How to Apply Your Custom Icons on macOS
After generating an icon with FolderKit, the final step is to apply it to a folder on your Mac. The process is straightforward but differs slightly depending on whether you are using a single .png file or a complete .icns file.
Using Copy and Paste
Open and Copy the Image
Locate your generated .png icon file and open it in the Preview app.
Once the image is open, select the entire image by pressing Cmd + A. Then, copy it to the clipboard by pressing Cmd + C.
Select the Target Folder Icon
In Finder, click to select the folder whose icon you want to change.
With the folder selected, open the “Get Info” window by pressing Cmd + I or by right-clicking and choosing “Get Info”.
In the top-left corner of the “Get Info” window, click on the small folder icon. A blue highlight will appear around it, indicating it’s selected.
Paste the New Icon
Press Cmd + V to paste the image from your clipboard. The folder’s icon will update immediately.
You can access Apple Support: Change icons for files or folders on Mac for more specific instructions.
When you paste image data from the clipboard, macOS creates the necessary icon resources and stores them in a hidden Icon? file inside the folder.
Therefore, if you are working within a Git repository, remember to add Icon? to your .gitignore file to avoid committing it.
Revert to Default Icon
If you want to remove a custom icon and restore the default blue folder icon, the process is simple.
Select the Folder Icon
In Finder, select the folder with the custom icon.
Open the “Get Info” window (Cmd + I).
Click the custom icon in the top-left corner of the “Get Info” window to select it.
Cut the Icon
In the menu bar, choose Edit > Cut or press Cmd + X. The custom icon will be removed, and the original system default will reappear immediately.
For users comfortable with handling hidden files, you can directly delete the Icon? file.
Navigate to the Folder
Open the folder containing the custom icon in Finder.
Show Hidden Files
Press Cmd + Shift + . (period) to toggle the visibility of hidden files.
Delete the File
You will see a semi-transparent file named Icon?. Delete this file.
The folder’s icon will revert to the default immediately. You can press Cmd + Shift + . again to hide the hidden files.