FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
I decided I really needed to make this. I'm getting the same questions over and over and this just seems so much easier.
Thanks to grrliz for the wonderful idea and method.
Quick Tip: Hover over a question and that will take you straight to the answer.
Using Icons
Can I take / borrow some icons?
Can I nominate your icons at icon award communities?
Can I post your icons somewhere else other than Livejournal?
Do you take icon requests?
Can I edit your icons by adding my own text or a border or something else?
Can I combine several of your icons to make an animation, header or a "is love" bar?
Will you change the text on the icon to say "____________" for me?
What is hotlinking and why is it bad?
Why should I credit you?
How should I credit you?
How may I use the resources (textures, gradients, bases, etc.) you provide?
Making Icons
What programs do you use?
Where did you get your images / brushes / textures / fonts / whatever other resource?
How do you do ________ technique?
Have you ever made ____________ themed icons?
What other kinds of graphics do you make?
Miscellaneous
Why haven't you answered the question I left in one of your icon posts?
Why don't you respond to all your comments?
Can I affiliate with your icon journal?
Can I join this community?
Can I friend your regular Livejournal?
Using Icons
Can I take / borrow some icons?
Yes, of course. I share my graphics hoping others will like them enough to use them. ( back to top)
Can I nominate your icons at icon award communities?
Sure, you can. If you nominate any of my work, be sure to let me know so I can check it out! iawards and stockiconawards are just a couple of my favorites. ( back to top)
Can I post your icons somewhere else other than Livejournal?
If you have a fansite of some sort and would like to post icons I have made related to that particular subject, feel free to post the icons on your site. Just remember to always link back to this icon journal.
Please read THIS section for more information on posting in other websites. ( back to top)
Do you take icon requests?
I will take some requests. I do have occasional request posts. I will NOT alter anything made by another maker. All icons made from these requests will be posted together and are shareable to everyone. ( back to top)
Can I edit your icons by adding my own text or a border or something else?
NO. I make them the way I do because I like them that way. I prefer that people don't add things like borders on borderless icons or text to textless icons, etc. Also, do not ask another iconmaker to edit my icons. That is stealing. ( back to top)
Can I combine several of your icons to make a header or a "is love" colorbar?
I would actually prefer that you don't make any headers or colorbars. This can reduce the quality of my work and make it look different than I had intended. ( back to top)
Will you change the text on the icon to say "____________" for me?
I understand not everyone will like my choice of text I place on an icon. If you want something specific, be sure to ask in a request post. Depending on the icon, I might tweak it for you. Do not ask another iconmaker to add text to one of my icons. ( back to top)
What is hotlinking and why is it bad?
The experts explain it better than I:Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a website's files (images, video, etc.). An example would be using an < img > tag to display a JPEG image you found on someone else's web page so it will appear on your own site, journal, weblog, forum posting, etc.
( back to top)
Why should I credit you?
There are two reasons I ask for credit. The first and most important is so that if people see an icon I've made and like it, they can easily find their way back to my icon journal. It's about being user friendly. The second is to make your life easier: the more you credit, the less often you'll have people asking you where you got your icons. Crediting is not about claiming ownership or copyright, it is simply another form of LINKWARE. ( back to top)
How should I credit you?
LiveJournal/ GreatestJournal / DeadJournal:
Crediting in the keywords or comments is expected, like so:
Please note that I do prefer to be credited as roseblood_icons rather than hadathought because this saves people from having to make a pit stop at my LJ first before finding out there are no icons to be had there.
When posting images, other than icons, credit in your userinfo near the actual graphic or image.
Forums, Message Boards, IM Programs, etc:
You are allowed to use icons without crediting, since there is often not a good place to credit in these cases. But if you wish to credit anyway, that's fine too. ( back to top)
Xanga:
I hate to rule out one website from the others, so I will explain my reason for doing this. I am not comfortable with Xanga. I have found a lot of my work stolen and/or not credited to me and then posted to the public. Anyone using Xanga, I would rather you not post my icons onto your site at all.
How may I use the resources (textures, brushes, gradients, etc.) you provide?
Feel free to use my bases to make icons or my textures to make icons, headers, and/or wallpaper; this should be credited on your resource page (if you have one) or in your userinfo (if you don't). It is unnecessary for people who use the icons/headers/whatever you make from the resources to credit me as well in addition to the credit you've given me. Please do not use these resources to create your own resources for redistribution. ( back to top)
Making Icons
What programs do you use?
I use Adobe Photoshop CS5. ( back to top)
Where did you get your images / brushes / textures / fonts / whatever other resource?
Everything I use can be easily found in my Resource Post. I most likely won't remember every brush, gradient or texture I got from each individual person. You'll just have to hunt around for it. ( back to top)
How do you do ________ technique?
You may request a tutorial. There is absolutely no guarantee that I will do it, ofcourse. But it doesn't hurt to ask either. ( back to top)
Have you ever made ____________ themed icons?
All of the icons/graphics I have ever made are listed in the Graphic Archive for easier accessibility. ( back to top)
What other kinds of graphics do you make?
Occasionally I post profile/layout headers & friends only banners and even more infrequently I post wallpapers. The wallpaper is for desktop use only and must not be used for layouts. Headers must be credited in your userinfo. For any other usage, please leave a comment in one of my posts after reading through the information on this page. ( back to top)
Miscellaneous
Why haven't you answered the question I left in one of your icon posts?
Probably because the question is easily answerable if you do a little digging. Any questions pertaining to resources will automatically go unanswered because I have a huge resource post containing links to every single resource I've ever used. ( back to top)
Why don't you respond to all your comments?
By minimizing the amount that I comment in each entry post I can get a better idea of how many people enjoyed the icons, which gives me a better idea of what subject matter and techniques are enjoyed by my users. I do comment occasionally though. If you have a question, I am very good at responding with an answer. Rest assured that I do value each and every comment I receive! ( back to top)
Can I affiliate with your icon journal?
I do accept affiliates. I will only accept graphic journals or communities only. ( back to tp)
Can I join this community?
Yes, you may. And you don't have to ask. Actually, I highly recommend it. Members have special privileges here. This community is "Members Only" so they are the only ones allowed to access the posts after the 3-day public period runs out. I also don't post my resources out to the public, nor do I take requests from people who are not members of the community. ( back to top)
Can I friend your regular Livejournal?
Sure. I find myself to be pretty boring. I may or may not add you back. I will usually look over your journal to see if we have similar interests and I will most likely take a look at your userpics as well. ( back to top)
Any other questions? Feel free to contact hadathought@livejournal.com
Please be advised that any of this information has the possibility to change at any time.
Thank you,
Hadathought @ Livejournal
Thanks to grrliz for the wonderful idea and method.
Quick Tip: Hover over a question and that will take you straight to the answer.
Using Icons
Making Icons
Miscellaneous
Using Icons
Can I take / borrow some icons?
Yes, of course. I share my graphics hoping others will like them enough to use them. ( back to top)
Can I nominate your icons at icon award communities?
Sure, you can. If you nominate any of my work, be sure to let me know so I can check it out! iawards and stockiconawards are just a couple of my favorites. ( back to top)
Can I post your icons somewhere else other than Livejournal?
If you have a fansite of some sort and would like to post icons I have made related to that particular subject, feel free to post the icons on your site. Just remember to always link back to this icon journal.
Please read THIS section for more information on posting in other websites. ( back to top)
Do you take icon requests?
I will take some requests. I do have occasional request posts. I will NOT alter anything made by another maker. All icons made from these requests will be posted together and are shareable to everyone. ( back to top)
Can I edit your icons by adding my own text or a border or something else?
NO. I make them the way I do because I like them that way. I prefer that people don't add things like borders on borderless icons or text to textless icons, etc. Also, do not ask another iconmaker to edit my icons. That is stealing. ( back to top)
Can I combine several of your icons to make a header or a "is love" colorbar?
I would actually prefer that you don't make any headers or colorbars. This can reduce the quality of my work and make it look different than I had intended. ( back to top)
Will you change the text on the icon to say "____________" for me?
I understand not everyone will like my choice of text I place on an icon. If you want something specific, be sure to ask in a request post. Depending on the icon, I might tweak it for you. Do not ask another iconmaker to add text to one of my icons. ( back to top)
What is hotlinking and why is it bad?
The experts explain it better than I:Bandwidth theft or "hotlinking" is direct linking to a website's files (images, video, etc.). An example would be using an < img > tag to display a JPEG image you found on someone else's web page so it will appear on your own site, journal, weblog, forum posting, etc.
( back to top)
Why should I credit you?
There are two reasons I ask for credit. The first and most important is so that if people see an icon I've made and like it, they can easily find their way back to my icon journal. It's about being user friendly. The second is to make your life easier: the more you credit, the less often you'll have people asking you where you got your icons. Crediting is not about claiming ownership or copyright, it is simply another form of LINKWARE. ( back to top)
How should I credit you?
LiveJournal/ GreatestJournal / DeadJournal:
Crediting in the keywords or comments is expected, like so:
Please note that I do prefer to be credited as roseblood_icons rather than hadathought because this saves people from having to make a pit stop at my LJ first before finding out there are no icons to be had there.
When posting images, other than icons, credit in your userinfo near the actual graphic or image.
Forums, Message Boards, IM Programs, etc:
You are allowed to use icons without crediting, since there is often not a good place to credit in these cases. But if you wish to credit anyway, that's fine too. ( back to top)
Xanga:
I hate to rule out one website from the others, so I will explain my reason for doing this. I am not comfortable with Xanga. I have found a lot of my work stolen and/or not credited to me and then posted to the public. Anyone using Xanga, I would rather you not post my icons onto your site at all.
How may I use the resources (textures, brushes, gradients, etc.) you provide?
Feel free to use my bases to make icons or my textures to make icons, headers, and/or wallpaper; this should be credited on your resource page (if you have one) or in your userinfo (if you don't). It is unnecessary for people who use the icons/headers/whatever you make from the resources to credit me as well in addition to the credit you've given me. Please do not use these resources to create your own resources for redistribution. ( back to top)
Making Icons
What programs do you use?
I use Adobe Photoshop CS5. ( back to top)
Where did you get your images / brushes / textures / fonts / whatever other resource?
Everything I use can be easily found in my Resource Post. I most likely won't remember every brush, gradient or texture I got from each individual person. You'll just have to hunt around for it. ( back to top)
How do you do ________ technique?
You may request a tutorial. There is absolutely no guarantee that I will do it, ofcourse. But it doesn't hurt to ask either. ( back to top)
Have you ever made ____________ themed icons?
All of the icons/graphics I have ever made are listed in the Graphic Archive for easier accessibility. ( back to top)
What other kinds of graphics do you make?
Occasionally I post profile/layout headers & friends only banners and even more infrequently I post wallpapers. The wallpaper is for desktop use only and must not be used for layouts. Headers must be credited in your userinfo. For any other usage, please leave a comment in one of my posts after reading through the information on this page. ( back to top)
Miscellaneous
Why haven't you answered the question I left in one of your icon posts?
Probably because the question is easily answerable if you do a little digging. Any questions pertaining to resources will automatically go unanswered because I have a huge resource post containing links to every single resource I've ever used. ( back to top)
Why don't you respond to all your comments?
By minimizing the amount that I comment in each entry post I can get a better idea of how many people enjoyed the icons, which gives me a better idea of what subject matter and techniques are enjoyed by my users. I do comment occasionally though. If you have a question, I am very good at responding with an answer. Rest assured that I do value each and every comment I receive! ( back to top)
Can I affiliate with your icon journal?
I do accept affiliates. I will only accept graphic journals or communities only. ( back to tp)
Can I join this community?
Yes, you may. And you don't have to ask. Actually, I highly recommend it. Members have special privileges here. This community is "Members Only" so they are the only ones allowed to access the posts after the 3-day public period runs out. I also don't post my resources out to the public, nor do I take requests from people who are not members of the community. ( back to top)
Can I friend your regular Livejournal?
Sure. I find myself to be pretty boring. I may or may not add you back. I will usually look over your journal to see if we have similar interests and I will most likely take a look at your userpics as well. ( back to top)
Any other questions? Feel free to contact hadathought@livejournal.com
Please be advised that any of this information has the possibility to change at any time.
Thank you,
Hadathought @ Livejournal