Icon Slate is a Mac app that generates app icons in multiple formats for iOS, macOS, Android, and Windows from a single source image. You drag in artwork, select your target platforms, and Icon Slate exports all the required sizes. It was popular in the early 2010s when manually creating icon sets was tedious, but modern design tools have built this functionality directly into their workflows.
Key Specs
| Price | Paid (Mac App Store, discontinued) |
| Platform | macOS only (unsupported since 2016) |
| Best for | Legacy icon generation (not recommended) |
| Learning curve | 5 minutes to export icons |
How Designers Use Icon Slate
Icon Slate simplified icon generation when each platform required dozens of manually resized files. Here’s how it worked.
For iOS App Icon Generation
Drag your master icon (1024x1024) into Icon Slate, select the iOS format, and the app exports all required sizes (from 20x20 @1x to 1024x1024 for the App Store). The app creates an .iconset folder or individual PNG files organized by size. This was faster than manually resizing in Photoshop, but Xcode and Figma now handle this automatically.
For Multi-Platform Icon Export
Icon Slate lets you export the same artwork to macOS .icns, Windows .ico, Android icons, and custom sizes in one batch. You select formats from a list, configure size options, and export everything at once. This was useful for cross-platform apps, but modern workflows use design systems in Figma or Sketch with export presets for each platform.
For Quick Icon Previews
Icon Slate shows live previews of how your icon looks at different sizes with various backgrounds. You can preview iOS 6 gloss effects, iOS 7 flat styles, or custom background colors to check icon legibility at small sizes. This preview feature was helpful before design tools added artboard previews.
Icon Slate vs. Alternatives
How does Icon Slate compare to current icon workflows?
| Feature | Icon Slate | SF Symbols | Figma | Sketch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Paid (discontinued) | Free | Free tier | $10/mo |
| Platform support | iOS, macOS, Android (2016) | Apple platforms | All platforms | All platforms |
| Active development | ❌ Since 2016 | ✅ Updated yearly | ✅ Active | ✅ Active |
| Icon design | ❌ Import only | ✅ 5,000+ symbols | ✅ Full design tools | ✅ Full design tools |
| Export formats | ⚠️ Legacy formats | ✅ SF Symbols format | ✅ All modern formats | ✅ All modern formats |
| Automation | ⚠️ Basic batch | ⚠️ Via Xcode | ✅ Plugins, API | ✅ Plugins |
Choose SF Symbols if: You’re designing for iOS, macOS, watchOS, or tvOS and need system icons that match Apple’s design language.
Choose Figma if: You’re designing custom app icons and need a full design tool with modern export options, plugins, and cross-platform support.
Choose Sketch if: You’re a Mac-only designer who prefers native apps and already uses Sketch for UI design.
Avoid Icon Slate because: It hasn’t been updated since 2016, doesn’t support modern icon formats, and its functionality is built into current design tools.
Getting Started with Icon Slate
Icon Slate’s workflow was simple, but you shouldn’t use it anymore. Here’s what it did:
Step 1: Import your master icon
Drag a high-resolution PNG (1024x1024 or larger) into Icon Slate’s main window. The app previews the icon at various sizes and backgrounds. You can import multiple images to create icons from layered artwork.
Step 2: Select target formats
Check boxes for iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, or custom sizes. Icon Slate shows which sizes will be exported for each format. You can customize the size list by adding or removing specific dimensions.
Step 3: Export and organize
Click Export, choose a destination folder, and Icon Slate creates all the required files. It can organize icons in separate folders per format or dump everything into one directory. The exported files are ready to drag into Xcode, Android Studio, or Visual Studio.
Icon Slate in Your Design Workflow
Icon Slate fit into the 2013-2016 app icon workflow. Modern workflows skip it entirely.
- Before Icon Slate: Design icon in Illustrator or Photoshop, export master PNG at highest resolution
- During Icon Slate: Batch export to all platform formats in one click
- After Icon Slate: Drag exported icons into Xcode or Android Studio, submit to app stores
Modern workflow (2025):
- Design in Figma/Sketch: Create icon at 1024x1024 with proper templates
- Export with plugins: Use Figma’s iOS Icon Exporter or Sketch’s built-in export presets
- Skip Icon Slate: Design tools handle multi-size export automatically
Why Icon Slate became obsolete:
- Xcode’s Asset Catalog accepts a single 1024x1024 icon and generates all sizes automatically
- Figma and Sketch have export presets for every platform built-in
- SF Symbols provides 5,000+ free icons that adapt to Apple’s design system
- Android Studio’s Image Asset Studio generates adaptive icons from one file
Common Problems (and How to Fix Them)
These were Icon Slate’s limitations. Modern tools solve them.
“Icon Slate doesn’t support iOS 14 adaptive icons”
Icon Slate was last updated in 2016, before iOS 14’s adaptive icon requirements. There’s no fix. Use Figma or Sketch with current export presets that handle adaptive icons, dark mode variants, and App Clip icons.
“The app crashes on macOS Sonoma”
Icon Slate isn’t compatible with modern macOS versions. Apple deprecated the APIs it relies on. Download SF Symbols (free from Apple) or use Figma’s icon export plugins instead.
“I need to export for platforms Icon Slate doesn’t support”
Icon Slate targets iOS 6-9, macOS 10.10, Android 4.x, and Windows Vista-era formats. It doesn’t know about modern requirements like iOS’s App Store 1024x1024 format, Android adaptive icons, or macOS Big Sur’s unified icon design. Switch to a current design tool.
“Can I still buy Icon Slate?”
You can find it on the Mac App Store, but there’s no reason to buy it. SF Symbols is free, Figma’s Starter plan is free, and both handle icon export better than Icon Slate ever did. Spending money on abandoned software is a waste.
“I have old projects using Icon Slate files”
Icon Slate exported standard PNG, .icns, and .ico files. You don’t need the app to use the icons. If you need to regenerate them, import the master artwork into Figma or Sketch and export with modern presets. Icon Slate’s project files (.iContainer) are proprietary and not worth migrating.