I am trying to create icons that do NOT show the square box. I am using Paint Shop Pro and have changed the white space outside the image to be transparent (thinking my backdrop image will show through. I am saving the image as a PNG (which propmts Paint Shop to tell me some obscure message.

How do I format an icon to "float" (without white or any other color surrounding it)?

P.S. In advance... I have searched through hundred's of msgs here on tranparency, etc. so as to not post an already answered question. I cannot find what I am looking for. My apologies if I missed something.

Which device icons?
Not sure what you mean by square box? Can you be more specific?

if you are talking about a 72xx device try making the homescreen_mask transpearant it will show the background image much better.

Sorry for the confusion... I am trying to create a theme that will use different icons for contacts, e-mail, to-do's, and so forth. Within Paint Shop Pro, I create a small canvas and within that "square" create my icons, usually importing some picture/character from somewhere else (since I am no artist!). When I do this, I only want the icon to show not the background of the canvas. I tried turning the background to be transparent, but when I save the icon and bring it into Theme Builder, it still shows white...creating a filled-in square field around my icon. (I think this is still confusing...)

Here is a picture of what I created in PSP...

Use an eraser tool and clear the background only leaving the image. Then drag it over to your new canvas and save it as what ever name you need. I
I don't use Paintshop to often so i will open paintshop a bit later and look at the click by click instructions. For the moment if you need that image i will attach it. pm me and i will help you some more.