How to: Make your own PSP themes

+ Posted by Noel Silvia // PLAYSTATION Store Team

Here’s what you’ll be needing:

• a computer that runs Windows
• a digital image editing program
• the “PSP Theme Toolbox”
• a little bit of time

First thing you need to do is download the “PSP Theme Toolbox” zipped file. You can unzip it anywhere, but if you’ll be doing a lot of Themes or want to use the pre-made default while going through this walkthrough, you’ll have to extract it directly to your C:\ drive (C:\PSP Theme Toolbox\).

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In the “Toolbox”, you’ll find:

• Icons and Wallpaper templates
• “PSP Custom Theme Converter” program
• Default Project saved as a “.txt” file
• “How To” Basics and Advanced Walkthroughs
• Layered PhotoShop template of icons
• Unlike for PS3 Themes, there is an actual program so you won’t have to be worrying about XML code or funky compiler programs.
• Open the program (PSPCustomThemeConverter.exe) and we’ll go though it, tab-by-tab.

NOTE: If you’d like to see a working example of each item, go to “File\Open” and select “PSPTheme_default.txt”. This will only work if you’ve extracted the Toolbox to your C:\ drive because of the way the project file links to the associated images.

The first tab is the “Information” Tab.

• Put the name of your Theme or its description in the “Title” space.
• The “Product ID” is where you assign what the Theme is associated to, e.g. Game, Anime, Movie, etc.
• The “Version” is helpful if you want to do keep track of multiple versions of a Theme, but isn’t necessary either.

The second tab is the “Wallpaper” Tab.

• Wallpapers have to be:
* 480 x 272 pixels * 24-bit Color Image * BMP files
• Click on the “Folder” button to browse and select any image that matches the required size and format.
• If the image you select is not useable, an “Error” window will pop-up letting you know what needs to change.
• You can click the “Preview” button to preview your wallpaper once you’ve selected one that is workable.

Next tab is called “Category Icons”, and is for the main XMB Icons.

• These icons need to be:
* either 64 x 48 pixels or 48 x 48 pixels * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color) * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The “First Level Icons” Tab is for the icons that appear within a category on the XMB.

• These are the sub-icons that appear below the category XMB icons.
• Double click on the icon line or click the “Edit” button.
• You’ll see a request for two files: the “Icon Body” and the “Icon Focus”. The “Body” is the actual icon.
• The “Focus” is the glow that pulses around the icon when you highlight that icon. If you’d like to keep things simple, or not worry about having a pulsing glow around your selection, you can either use the default focus image or leave that space blank.
• The icons need to be:
* 32 x 32 pixels (Body) * 48 x 48 pixels (Focus) * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color) * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The “Second Level Icons” tab is for the “Settings” Icon. That’s right; the “Settings” wrench gets its very own tab!

• Just like the First Level Icons, these need to be:
* 32 x 32 pixels * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color) * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files
• Its focus needs to be:
* 48 x 48 pixels * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color) * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files

The last tab is “Others”.

• The “Preview Icon” is the tiny thumbnail that appears when you choose your Theme, and needs to be:
* 16 x 16 pixels * 8-bit Index (32-bit Color) * TGA, PNG, or GIM image files
• The “Preview Image” is the preview for the Theme, and needs to be:
* 300 x 170 * 24-bit Color Image * BMP
• The final option is “Theme Color”. Here, you can assign a particular highlight colour to your Theme, or have it change monthly automatically.

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Once you’ve assigned all of the Icons to your images, go to “FILE” and select “EXPORT”.

• Name your file, click “SAVE”, and the program will create your PSP Theme File (.PTF).
• With your PSP connected to your computer in USB Mode or with a compatible Memory Stick connected, place the file into the proper “Theme” folder ( \PSP\THEME ).
• Disconnect your PSP or insert the Memory Stick in to your PSP.
• Under “Settings”, select “Theme Settings”, and then “Theme”.

Your new Theme should appear in the selectable list.