Do you need to run DesktopX to use IconX icons?

It's a bit confusing, but here's how it all works.

DesktopX and IconX are now two COMPLETELY seperate programs, you can use one without the other at any given time or use them both. Either way, they are independent of each other.

So to answer your question, YES, you absolutely can have IconX icons without DX running. It is this very reason Stardock seperated the two programs. All you need is the stand-alone IconX installed. You can find the latest beta in Stardock Central.

I've heard that you don't need DX running in order to use DX objects

To further confuse things, you can't run DX 'objects' without DX running, but you can run DX 'widgets', and you can create widgets from objects with the DX export function.

Thanks to all. I'll go looking for the standalone IconX (if I don't have it already). I'll also give the export function a try.