How to Change System and Folder Icons on a Mac

Customizing icons on a Mac is easy, here is a step-by-step guide to get you started.

Don’t worry about which system you are using, this tutorial works for all operating systems! Mac OSX Leopard as well as the older, classic versions of Mac operating systems.

Customizing Desktop Icons

1) First, find the icon you would like to use.
2) Click on the icon once, to select it.
3) Press Command-I to open the Inspector panel.
4) Select the icon at the top part of the Inspector panel and press Command-C to copy the icon. You will notice that it gets outlined with a blue glow when it is selected.
5) Select the file or folder that you want to customize.
6) Press Command-I to open the Inspector panel of the file or folder you want to customize.
7) Select the icon at the top and press Command-V to paste the icon.

You’re done!

If you want to clear a custom icon you have applied, simply select the file or folder, press Command-I to open the Inspector panel for that item, select the icon at the top and press Command-X to remove it.

Illustration with a Blue Bayou folder icon from Luminous Blue Folder Icons.

How can I change the system icons on my Mac?

Customizing System Icons

The default system icons, such as the trash can, the Finder icon, the generic folder, hard disk, removable media, the clippings icon, and many more can be changed to system replacement icons with CandyBar.

For example, you can change all of your generic folder icons with just a click using CandyBar.

CandyBar from Panic and Iconfactory is an icon manager that lets you browse and view your icon collections and apply icons to individual folders in a flash.

With CandyBar you can easily and safely change system level icons in Mac OS X. Drag and drop to customize toolbar icons, folders, drives and OS X Trash icons with CandyBar. You can customize the dock too.

Click the arrow to save this handy tutorial to your computer.

Find out how to change the wallpaper on your Mac or read some suggestions for how you can make your desktop productive.

Related Posts:

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2. How To Change System and Folder Icons in Windows XP
3. How to Change the Icons in Windows
4. How to Change the Size of Icons on a Mac
5. How to Change Your Icons