Custom folder icons are blurry

@micoDigital The first time I did this, it did not seem to work... Then I looked closer and figured out why...

First time fail: I copied out of my favorite pixel editor (Pixelmator) and opened Preview. Preview dutifully created a new document from my clipboard. Then I copied from Preview and pasted, got the Moblurry icon.

Second time success: I exported the icon from Pixelmator to a PNG on the desktop. Then I opened that PNG in Preview, did a command-a to select all, copied, flipped to Finder, clicked on the GetInfo file icon well, pasted, and it worked.

Examination & Analysis: What I found was that the image canvas was being cropped to the boundaries of the image data by Pixelmator when traveling through the clipboard. By contrast, when saving the file, the original canvas bounds are maintained.

This makes sense as it is a common best practice to trim the clipboard data to the image bounds to avoid transferring egregious amounts of transparent pixels. For example imaging an image that is 10,240 by10,240 with the actual image in the middle fitting in only 512 by 512 and the rest being transparent pixel around it. Why transfer anything but the actual data in the clipboard... especially using Continuity / Handoff to an iPhone... but I digress.

The Test: I have a 1024 x 1024 image in Pixelmator with alpha channel transparency and some shadow at the sides, top and bottom. The transparent area around the image data occupies the 1024 x 1024 and when I save as a PNG, those boundaries are honored as shown when I open it in Preview. But when I select-all and copy from Pixelmator, which is selecting the full 1024 by 1024, Pixelmator trims the clipboard content to the rectangular boundary of the actual pixel data which results in 993 × 922 pixels being transferred

Now instead of the Mojave Finder simply centering that 993 × 922 pixels data in a transparent 1024 x 1024 canvas as the Finder has done before, Mojave Finder is pixelating the image in a faulty attempt to resize the image for the icon. (bad math?) This results in MoBlurry icons.

Visually... Original image in Pixelmator:

That image copied with selection marquee as shown above, then pasted into Preview showing the clipboard data conservation applied by Pixelmator:

Then selecting all and copying from Preview...

The image at 993 × 922 pixels copied from Preview and pasted into the Mojave Finder icon well will show a MoBlurry distorted icon.

Using the same actions, the same image in macOS Sierra 10.12.6, pasting in the 993 × 922 pixels data on the clipboard works fine:

The Conclusion: Mojave Finder has problem. It is not properly placing an image on a square transparent canvas that encompasses the image to produce an icon based upon whatever was pasted regardless of dimensions of the original clipboard image. Instead MoFinder poorly scales and down samples the image to make it MoBlurry.

Secondarily, Preview does not practice conservation on the clipboard. While not conforming to a best practice is not a bug... some consider it poor engineering. By coincidence, this issue in Preview clipboard content handling provides a mechanism for us to work around the MoBlurry bug (say that fast) in Mojave.

Mojave Hadrurus arizonensis; there be scorpions in that desert!

I've had this problem for a little while - some custom icons always end up blurry.

The answer I have discovered is that it doesnt matter what size or resolution the image is, when you paste it into the icon box, but what matters is that it it square. Even if the dimensions are out by one pixel, thats enough for it to resample the image so it is square again, and thus... blurry.

Photoshop can help - change the canvas size to match the smallest or biggest dimension, then copy/paste from there.

A perfect square is the answer! I've always used Pages to create my icons and as soon as I made sure the icon (or group) was a perfect square, I could once again copy/paste that right into Finder> Get Info. Thanks for the tip!

I found something that works for most images, but not all.

Since I don't have photoshop, I opened up the transparent png image that I was going to be using in preview. Then I went into tools, and then into adjust size. I then unchecked the box scale proportionally, and went and put in the dimensions : 512x512 pixels (width and height) and 144 pixels/cm (resolution). I then did the command+a, command+c and then went to the folder, pressed command+i and then clicked on the folder icon and did command+v.

As far as I know, this works better with transparent png images than just normal images, so tell me if you had any luck.

Hope this helps!

In every blurry icon instance, I have found its because the image being pasted into the icon box is not square. That doenst mean you must have a square icon. Here's the fix:

1. Make a square document in Photoshop (or similar) containing the icon you want. You can have a transparent background (so the image itself doesnt have to be square, just the document canvas).
2. Save the file, and also save a PNG
3. Open the PNG up in PREVIEW app.
4. Select all (making a square selection)
5. Copy the selection (this also contains the transparent areas)
6. Paste into the file's Get Info icon box.

This is different to just copying from Photoshop. For some reason Photoshop does not copy the transparent information, just the visible pixels. So if the visible pixels are not a square selection then the system must resample the copied pixels very badly, and thus, a blurry icon.

Hope that helps!

if you have a second osx partition you can boot to El Capitan and change the Mojave icons. Mine worked fine

You can make a nice template in photoshop that is square with white "wings" to make it work. When your image is copied into the black area that is what will paste onto the folder. Then just create a photoshop action and wham! you make a new cover in a second. Then just go to info and paste.

pink just shows the white area - otherwise it just looks like a black rectangle

Yes, thanks, that workaround is known. You do not have to work with photoshop, powerpoint or keynote can achieve the same result. It is that in Sierra and High Sierra any copy and paste gave a scharp image and the restriction of a square image was introduced with Mojave. So it remains a Mojave problem.

I was changing the icons in OS 7 or 8 (I can't remember for sure) in the late 90's. Funny thing is that I can change the Icons on my 6 year old MB Air with Mojave (home) yet my 1 year old MB Pro (work) I can't change the Icons with out them being blurry.

Any ideas?

tylertc04 wrote:

This. With Sierra, one could change the preview icon for any folder.

... except now in Mojave they don't even display the icons - just black screens?

If by "black screens" you mean the folder icon is represented as black—then no, this is not the default normal behavior for Mojave.

I suspect it is the wrong file type you have pasted on the icon or some other oddity.

If you via command i open the info pane— you can delete, or control Z (undo last action)— one of those keys will take you back to the default folder color blue icon.

From there you can try again, selecting all, copying and pasting your custom icon onto the icon place holder—that is highlighted in the information pane (command i.) Both .jpg and .png are easiest enough to use cropped square (or pasted onto a a square background.) as mentioned above.

I was having a similar issue, although I have only tried it on one folder.

Initial Method -

I wanted to add a client/company logo to the folder containing all their files. At first, I found a .PNG of their logo with a transparent background, followed the steps found in all the YouTube vids I watched to copy the existing folder's icon and import it into Photoshop. After finalizing the image in Photoshop, I copied it (single layer, still transparent background) directly from PS, and tried pasting it to the desired folder within the "Get Info" inspector. Next stop, Blurrysville...

Corrective Method -

After a little research, and the typical non-solutions offered by Apple, I exported the image file from PS as a .PNG. I then opened the saved file with Apple's PREVIEW application. After using the marquee to select the whole image, and copying it from within Preview, (as opposed to Photoshop), I was then able to paste it with no blurriness, although the export did affect the colors a bit.

Note - I exported as an 8-bit .PNG only because the file size for the original at 1024x1024 felt a little big to be tacked on to a folder just to be a custom icon. I honestly have no idea if it will work with the full resolution image, and at this point, I'm too afraid to try.

Let me know if this helps!

~M1K0

this works for me - I don't like it and I resent it - Mojave changed it for me too. ALL my old folders are clear but making the new icons/folders are all blurry. Using all the same way of doing it.

Make a square in photoshop that is 7" x 7" and 90 resolution. Paste your picture on this square and stretch to have 1" on either side be white or transparent, does not matter. Save jpg and paste as usual. The white "wings" on the sides keeps the image from being a square.

Looking for a faster, simpler way and will post when I do,

What is it?

Just updated to Mojave 10.14.4 and the problem is still there :((