How to Add a Picture to a Folder on Mac

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow guide teaches you how to replace any of your Mac's default folder icons with your own custom image.

Steps

PDF download Download Article
  1. This opens the picture in Preview.
  2. The picture is now copied to your clipboard.
    Advertisement
  3. It's the two-toned smiley face icon on the Dock, which you'll find at the bottom of the screen.
  4. This selects the folder.
    • Make sure you just click the folder one time so you don't accidentally open it.
  5. This opens some information about the folder. [1]
  6. It's in the upper-left area of the window.
  7. Now you'll see the image you copied earlier replace the previous icon.
    • If you want to restore a folder's original icon, just come back to this screen, select the current icon, and then select Edit > Cut .
    8. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What's the best scale of photo to use for folder icons?
    Community Answer
    Extra large icons: 256 x 256 pixels; large icons: 96 x 96 pixels (automatically rendered by Windows from 256 version); medium icons: 48 x 48 pixels.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 9 Helpful 4
  • Question
    Will it look like a folder or just as a square ?
    Fancyghost
    Community Answer
    It could be either, depending on what your preferences are set to. Either way, it'll work the same.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question
    I've doneall that but I just get the JPEG icon.
    Gavin Moore
    Community Answer
    Sometimes the preview does not appear, especially since it is no longer on your desktop. If you double click the file, it should appear.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • You may want to use an icon with a transparent background for a clean look.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • If you want to make a folder's icon the same as another folder or file's icon, select the other file or folder, go to File > Get Info , click the icon, and select Edit > Copy . Then you can paste that icon into the other file's "Get Info" screen.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • You can often find free icons available for download. Try searching the web for "free Mac icons" or "Mac folder icons" to see what's out there.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Automatically Shut Down Your Computer at a Specified Time
      How to
      Force Shut Down or Restart a Frozen Mac
      Can You Change Your Apple ID Without Losing Everything? Learn How to Keep What You Need
      How to
      Install MacOS on a Virtual Machine Using VirtualBox
      How to
      Tell if Your Mac Is Too Old to Update
      6 Quick Steps to Download & Install Spotify on macOS
      How to
      Install AltStore on an iPhone or iPad
      How to
      Change the Scroll Direction on a Mac
      How to
      Open Executable Files on Mac: Wine, Parallels, and Boot Camp
      How to
      Find Your Internal & External IP Address on a Mac
      How to
      Disable Password Login on Mac (Plus Troubleshooting)
      How to
      Create a TXT File on Mac
      5 Ways to Turn On a Mac Computer - wikiHow
      How to
      Quickly Open the Launchpad on a Mac
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-icons-for-files-or-folders-on-mac-mchlp2313/mac

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Double-click the picture you want to use.
      2. Click Edit and select Copy .
      3. Click the folder you want to change.
      4. Go to File > Get Info .
      5. Click the icon you want to change.
      6. Go to Edit > Paste .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 128,160 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement