When we launched the AddThis 32×32 icons a few months ago…
we wanted to make sharing easier to click and easier to touch. Bigger icons proves to increase sharing… but there are some challenges that come along with size… like alpha transparency, size and load time, loss in fidelity when scaled from 16px to 32px.
Some of our Challenges
To make sure alpha transparency looked smooth (like corners, shadows, etc) we’re using a 24bit PNG format. To ensure a small/fast size, we’ve compressed the images and created a sprite. To make sure icons upscaled nicely from 16px to 32px, we’ve re-drawn a large number of the top services.
Examples of Rescaled Service Icons
However, there are still a lot of services that need to be re-drawn. I’m going to take a little time each month to sharpen them. Here’s an example of Yammer, Email App, Plaxo and DesignMoo… compare below:
Old:
  
  
  
New:
  
  
  
Dark Background
You can really see the difference when you compare them on a dark background. I created this page to show my comrades the difference.
If you have any special requests or larger icons you’d like to submit, please leave a comment.