So you have a nice new fancy icon to add as an inventory icon, maybe even for a weapon part.

These should usually have black outlines are per the base game models.

In GIMP the best option is to use the Drop Shadow option.

Example: 512x512 icon, we isolate the icon and on a transparent background. If possible make the icon slightly smaller than the space, but tbh it won't matter a great deal if the shadow touches the edges.

Choose the Drop Shadow filter under Light and Shadow.

The defaults do, well, a shadow. But we want it to be a bit different.

We use these settings:

  • X/Y: 0 - this centres the shadow not offsets it
  • Blur Radius - 2.0 - less "fade" and transparency at the edges of the shadow. 2.0 is a small amount.
  • Grow radius: 8 - This gives the black thickness. Increase or decrease to suit. 8 seems pretty reasonable.
  • Opacity: 1.5 - This makes the 8 width line mostly opaque
  • Clipping: Adjust: Default (Adjust)
  • Blending mode: Defaults (Replace/100.0)

This is the final effect:

Save this by hitting OK it will add it to the image.

It can sometimes look a bit odd on things with transparency in built but it isn't the worst, and could be edited to suit (eg cut the icon off where transparent parts start).

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