Here is one possible way to customize the default set of icons/backgrounds provided by Sony. This technique works best if you plan to change characteristics regarding the image, but not necessarily change the image entirely. Instead of opening, doing the same thing to each icon and saving each icon individually, we can create a general style once, and tell photoshop to do the rest. We will also be using Sony’s p3t compiler so we wont have to manually insert each icon into a program. Making a great looking theme doesn’t have to take a lot of time. I have attached Part1 and Part 2 of the video tutorial explaining the process. I explain everything from downloading the icons to using Photoshop’s Automation feature and even how to install the theme. I will create other tutorials on other methods of theming your Ps3 as well as tips on modifying the given xml sheet.

Here are the youtube videos. 2 parts. (Don’t forget to subscribe while your there!)

(Part 1)

(Part 2)

Files, Software, and Devices Needed

• The Icon pack (Listed below in this tutorial)
• Photoshop Cs3+
• USB Media (To install the theme to the ps3)

Alright, so lets start out right. Download this file.

Jaftek Newest Default Ps3 Icon Pack (349)

This is the most up to date Icon pack as of right now. I have included all default icons. This includes the ps3’s default power save icon, default playlist icon, trophy icon, and so on. If you here to download the “theme your ps3 icon set” from any popular ps3 theming site or even the official Sony blog you would be surprised to find that none of them have all the icons! So you’ll spend item making a great looking theme, installing it, and you’ll see Sony couldn’t find any Power Save icon or trophy  in your the so it places default icons. Not so in this case.

I have gone against my personal preference and saved it as a .zip so it will be more accessible for everyone. Windows really needs to come default with WinRar. So Unzip the folder to anywhere you like, as long as you know where it is. Inside you’ll find that I have slapped Jaftek on them, just a formality, feel free to modify these as you wish.

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Once you have successfully unzipped that icon pack provided, go ahead and open up Photoshop cs3 or higher. We want your workspace to look exactly like mine if you don’t know how to use photoshop’s macro feature. Roughly in the middle at the top of the window there is a button called “workspace” Go ahead and set your workspace to default. (Workspace>Default Workspace)

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Now that we are all on the same page look to the right for the automate icon.(In Picture ) Click that. You see a box extend. This box should include a folder, filled with photoshop’s default actions. We wont be using any of these in this tutorial, but just by looking at them you might get a good idea of just what they do.  Each action is basically a “Playlist” for actions to be done to the given image. Simply highlighting one and pressing play while an image is open will tell photoshop to perform every set of action in that action in seconds, opposed to doing it all one at a time.

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Now, click the “Folder” icon. A box appears. Dandy, go ahead and call this folder whatever you’d like. Click okay.

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Next we must create an action. So make sure your folder you created is highlighted and click the icon right next to the folder icon. This brings up another box.  Name this whatever you feel is right, the name doesn’t matter. Set should already be set to the folder you created if you highlighted the folder prior to clicking the create action button. These other options are not important for this guide but are very useful in many applications. I personally set function keys a lot to save time, but that’s another tutorial.

Now click record. Wait!? what? Record? Yes, from this point on photoshop will log everything you do in photoshop. (It will not log things such as selecting tools as long as you dont use them) You could go ahead and open up one of your icons but then it would record opening that image, we don’t want that. so in the automation box click the square to stop it.

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Drag or manually open one of the “Raw” icons from inside the folder you downloaded here, into photoshop. We are going to modify this icon to make it appear the way we want it to. This style will be applied to all the other raw icons.

(Note: The raw icons are separate because these will be the ones we batch [automate] if we just batched all the icons in the icons folder, it would apply your style to everything, the icon as well as the background images, author icons, preview icons and so on. This would most likely not look very nice. because right now we are designing for a 128 X128 png, it may not look anywhere near that when the style is applied to an image another size)

Click the little circle icon in the automate box. We are live! Recording everything you do to this image. So muster up your creativity and modify the image however you like.

Note: if you are not familiar with photoshop, just look to the lower right and right click “Layer 0″. click blending options. Click around in here modifying the styles. Once your familiar with this you can do more advanced techniques like using shapes and smart objects and using filters on them. (Yet another tutorial)

Alright so your finished creating you 128 x 128 masterpiece. Whilst still recording save. File>Save as> Save to the icon folder, NOT raw. So save it in the same location as the background images. CRUCIAL, save it as a PNG. click okay and don’t forget to click Stop to end the recording. Close the current image you just saved and check your icon folder. If it is in there, good job. (NOTE: Always save the file with the exact same name. note “Example copy.png”)

Drag a totally different icon from the “Raw” folder into photoshop. go to your automate box, highlight whatever you named your particular action set, now in the automate box click the triangle (The universal symbol for play, yeah who knew) Now you’ll see it fly through your action set in seconds. If the image looks looks how youd want it too, continue to the next step. If the image looks like something you dont like. Modify your action set until you get something that is general enough to work with all raw icons.

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Alright so we just cut the process of making your Ps3’s icons look sweet in half. Well its time to cut it in half again. In photoshop click (File>Automate>Batch)

First, lets look at the upper most box. This should have the folder you created and your action set we just created. If not, correct it and move on.

Lets set our source. Click Choose; Now find your “Raw” folder. highlight it and say okay. Do not check any of these other boxes.

Now we must set the destination. Click Choose; find and highlight your icon folder. We want these saved among our backgrounds and so on, not the raw.

CHECK the box “Override Action Save as command”, Checking tis box basically tells photoshop that we covered all our bases and have included a save as step in our action set.

For file naming. Simply choose “Document name” in the first box and “extension” in the latter. Any other settings may add unwanted features to the name.

Click Okay, Kick your feet back for 20 seconds and wait. You should see photoshop opening and closing images, once it has stopped, check your icons folder. if they are there, continue. If you have hit an error, please read the guide carefully and make sure you have everything set correctly.

Now give its time to give special attention to the “oddball” icons in the icon folder. (everything but the backgrounds) Most of these icons are different sizes and may have different properties. Edit them anyway you’d like. why not sue the automate feature? click play when one is open, if it doesn’t look nice, modify it and continue on. you may also edit the mouse pointers if you’d like. keep in mind they should be visible on all color types, so an stroke is usually a good idea. (All of these should be PNG’s as well)

Now one of my most favorite parts. Designing the background files. you will notice there are 6 background files. 3 different types. in each style there is an HD and an SD. If your running your ps3 on an analog signal it will display the SD version of that background. and a High def source of course used HD. dont skip SD, if your sharing your themes. Some people use it. same goes for if you use SD. there are not many rules for designing your backgrounds, here are a couple.

• Keep them the same dimensions as the one sin the icon folder.
• save as JPGs, not PNG. (Save them as the highest quality)
• Keep it dark. This guide currently has a default of white font. It is possible to change the ps3’s font color, but thats an advanced guide i will post later.

(Note: 3 backgrounds!? why? It randomly cycles the 3. You can add 20+ or even have just one. We can do this by editing the xml sheet, another guide for later. If you only created one background image and onyl want one, just copy it and rename it so all 3 backgrounds are the same.)

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Nice, you’ve pimped your icons and now your ready for the next step. Which is compiling into a p3t file. a P3t is just a Playstation 3 theme. Sony makes it really easy to make these p3t’s with the compiler they released. Open up the folder your downloaded from jaftek, the open up another window that has all your icons in it. drag the XML sheet onto the P3Tcompiler. do what it says and go check your Icons folder. It should have a bunch of new files with .gim extensions. Delete them or ignore them. Also in this file is the one we are looking for, the P3T file. Copy it to your desktop.

Now to install the theme! Plug in your flash drive and inside the flash drive create a folder. name it “PS3″ open it up and create another new folder, name this one “THEME” now copy and paste your P3T file into the “Theme” folder. Remove your flash drive and head to your Ps3.

Plug your Flash drive into your Ps3. Log in and navigate to Settings>Theme Settings>Theme>Install>(Name of your flash drive)>Click your theme

Once it is installed, go into theme settings, click theme. find the theme we just installed. Click apply. Hopefully everything is to your liking. If not, modify it up.

Alright so thats it for this tutorial. Of course there are so many things to change within the xml that can enhance your theme. I will post those tutorials ASAP! So dont forget to subscribe to my youtube channel and register at Jaftek.com to stay up to date on the newest tips and tricks. I hope you enjoyed this guide.

See ya next tutorial. -Jameson