ios-icon-gen

iOS Icon Generator

Generate PNG icon imagesets for Xcode asset catalogs from two sources.

When to Activate

• Generating icon assets for an iOS/macOS Xcode project
• Searching for icons across open source collections
• Creating PNG imagesets (1x, 2x, 3x) for asset catalogs
• Replacing placeholder icons with production-quality assets
• Matching existing icon styles in an Xcode project

Core Principles

1. Two Sources, One Output Format

Both sources produce identical Xcode-compatible imagesets. Choose based on need:

2. Always Match Existing Style

Before generating, check the project's existing icons for size, color, and weight consistency.

3. Output Structure

Both methods produce a complete Xcode imageset:

<output-dir>/<asset-name>.imageset/
  Contents.json
  <asset-name>.png        # 1x (68px default)
  <asset-name>@2x.png     # 2x (136px default)
  <asset-name>@3x.png     # 3x (204px default)

Examples

Step 1: Assess Requirements

Determine icon needs: what the icon represents, preferred style, target color, and size.

If the project already has icons, check existing style:

# Check dimensions of existing icon
sips -g pixelWidth -g pixelHeight path/to/existing@2x.png

Step 2: Search for Icons

Iconify API (recommended for wide selection):

SF Symbols (for Apple-native style): Browse the SF Symbols app or reference common names:

Step 3: Preview (Optional)

Step 4: Generate

Iconify API:

Options: --size <pt> (default: 68), --color <hex> (default: 8E8E93), --output <dir> (default: /tmp/icons)

SF Symbols:

Options: --size <pt> (default: 68), --color <hex> (default: 8E8E93), --weight <name> (default: thin), --output <dir> (default: /tmp/icons)

Step 5: Verify and Integrate

1. Read the generated @2x PNG to verify visually
2. Copy to asset catalog if not output there directly:

   cp -r /tmp/icons/<name>.imageset path/to/Assets.xcassets/<group>/
3. Build the project to verify Xcode picks up the new assets

Popular Iconify Collections

Browse all: https://icon-sets.iconify.design/

Scripts Reference

Best Practices

• Search before generating -- browse available icons to find the best match
• Match existing project style -- check dimensions, color, and weight of existing icons before generating new ones
• Use Iconify for variety -- 200+ collections means you can find the exact style you need
• Use SF Symbols for Apple consistency -- they match system UI perfectly
• Generate directly to asset catalog -- use --output ./Assets.xcassets/icons to skip manual copying
• Verify visually -- always preview the @2x PNG before committing

Anti-Patterns

• Generating icons without checking existing project icon style
• Using default colors when the project has a defined color palette
• Generating at wrong sizes (check existing icons first)
• Committing generated icons without visual verification