When you double click a script file, it may do some background processes, put an icon to the system tray, or even show a window with unique set of controls that do their automated magic somewhere inside. AutoHotkey scripts are like little apps that do their own stuff, there's no any parent window that you always see (like seeing Visual Studio after clicking a .csproj file or Notepad after clicking a .txt file). So I think the script icon deserves a better icon than "a text file belonging to X" one.
- New icons demonstration
- Demo-New.png (136.67 KiB) Viewed 1300 times
Inspired by Fluent design used in windows 11. Every icon resolution is made by hand, so all of them are pixel perfect.
The paused tray icon idea is borrowed from an actual AHK icon (an H without the horizontal line, this is genius). But suspended icon got S letter like in AHK 1: though the transparent icon idea is interesting, bit in fact it looks quite the same being in the system tray (unless you use dark mode so your taskbar is not white).
As a bonus, there's a compiled script icon. It's the script one but blue. There's no any idea behind the color, I just think it looks nice ^_^;
Option 2: Current icons, but remastered
If it's too late to change the app icon so dramatically, I made another set just in case.
The executable icon is literally the same but it's pixel perfect.
The script icon is the recreation of original WinXP styled icon but based on Win11.
The executable icon is literally the same but it's pixel perfect.
The script icon is the recreation of original WinXP styled icon but based on Win11.
- Remastered icons demonstration
- Demo-OldRemastered.png (62.83 KiB) Viewed 1300 times
