iOS Icon Generator

Generate PNG icon imagesets for Xcode asset catalogs from two sources.

When to Activate

• Generating icon assets for an iOS/macOS Xcode project

• Searching for icons across open source collections

• Creating PNG imagesets (1x, 2x, 3x) for asset catalogs

• Replacing placeholder icons with production-quality assets

• Matching existing icon styles in an Xcode project

Core Principles

1. Two Sources, One Output Format

Both sources produce identical Xcode-compatible imagesets. Choose based on need:

Source

Icons

Requires

Best for

Iconify API

275,000+ from 200+ collections

Internet

Wide selection, specific styles, open source icons

SF Symbols

5,000+ Apple symbols

macOS only

Apple-native style, offline use

2. Always Match Existing Style

Before generating, check the project's existing icons for size, color, and weight consistency.

3. Output Structure

Both methods produce a complete Xcode imageset:

<output-dir>/<asset-name>.imageset/

  Contents.json

  <asset-name>.png        # 1x (68px default)

  <asset-name>@2x.png     # 2x (136px default)

  <asset-name>@3x.png     # 3x (204px default)

Examples

Step 1: Assess Requirements

Determine icon needs: what the icon represents, preferred style, target color, and size.

If the project already has icons, check existing style:

# Check dimensions of existing icon

sips -g pixelWidth -g pixelHeight path/to/existing@2x.png

Step 2: Search for Icons

Iconify API (recommended for wide selection):

# Search all collections

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh search "receipt"

# Search within a specific collection

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh search "business card" --prefix mdi

# List available collections

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh collections

SF Symbols (for Apple-native style):

Browse the SF Symbols app or reference common names:

Use Case

Symbol Name

Document

doc.text, doc.fill

Receipt

doc.text.below.ecg, receipt

Person

person.crop.rectangle, person.text.rectangle

Camera

camera, camera.fill

Scan

doc.viewfinder, qrcode.viewfinder

Settings

gearshape, slider.horizontal.3

Step 3: Preview (Optional)

# Iconify preview

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh preview mdi:receipt-text-outline

Step 4: Generate

Iconify API:

# Basic generation

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh mdi:receipt-text-outline editTool_expenseReport

# Custom color and output location

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh mdi:receipt-text-outline myIcon --color 007AFF --output ./Assets.xcassets/icons

Options: --size <pt> (default: 68), --color <hex> (default: 8E8E93), --output <dir> (default: /tmp/icons)

SF Symbols:

# Basic generation

swift $SKILL_DIR/scripts/generate_icons.swift doc.text.below.ecg editTool_expenseReport

# Custom color, weight, and output

swift $SKILL_DIR/scripts/generate_icons.swift person.crop.rectangle myIcon --color 007AFF --weight regular --output ./Assets.xcassets/icons

Options: --size <pt> (default: 68), --color <hex> (default: 8E8E93), --weight <name> (default: thin), --output <dir> (default: /tmp/icons)

Step 5: Verify and Integrate

• Read the generated @2x PNG to verify visually

• Copy to asset catalog if not output there directly:

cp -r /tmp/icons/<name>.imageset path/to/Assets.xcassets/<group>/

• Build the project to verify Xcode picks up the new assets

Popular Iconify Collections

Prefix

Name

Count

Style

mdi

Material Design Icons

7400+

Filled + outline variants

ph

Phosphor

9000+

6 weights per icon

solar

Solar

7400+

Bold, linear, outline

tabler

Tabler Icons

6000+

Consistent stroke width

lucide

Lucide

1700+

Clean, minimal

ri

Remix Icon

3100+

Filled + line variants

carbon

Carbon

2400+

IBM design language

heroicons

HeroIcons

1200+

Tailwind CSS companion

Browse all: https://icon-sets.iconify.design/

Scripts Reference

Script

Source

Path

iconify_gen.sh

Iconify API (275k+ icons)

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/iconify_gen.sh

generate_icons.swift

SF Symbols (5k+ icons)

$SKILL_DIR/scripts/generate_icons.swift

Best Practices

• Search before generating -- browse available icons to find the best match

• Match existing project style -- check dimensions, color, and weight of existing icons before generating new ones

• Use Iconify for variety -- 200+ collections means you can find the exact style you need

• Use SF Symbols for Apple consistency -- they match system UI perfectly

• Generate directly to asset catalog -- use --output ./Assets.xcassets/icons to skip manual copying

• Verify visually -- always preview the @2x PNG before committing

Anti-Patterns

• Generating icons without checking existing project icon style

• Using default colors when the project has a defined color palette

• Generating at wrong sizes (check existing icons first)

• Committing generated icons without visual verification