FAQ

This section answers common questions about IconGenerator and points to the relevant documentation pages for detailed workflows.

Is IconGenerator free?

IconGenerator is free to install and use.

However, some icon sets require a license for full use (especially in commercial projects). Free icon sets may also come with specific terms (for example attribution requirements).

To check the exact license terms of an icon set:

Licenses ‣ License Information…
Or right‑click an icon in the icon list and choose License Information

See Licenses and icon set activation.

How do I know if an icon set requires attribution?

Open the license information for the icon set:

Licenses ‣ License Information…
Or right‑click an icon in the icon list → License Information

Read the summary (often displayed in the dialog) and use the Read full license link for the complete legal text.

Note

Attribution rules vary by icon set and license type. Always follow the terms displayed in License Information for the selected set.

See Licenses and icon set activation.

Which formats can I export?

IconGenerator can generate both vector and bitmap outputs, including:

Vector formats: SVG, XAML, PDF, EPS, PS
Bitmap formats: PNG, BMP (32‑bit), BMP (24‑bit), JPEG
Platform icon formats: Windows ICO, macOS ICNS
Other outputs: Image strips (for toolbars/image lists) and icon fonts (EOT/TTF/WOFF/OTF…) with optional CSS.

Some formats require external tools (for example Inkscape for PDF/EPS/PS, FontForge for font export).

See Export formats and options.

What is the difference between Generated Icons and Collections?

Generated Icons are the icons currently produced from your selection (icons + overlays + colorization settings). They are shown in the Generated Icons panel and can be exported immediately.

A Collection is a project document (.AXICP) that stores a curated list of icons for your application, including their names, IDs, overlay positions and colorization. Collections are ideal when you want to manage and export a whole project in one batch.

Typical usage:

Use Generated Icons to explore and preview combinations quickly.
Use Collections to store the final list and export the whole project reliably.

See Workflow and Working with Collections.

How do I export icons quickly?

There are two fast export commands:

Export from Generated Icons

File ‣ Create Generated Icon Files F3

Use this to export the icons currently displayed in the Generated Icons panel.

Export from a Collection

Collection ‣ Create Collection Icon Files… F4

Use this to export all icons stored in the current collection document (.AXICP).

See Generating icons, Export formats and options, and Working with Collections.

Can I add overlays and colorize icons?

Yes.

Overlays: Overlays let you illustrate actions or states (Add, Remove, Info, Error, …) and can be positioned in four corners. Use F5 to F8 to change overlay position (focus-dependent).
Colorization: You can colorize icons (and overlays separately) using built‑in palettes.

See Adding Overlays and Colorizing icons.

Why do `F5`–`F8` change the “wrong” icons?

Overlay position shortcuts are focus dependent:

If the Icon Collections panel has focus, F5–F8 apply to the selected collection icons.
Otherwise, they apply to the selection in Generated Icons.

Click inside the panel you want to affect and press the shortcut again.

See Adding Overlays and Keyboard shortcuts.

Can I generate icons for dark mode?

Yes. IconGenerator includes a Dark Mode Icons feature that automatically transforms icon colors so they remain clearly visible on dark backgrounds.

Typical workflow:

Select icons (and optional overlays).
Enable Dark Mode Icons.
Export directly (F3) or add to a collection (Ctrl+W).

See Make Icons for Dark Mode.

Can I edit icons and create my own variants?

Yes, for free or activated (licensed) icon sets.

IconGenerator always edits copies of icons (the original database icon is never modified). You edit the copy with an external SVG editor configured in Preferences:

Edit ‣ Preferences… F2 → Editors tab

Edited copies are stored as SVG files in:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Icons\

See Editing icons.

Does IconGenerator include a vector editor?

No. IconGenerator is an icon production and export tool; it relies on an external SVG editor for editing.

You can configure any SVG editor in Preferences (F2). IconGenerator can also detect common editors automatically (such as Axialis IconVectors, Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer).

See Editing icons.

Where are my edited icons stored? How do I move them to another computer?

Edited/duplicated icons are saved as SVG files in:

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Icons\

To move your work to another computer, copy this folder as well as your project collection files (.AXICP).

See Editing icons and Working with Collections.

How do I search for an icon by name?

Use Find:

Edit ‣ Find Ctrl+F

Search results are displayed in the Search Result folder in the Icon Sets tree. To locate an icon in its original set/category, right‑click it and choose Locate Icon in Set.

See Finding icons.

Can I use IconGenerator offline?

Yes, for most day‑to‑day work, as long as the necessary data is already on your machine.

Works offline

browsing already-installed icon sets,
generating icons and exporting files,
working with collections (.AXICP),
using edited icons stored locally.

Requires Internet

downloading/updating icon sets,
checking for application updates,
signing in to your Axialis account,
synchronizing licenses.

If you are offline permanently, you may want to:

disable automatic updates in Edit ‣ Preferences… F2 → Auto-Update,
use license key activation if your licensing workflow supports it.

See Updates and account, Licenses and icon set activation, and Preferences.

How do I activate purchased icon sets?

The recommended method is to sign in to your Axialis account and synchronize licenses. Synchronization is performed automatically on sign-in, and it can also be triggered manually: