What are best ways to create custom icons?

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What are best ways to create custom icons?

Custom icons are one of the quickest ways to make a website or app feel designed, not assembled. They help users scan faster, understand actions instantly, and recognize your brand across screens and print. The good news is you do not need to be an illustrator to get professional results. What you do need is a repeatable process that keeps every icon consistent.

Below are the best ways to create custom icons today, followed by a comparison of popular tools: Canva, Freepik, and Icons8. I will also share a dedicated option that is built specifically for creating consistent icon sets: iconpro.io.

1) Start with a simple icon system

The biggest difference between nice icons and random icons is consistency. Before you open any tool, decide on a mini system:

  • Style: Outline, filled, or mixed. Choose one and stick to it.
  • Stroke weight: If you use outline icons, pick a stroke thickness and keep it consistent.
  • Corner style: Rounded or sharp.
  • Perspective: Flat is usually best for UI.
  • Grid size: Choose a base grid, such as 24px, 32px, or 48px.

If you do nothing else, commit to one visual style and one stroke weight. That alone makes a set feel cohesive.

2) Design for the smallest size first

Icons often look great at 128px and fall apart at 16px. Design for the smallest place your icons will appear, like nav bars, buttons, and lists. Keep shapes simple, avoid tiny details, and test often.

  • UI icons: Prioritize clarity at 16 to 24px.
  • Marketing icons: You can add more detail because sizes are larger.
  • Print icons: Avoid extremely thin strokes that may not reproduce well.

3) Use vector whenever possible

If you can, build icons in vector format, usually SVG. Vector icons scale cleanly and stay sharp on high DPI screens. Even if you start from a bitmap or a screenshot, the goal is usually to end up with a vector version for final use in websites and apps.

If you want a quick reference on why SVG is so useful for the web, this MDN guide to SVG is a good starting point.

4) Remix existing icons the right way

You do not need to draw every icon from scratch. A common workflow is to start from a solid icon library and then customize:

  • Adjust stroke thickness to match your system.
  • Standardize padding so icons feel aligned.
  • Unify corner radius and line endings.
  • Apply brand colors, or keep them monochrome for UI.

This approach is fast and produces professional results as long as you keep your system rules consistent. Just be careful with licensing when using library icons. If you want a simple overview, check out Creative Commons license types and always confirm the license on the specific icon pack you download.

5) Use AI carefully

AI icon generation can be helpful when you need new concepts quickly, especially for marketing graphics. For UI icon sets, you still need to check consistency, alignment, and legibility at small sizes. Treat AI as a starting point, not the final step.

If you are curious about what makes icons readable at small sizes, the Material Design icon guidance is a useful reference even if you are not using Material icons directly.

6) Test on real backgrounds and export properly

Icons rarely live on a blank canvas. Test your icons on your real UI backgrounds, both light and dark, and try them next to text labels. Then export in the formats you actually need:

  • SVG: Best for websites and responsive UI.
  • PNG: Good for fixed size uses, legacy systems, and some print workflows.
  • PDF: Useful for print or sending to designers and printers.

Finally, name files clearly, like icon-lock.svg or icon-calendar.svg, so your team can find and reuse them easily.

Comparing popular icon tools: Canva vs Freepik vs Icons8

These three are popular because they let non designers produce good results quickly. They differ in strengths. Canva is a broad design platform. Freepik is a huge asset library with editing tools. Icons8 is strong for icon libraries and icon focused creation workflows.

Tool Best for Strengths Watch outs
Canva Fast layouts and branded visuals Easy editing, templates, quick brand styling Less precise for strict icon systems
Freepik Finding icons and customizing them quickly Large library, icon editing tools, AI options Check license terms and keep styles consistent
Icons8 Icon libraries and icon centric creation Strong icon ecosystem, creation tools, design utilities Confirm exports and licensing match your use case

Canva

Canva is best when you want icons as part of a bigger design job, like a landing page graphic, a presentation, a social post, or a simple website layout. You can start with existing icons and quickly adjust colors and placement to match your brand.

To explore Canva’s icon and design features, start here: Canva features.

Freepik

Freepik is a strong choice when the hardest part is simply finding the right icon to start from. Once you have a base icon, you can customize it and export in common formats. It is especially useful when you want variety, such as outline, filled, flat, or gradient styles.

If you want to browse icon styles quickly, you can start with Freepik Icons.

Icons8

Icons8 shines when your project is icon heavy and you want an ecosystem around that. It provides icon libraries and creation tools that help you assemble consistent visuals quickly. If you are producing lots of UI icons, Icons8 often feels more purpose built than a general design tool.

Here is a good starting point to explore: Icons8 Icons.

An amazing resource for creating consistent custom icon sets: iconPRO

If your main goal is not just to make one icon, but to make a whole set that matches, then iconpro.io is worth a look. It is focused on creating custom icons for websites, apps, or print media, and it is built around quick styling so your set stays consistent.

If you want, you can link internally to your own related content here, for example:

Final takeaway

If you want the best results with the least frustration, follow this order:

  1. Define a simple icon system, including style, stroke, corners, and grid.
  2. Start with vector icons when possible.
  3. Test at the smallest sizes early.
  4. Use Canva, Freepik, or Icons8 to speed up exploration and production.
  5. Use a set focused tool like iconpro.io when you need consistency across many icons.

With a clear system and the right tool, you can create custom icons that look professional, feel cohesive, and scale across web, app, and print.