MIME Type Icons
MIME type icons are used to depict documents and files. They come in four sizes: 16px, 22px, 32px, and 64px. MIME type icons use the monochrome style for 16px and 22px sizes, and the colorful style for 32px and 64px sizes.
Purpose
MIME type icons allow a user to quickly recognize the types of their files without needing to look at a file's extension or contents. They primarily appear in file listings in large amounts, and their design reflects a sense of unity among files in a user's system.
Design
Margins
64px MIME type icons have a top and bottom margin of 3 pixels, and 32px MIME type icons have a top and bottom margin of 2 pixels.
Anatomy
Colorful MIME type icons consist of two elements — the monochromatic counterpart of the colorful MIME type icon overlaid on a background relating to the icon's type.
- Monochromatic Foreground
- Base
Base
The base of a MIME type icon serves to give files of a general type a shared and recognizable silhouette.
Archives
Archives, packages, compressed files, and disk images use a square with a zipper going halfway down.
Images
Images use a horizontal rectangle with the top right corner folded and casting a shadow.
Videos
Videos use a horizontal rectangle styled to look like a filmstrip.
Audio
Audio files use a CD sleeve with a partially visible CD sticking out.
Books
Book files use a vertical rectangle with a book spine.
Other
Documents and other icons use a rectangle with a fold in the top right corner casting a shadow.
Foreground
The foreground of a MIME type icon serves to inform the user about the specific type of file an icon represents. The foreground should be the monochromatic icon of the MIME type.
Color
The color of a MIME type icon helps inform the user what kind of icon it is. Icons for MIME types associated with a brand identity should use the colors of that brand identity.
