List View Icons

List view icons look a lot like dialog icons, but they use an inner shadow effect where the light source is above the object. They are also designed to be used only in a ListView. Examples include the Settings application.

As described in Providing Density-Specific Icon Sets, you should create separate icon sets for low-, medium-, and high-density screens. This ensures that your icons will display properly across the range of devices on which your application can be installed. See Table 1 for a listing of the recommended finished icon sizes for each density. Also, see Tips for Designers for suggestions on how to work with multiple sets of icons.

Table 1. Summary of finished list view icon dimensions for each of the three generalized screen densities.

ldpi (120 dpi)
(Low density screen) 		mdpi (160 dpi)
(Medium density screen) 		hdpi (240 dpi)
(High density screen) 		xhdpi (320 dpi)
(Extra-high density screen)
List View Icon Size 24 x 24 px 32 x 32 px 48 x 48 px 64 x 64 px

Final art must be exported as a transparent PNG file. Do not include a background color.

Templates for creating icons in Adobe Photoshop are available in the Icon Templates Pack.

All Android Versions

The following guidelines describe how to design list view icons for all versions of the Android platform.

Structure

  • A list view icon normally has a 1 px safeframe, but it is OK to use the safeframe area for the edge of the anti-alias of a round shape.
  • All dimensions specified are based on a 32x32 pixel artboard size in Photoshop. Keep 1 pixel of padding around the bounding box inside the template.
A view of list view icon structure.

Figure 1. Safeframe and fill gradient for list view icons. Icon size is 32x32.

Light, effects, and shadows

List view icons are flat and pictured face-on with an inner shadow. Built up by a light gradient and inner shadow, they stand out well on a dark background.

A view of light, effects, and shadows for list view icons.

Figure 2. Light, effects, and shadows for list view icons.

1.Inner shadow:black | 57 % opacity | angle 120° | blend mode normal | distance 1px | size 1px
2.Background:black | standard system color
These icons are displayed in list views only.
Note: The list view icon sits on 32x32 px artboard in Photoshop, without a safeframe.

Step by step

  1. Add the effects seen in Figure 2 for the proper filter.
  2. Export the icon at 32x32 as a PNG file with transparency enabled.
  3. Create the basic shapes using a tool like Adobe Illustrator.
  4. Import the shape into a tool like Adobe Photoshop and scale to fit an image of 32x32 px on a transparent background.