How to Create Minecraft Texture Packs (Beginner Guide 2026)

Set up your pack folder

Make a new folder (your Desktop is fine) and name it something like MyFirstPack. Inside it you need a pack.mcmeta file and a textures folder path. Your pack should look like this:

The pack.mcmeta is a small text file. Open Notepad (or any text editor), paste this in, and save it as pack.mcmeta — make sure it is not saved as pack.mcmeta.txt:

pack.mcmeta{
  "pack": {
    "pack_format": 32,
    "description": "My first texture pack"
  }
}

The pack_format number changes with each Minecraft version. If your pack shows a version warning, look up the right number for your version. The example above targets Java 1.20.5–1.20.6, not every version. Classic 1.8.9 PvP packs use 1 and the older textures/items/ and textures/blocks/ folders. Follow the structure and metadata for your target version.

Get a texture to edit

You do not draw from a blank canvas — you start from an existing image so the size and shape are already correct. Two easy ways:

• Edit an existing pack: download a pack you like, unzip it, and open one of its .png files. Fastest way to learn how the pros do it.
• Use the default textures: Minecraft's own textures live inside the game files. Search "extract default Minecraft textures" for your version, or start from a clean base pack.

Drop that texture into your textures/ folder, keeping the same sub-folder it came from (item textures in textures/item/, blocks in textures/block/).

Edit your first texture

Open the .png in your editor and zoom in a lot so you can see each pixel. Then recolor or redraw it. The single most important rule for beginners:

Here is the idea — same grid, new colors:

Good first edits to practice on: recolor a sword, brighten the dirt or grass, or make glass cleaner. Small wins keep it fun. When you are done, save (or "export") as a .png with the exact same file name.

Test it in Minecraft

1. Open your pack folder, select pack.mcmeta, assets, and your optional pack.png, then zip those together. The pack.mcmeta must sit at the top level inside the zip, not inside an extra folder.
2. In Minecraft go to Options → Resource Packs → Open Pack Folder.
3. Move your .zip into that folder, go back, and move the pack to the active side.
4. Click Done and check out your new texture in-game.