skinning and installing toolbar icons

in SS you just replace the default icons with your own

Take a look at a skin that has custom toolbar icons so you can see how the image is laid out. Save yours as a transparent png, and import it in SkS.

1)set SS to open your paint program as the primary editing program for SS images.
2)set SS to open tga files as png.
3)double click the toolbar icons in SS and it will open for editing in your paint program as a png file. Very easy to do from there. When done, save, and save skin studio and it will change the image back to tga and you can reload the changes to windowblinds. Done deal.
[Message Edited]

yeah,png like they said(sorry I didnt mention that,thought you knew)

when i save my icons they do not appear in skin studio. however, they do appear in internet explorer, but only the normal view. when i mouse over them, i get the pre-schooler ie icons.

In order to see the toolbar icons in Skin Studio, you need to be in the preview tab for toolbar icons. There is a hot set of toolbar icons(mouse over) as well as small view and many others. If your toolbar icons appear in internet explorer and normal view, then this means that you made icons for internet explorer and normal view, not mouse over view.

ok, i have the toolbar tabs open, my icons do not appear in the preview window, but when i mouse over the empty space, the default ie icons show, this is what happen when i open ie. so you are saying i need to save one file hot and another cold and that will eliminate ie icons? i saved a hot png file, and a cold png file and still no different result. ??

ok- i got them to show up. did away with shell edit and worked straight from paint program.now one problem. they should be white symbols (the shell is black) the color used to paint them was white. but instead of white, they are showing up blue. is there a reason for this and a way to get them back o their original color?

You need to use a program such as paint shop or photoshop and set up everything as outlined in my #3 response. If you are just beginning to work with Skin Studio, then you'll also need a litle patience. It seems that you already have a good understanding of how to work with the program. Your paint program needs to be able to handle the png format. The best programs for begineers are Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop. These are entry level programs but quite detailed for this sort of work.

If your paint program is setup properly and it can handle the png format, then you will have no problem with black, whites, or blues. Sort of funny, but I digress.

but why are they showing up blue?

I don't know what paint program you are using. Maybe your paint program doesn't support png images. I don't even know what format you are saving and importing these images as. There can be a million in one explanations, based on the lack of information you are providing.

never mind. problem solved. toolbar icons are functioning as they should. somehow, my original designs (being black and white, saved as greyscale) skin studio was reformating them into rgb bitmaps and turning the white blue(?)
thanx for all ur help, and patience.
-skinny

If you are trying to edit the png files in paint, it won't work. Paint does not support a transparency layer. Therefore, importing the png back to Skin Studio won't work properly. This may explain the blue color. You need to follow #3 and use a program that supports a transparency layer.

If you need help setting up everything in #3, let me know. Assuming that you have a paint program that supports a transparency layer.

ah, yes, you need to save your png in true(24 bit) color. Like I said, a million in one explanations. Glad you sorted it out.