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How to Create an Email Notification Icon

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Welcome back to another Illustrator-based tutorial, in which we’re going to take a quick look at the process of creating a little email notification icon, using nothing more than a couple of basic geometric shapes and tools.

So, assuming you already have the software up and running, let’s jump straight into it!

Tutorial Details: Email Notification Icon

  • Program: Adobe Illustrator
  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Topics Covered: Compositional Construction, Shape Alignment, Grid Positioning
  • Estimated Completion Time: 15 Minutes

Final Image: Email Notification Icon

How to Create an Email Notification Icon

Step 1

As we do with all our new projects, we’re going to start by setting up a New Document by heading over to File > New (or by using the Control-N keyboard shortcut), which we will then adjust as follows:

  • Number of Artboards: 1
  • Width: 32 px
  • Height: 32 px
  • Units: Pixels

And from the Advanced tab:

  • Color Mode: RGB
  • Raster Effects: Screen (72ppi)
  • Preview Mode: Default
Creating the new document in Adobe Illustrator

Step 2

As soon as we’ve finished setting up our project file, we can start working on the actual icon, and we will do so by creating the background using a 28 x 28 px circle, which we will color using #ffc943 and then center align to the underlying Artboard using the Align panel’s Horizontal and Vertical Align Center options.

Creating a circle and aligning it with the artboard

Step 3

Add the main shape for the envelope’s body using a 16 x 12 px rounded rectangle with a 2 px Corner Radius, which we will color using #ffffff and then position to the center of the larger underlying circle.

Creating a rounded rectangle for the envelope shape

Step 4

Grab the Pen Tool (P) and draw the separation line using a 2 px thick Stroke, using the reference image as your main guide. Take your time, and once you’re done, move on to the next step.

Using the pen tool to design the flap of the envelope

Step 5

Adjust the separation line that we’ve just created, by opening up the Stroke panel and then setting its both its Cap and Corner to Round. Once you’re done, select both the resulting path and the envelope’s main body and group them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Setting the stroke

Step 6

Finish off the icon and with it the project itself by adding the little notification indicator using a 6 x 6 px circle, which we will color using #ff8d4d and then position onto the envelope’s bottom-right corner as seen in the reference image. As always, once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group all of the icon’s composing shapes using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Adding the notification indicator

Great Job!

As always, I hope you had fun working on the project, and most importantly managed to learn something new and useful during the process.

That being said, if you have any questions feel free to post them within the comments section, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!

Finished product - email notification icon
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