What programs can I use to make emotes?

There are a variety of programs around which you can use to make emotes. Some come with more functions which can assist you in emoting, but at the end of the day its about finding one you enjoy and can get a hold of. For those lacking in cash, there's a good selection of free programs, so don't be put off. You can find a list of those on this page. Some of the common programs are:

Photoshop
Fireworks
GIMP
Ulead Gif Animator
Paintshop Pro (static only)
Paint (static only)

Where can I find tutorials?

There are over 200 different emote tutorials available covering a range of programs and a number of emoticon topics from simple shading to explosions to creating backgrounds. To help direct you to an appropriate one, they have split into a number of categories (and sub categories) to help make navigation easy.

To access these categories, head over to the Tutorial page

What is a Pack and how can I make a 'Pack'?

If you make a number of emotes which fit together as a set, it is possible to submit them together in a single downloadable file known as a pack. To do this all the emotes must be first places in a .zip/.rar file before being uploaded to dA. For more information on how to do this, take a look at:

Synfull's Emote pack tutorial

Which category do I submit my finished emotes to?

The general emoticon category is located under 'customizations > emoticons' and from there the category is determined by the contents and purpose of your emotes. To help you on your way, there are a couple of useful pages:

Emotication's Category explanation
Synfull's guide to emote categories

People keep mentioning '15x15 bases' and the '5-2-1-2 pattern'. What does this mean?

The coloured circle which is used within an emoticon is known as a 'base'. The most common size of base used within the community is 15x15 pixels. To make this look as circular as possible, the edge of the emote follows a pattern of 5 pixels, 2 pixels, 1 pixel, 2 pixels known as the '5-2-1-2 pattern'. For an illustration of a 15x15 base check out:

15x15 base explanation

Are there any existing bases or items which I can use in my emotes?

Certainly. There are variety of artists on the site which have made ready to use packs of coloured bases, faces and items. You can use these free of charge within your emoticons (always read the artist's rules) to help you make emoticons. There are again several places around dA which you can find these resources:

Emotication's Base Pack list
Emotication's Base pack and accessories collection
Pack-it-in's Base pack gallery

How can I use my emoticons around dA?

For information on using your creations around the site, check out the information on this page