Adding New Icons to Creamlinux

This guide explains how to add new icons to the Creamlinux project.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of SVG files
Node.js and npm installed
Creamlinux project set up

Step 1: Find or Create SVG Icons

You can:

Create your own SVG icons using tools like Figma, Sketch, or Illustrator
Download icons from libraries like Heroicons, Material Icons, or Feather Icons
Use existing SVG files

Ideally, icons should:

Be 24x24px or have a viewBox of "0 0 24 24"
Have a consistent style with existing icons
Use stroke-width of 2 for outline variants
Use solid fills for bold variants

Step 2: Optimize SVG Files

We have a script to optimize SVG files for the icon system:

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Optimize a single SVG
npm run optimize-svg path/to/icon.svg

# Optimize all SVGs in a directory
npm run optimize-svg src/components/icons/ui/outline

The optimizer will:

Remove unnecessary attributes
Set the viewBox to "0 0 24 24"
Add currentColor for fills/strokes for proper color inheritance
Remove width and height attributes for flexible sizing

Step 3: Add SVG Files to the Project

Decide if your icon is a "bold" (filled) or "outline" (stroked) variant
Place the file in the appropriate directory:
- For outline variants: src/components/icons/ui/outline/
- For bold variants: src/components/icons/ui/bold/
Use a descriptive name like download.svg or settings.svg

Step 4: Export the Icons

Open the index.ts file in the respective directory:
- src/components/icons/ui/outline/index.ts for outline variants
- src/components/icons/ui/bold/index.ts for bold variants
Add an export statement for your new icon:

// For outline variant
export { ReactComponent as NewIconOutlineIcon } from './new-icon.svg'

// For bold variant
export { ReactComponent as NewIconBoldIcon } from './new-icon.svg'

Use a consistent naming pattern:

CamelCase
Descriptive name
Suffix with BoldIcon or OutlineIcon based on variant

Step 5: Use the Icon in Your Components

Now you can use your new icon in any component:

import { Icon } from '@/components/icons'
import { NewIconOutlineIcon, NewIconBoldIcon } from '@/components/icons'

// In your component:
<Icon icon={NewIconOutlineIcon} size="md" />
<Icon icon={NewIconBoldIcon} size="lg" fillColor="var(--primary-color)" />

Best Practices

Create both variants: When possible, create both bold and outline variants for consistency.
Use semantic names: Name icons based on their meaning, not appearance (e.g., "success" instead of "checkmark").
Be consistent: Follow the existing icon style for visual harmony.
Test different sizes: Ensure icons look good at all standard sizes: xs, sm, md, lg, xl.
Optimize manually if needed: Sometimes automatic optimization may not work perfectly. You might need to manually edit SVG files.
Add accessibility: When using icons, provide proper accessibility:

<Icon icon={InfoOutlineIcon} title="Additional information" size="md" />

Troubleshooting

Problem: Icon doesn't change color with CSS Solution: Make sure your SVG uses currentColor for fill or stroke

Problem: Icon looks pixelated Solution: Ensure your SVG has a proper viewBox attribute

Problem: Icon sizing is inconsistent Solution: Use the standard size props (xs, sm, md, lg, xl) instead of custom sizes

Problem: SVG has complex gradients or effects that don't render correctly Solution: Simplify the SVG design; complex effects aren't ideal for UI icons

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