{"id":78649,"date":"2020-09-30T12:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-extract-high-quality-system-preference-icons-on-a-mac\/"},"modified":"2020-09-30T12:00:04","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T09:00:04","slug":"how-to-extract-high-quality-system-preference-icons-on-a-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-extract-high-quality-system-preference-icons-on-a-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Extract High-Quality System Preference Icons on a Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#How to Extract High-Quality System Preference Icons on a Mac”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\"Apple<\/p>\n

Sometimes, you need a high-quality icon of from Mac System Preferences for project, but you can\u2019t find a good one online. Luckily, with a little digging, it\u2019s easy to extract a perfect quality System Preference icon with a transparent background using only the Preview app<\/a>. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n

First, we\u2019ll need to locate the actual files that represent the panes in System Preferences using Finder. With Finder active, select Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/p>\n

In the \u201cGo To Folder\u201d window or slider that appears, type (or paste) \/System\/Library\/PreferencePanes<\/code>.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

A Finder window will appear that includes files that correspond with the default preference panes you see in System Preferences.<\/p>\n

(Note: If you are looking for a third-party preference pane file, check \/Library\/PreferencePanes<\/code> instead.)<\/p>\n

\"Mac<\/p>\n

Locate the file representing the preference pane from which you\u2019d like to extract an icon. It should have a recognizable name. For example, \u201cPrintAndScan.prefPane\u201d is the file for \u201cPrinters & Scanners,\u201d and \u201cSoftwareUpdate.prefPane\u201d is the file for \u201cSoftware Update.\u201d<\/p>\n

Each \u201c.prefPane\u201d file is actually a special type of folder called a \u201cpackage.\u201d We\u2019re going to open up that package and see the resources inside.<\/p>\n

Once you find the preference pane file, right-click it and select \u201cShow Package Contents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Right-click<\/p>\n

The app package will open, and you\u2019ll see a \u201cContents\u201d folder. Open it, and within \u201cContents,\u201d you\u2019ll encounter several folders and files. Locate the \u201cResources\u201d folder and open it.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

Browse within the Resources folder and look for an \u201c.icns\u201d file with a similar name to the preference pane you\u2019re examining. For example, \u201cSoftwareUpdate.prefPane\u201d includes a file called \u201cSoftwareUpdate.icns.\u201d This is an icon package file that contains different-sized icons for the prefernce pane. Double-click it, and it will open in Preview.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

In Preview, you\u2019ll see that the \u201c.icns\u201d file includes icons in multiple sizes. The largest one will be at the top of the list in the pane on the left. Click to select it.<\/p>\n

\"Click<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve selected the largest icon, click File > Export in the menu bar.<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

When the Export dialog appears, enter a file name and choose a save location. Next, you\u2019ll need to decide an image format. If you want the highest quality image with a transparent background, select \u201cPNG\u201d from the list. (Make sure the \u201cAlpha\u201d option is checked, because this ensures that the PNG will have a transparent background.)<\/p>\n

Then click \u201cSave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"While<\/p>\n

Preview will save the icon you chose as a transparent PNG file. After that, close Preview, and you\u2019ll find the new PNG file waiting where you saved it. Very handy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n