With shading or without, animated or not, it’s always him: the usual, aseptic Windows cursor. I don’t know about you, but I really can’t stand it anymore and, even searching far and wide on the big Net, I can’t find anything really original that satisfies me. You know what I say? I will create myself a beautiful home-made cursor!
Do you also like the idea and would like to know how to create a mouse cursor? The answer is simple: just turn to the right programs, let your imagination run wild and you’re done. And in case you don’t want to download new programs to your PC, you can always resort to some online service that specializes in creating mouse pointers.
So, would you like to explore this topic further? Yes? Perfect! All you have to do is make yourself comfortable, take the time to focus on reading the next paragraphs and implement the “tips” I’m going to give you. I’m convinced that thanks to my advice you’ll be able to create sliders that will leave all your friends speechless. Want to bet?
RealWorld Cursor Editor (Windows)
One of the first solutions that I recommend you try to create mouse cursors is RealWorld Cursor Editor, a free software that features a well-organized interface that makes it easy to use. RealWorld Cursor Editor allows you to make cursors from practically scratch or by using images to use as a base.
To download RealWorld Cursor Editor on your PC, connect to its official website and click on the Download button. Once the download is complete, open the .msi file you just downloaded, click on the Next button in the window that opens, put a check mark next to I Agree (to accept the terms of use of the program), click on the Next button four times in a row and finish the setup by clicking on Yes and Close.
Now, start the program by double-clicking on its icon and, in its main window, click the Create button located on the top left corner, then click the New mouse cursor button to start creating your custom cursor. Alternatively, if you want to create a cursor using an image as a base, click the Cursor from image button and then select an image from your PC.
Once displayed the RealWorld Cursor Editor, create your mouse cursor using the tools located in the toolbar at the top: you can draw the cursor freehand by clicking on the pencil symbol at the top, or use a sample cursor by clicking on the arrow-shaped button located at the top, next to the clock symbol. In the Preview and Test Area boxes, you can preview the cursor you are creating and test its functions, while clicking on the Editing, Layers, and Formats tabs in the right column allows you to adjust some of the pointer parameters, the properties of the tools used, the cursor format, and more.
As soon as you are satisfied with the work you have done, type the name you want to assign to the cursor in the text field located next to the Name heading (on the left) and your name in the text field located next to the Author heading (also on the left). Finally, select Save as… from the File menu to save your newly created cursor.
CursorFX (Windows)
If you want to make mouse pointers, you have to consider CursorFX, a program compatible with practically all versions of Windows (from Windows Vista to the most recent Windows 10) that lets you create and apply custom cursors in a handful of clicks. Unfortunately, it’s not free: you’ll be able to try out its main features for 30 days for free, after which you’ll have to purchase its Plus version (which currently costs $3.99).
To download the trial of CursorFX on your PC, connect to the program’s website, click on the blue Try it Free! button, type your email address in the box that opens and click on the green Download button. Within a few seconds, you will receive an email at the address you have indicated above with the subject CursorFX Download: click the blue Download button contained in the message and, on the page that opens in your browser, click the Download Now button.
Once the download is complete, open the downloaded .exe file, click on the Yes button and then complete the setup by following the instructions you see on the screen: then click on the Agree button to accept the terms of use of the software, uncheck the item located in the lower left corner to not install other programs on your PC, click on the Next button twice in a row and you’re done.
At this point, CursorFX will start automatically and you’ll find yourself in front of its main control panel. Then, select the set of cursors you like the most among those proposed and then click on the yellow button representing a pencil to customize it and modify its settings. If you wish, you can also make new pointers from scratch by clicking the New Theme button at the bottom and then act on the parameters in the CursorFX editor.
Whether you chose to edit an existing set or create a new one, as soon as you see the CursorFX editor, click on the tabs that appear in the upper left corner to change the Cursors, Special effects, Trails and Sounds settings.
When you are satisfied with your work, select the set of cursors you want to use on your PC (again from the program’s control panel) and click the Apply button located in the bottom right corner to apply the desired changes.
iCursor (macOS)
Do you use a Mac and would like to create a custom pointer? Unfortunately, this is not possible at the moment, since macOS does not offer the possibility to apply substantial changes to the pointer. However, you can resort to some third-party solutions to add effects to the macOS cursor: better than nothing, right? Then let me recommend iCursor, a program available for free on the Mac App Store.
To download iCursor, click here so as to connect to the Mac App Store page that hosts it (click the View in Mac App Store button to view it within the MAS) and proceed to download it by clicking the Get/Install app button.
After completing the download of iCursor, click on the Launchpad (the rocket icon located on the Dock) and then click on the app icon to launch it. Next, click on the arrow icon that appeared in the macOS menu bar and, in the drop-down menu that opens, select the effect you want to use (e.g. Hearts for little hearts, Snow for snow, and so on). To stop the selected effect, click on the Pause item and to close the application click on the Quit item.
Edit Cursors (Online)
Don’t want to “clog” your PC by downloading software to create custom cursors? Again, I have a solution for you: use online services that allow you to create mouse pointers directly from your browser, such as Edit Cursors.
As you might have already noticed, the Edit Cursors interface closely resembles that of RealWorld Cursor Editor, the program I told you about a few lines above, and the reason for that is that it was developed by the same software house. After revealing this small curiosity, let’s get to know it better.
To begin with, go to the Edit Cursors main page and use the editor located in the center of the home page to draw your cursor. Using the toolbar at the top of the page you can select the drawing mode, apply shading, color an area, choose the shape of the brush and so on. If you don’t want to make a freehand drawing and use one of the templates provided by Edit Cursors, select one of the templates in the Templates section and customize it giving space to your imagination.
As soon as you are satisfied with your work, type the name of the cursor you just created in the text field located under the heading File name at the bottom and click the Download button (the floppy disk icon) to save the file on your computer. It’s as easy as that!
How to apply the created cursors
After creating your own custom cursors, would you like to use them on your Windows PC? If you have any doubts about how to apply the created cursors, I can provide you with some explanations. You can find everything explained in detail right below.
For starters, go to the Start menu and then click on Control Panel. In the window that opens, click on the Hardware and Sound tab and then click on the Mouse item located in the Devices and Printers macrocategory. Then click on the Pointers tab, select one of the cursors in the list (e.g. Normal Selection, Guide Selection, Precision Selection, etc.), click the Browse… button and select one of the cursors you created by clicking the Apply button and then the OK button to make the changes. See how simple it was!
Other useful solutions
Did the solutions I proposed in this tutorial not satisfy you? Instead of creating cursors, do you want to download them directly from the Internet? Well, then I recommend you to read the tutorial dedicated to cursor programs and the one where I explain how to download mouse pointers.
In the two tutorials mentioned above, you will find many useful resources to download alternative cursors to the Windows ones and to customize the mouse pointer on your PC in the best possible way: consult them and you won’t regret it!