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. Classic 1.8.9 PvP packs use 1.

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. Select your pack folder, then zip it (right-click → Send to → Compressed/zip folder). 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.