I’ve had a few readers write asking how to change the look of icons in OS X since I posted the set of glass folders last week. The easiest way is to buy a copy of CandyBar 3. That, however, will cost you $29. If you want to do it by hand that is also possible with the following steps.
First you will have a file for which you want to change the icon. Here is a rtf file that deserves some attention.
![Icon 1.jpg](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/icon-1.jpg)
Next you need to find a new icon. There are a variety of sources on the interweb. One of my favorites is Interfacelift where I got this clone soldier icon.
![icon 6.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/icon-6.png)
Now copy the new icon by clicking once on it and then pressing …
![command c.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/command-c.png)
Now go back to the file that is to get a new icon. First click on it and then press …
![command I.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/command-i.png)
This opens the information panel for that file which should look something like this.
![icon 3.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/icon-3.png)
Now comes the tricky part. Click on the icon in the information panel once. It should then have a faint little blue halo on it.
![icon 5.jpg](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/icon-5.jpg)
Once the icon has the blue glow then you paste the new icon you copied by clicking …
![Command v.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/command-v.png)
That is it. Close the information panel and you should be good.
![icon 7.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/icon-7.png)
Sometimes OS X is a little slow updating the icon but it generally happens right after you close the information panel.
If you decide you want to return a file to its default icon, you just give it the blue halo in the information panel and then click …
![command x.png](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/command-x.png)
Just to give an example of how crazy this can get, here is my daughter’s dock. Whenever I use her computer it takes me five minutes to find Safari … which is coincidentally (this week) the peace symbol.
![Sams Dock.jpg](https://macsparky.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/sams-dock.jpg)