How To Set Desktop Background Mac

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You lot tin can set up your Mac's desktop groundwork to any image saved to a common image format. This simply takes a second from Finder, Safari, or Photos. Employ System Preferences instead if y'all want more than command over the display.

1
Right click the prototype file. This is the fastest way to set the background. Merely locate the prototype in Finder and right-click the folder.
- On a one-button mouse, hold downward Control and click to "right click."
2

Set Desktop Picture. Select this option at the lesser of the right-click drop-downward card. Your desktop should modify automatically, though it may take a second for a loftier-resolution epitome.

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3

Set a picture from Safari. If you see an paradigm you similar while browsing in Safari, right-click it and cull Ready Desktop Picture.^[ane]
4

View more options. If you desire to scan all images on your computer, including default desktop backgrounds, continue on to the System Preferences department. If you want to tweak the advent of your wallpaper, skip downwardly to the display options section below.

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1

Open up Organisation Preferences. Click the apple tree icon in the peak menu bar and select System Preferences. You can as well access System Preferences from the Applications folder.
2
Select Desktop & Screen Saver. This is located in the starting time row.
- If this takes you to Screen Saver options, click the Desktop tab before you proceed.
three
Choose a folder from the left pane. The folders nether the word "Apple" contain images that came with your Mac. Click a binder, and the images within information technology will appear in the correct pane. You may also encounter other categories too Apple tree, including the "Photos" or "iPhoto" category that contains the photos in that awarding.
- If you don't see your photos, go on reading to find out how to add them.
four
Select an image. Once yous run across an image yous like, click information technology in the right pane. Your desktop should modify immediately.
- If you don't like the positioning or size of your image, read about display options below.
5
Add a folder to the list. Click the small + icon simply below the left pane. In the pop up window, select a folder that contains images. This will add together that folder to the left pane.
- It's not always easy to find your iPhoto or Photos folder. Utilize the method below if you're having trouble.
6
Troubleshoot missing photos. If the picture show you're looking for does not appear on the list, save it to a dissimilar prototype format in the aforementioned folder. You may need to separate photos with different file formats into separate folders.
- To change formats, open the image in Preview or another image viewing plan. Use File → Save As and select JPEG, PICT, TIFF, or PNG.
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ane
Open your photograph awarding. This method describes the process for Photos and iPhoto.^[2] Other photo applications may non have this option.
- This process has been confirmed for iPhoto nine.v and later. Older versions of iPhoto may have a different user interface.
two
Select the photo. This photograph must exist saved to your reckoner, not stored in an iCloud library or on a camera. You can drag it to your desktop to save it.
- On some versions of the application, you may select multiple photos, or an entire album. This will cause your desktop to cycle through all selected images.
3
Make it your desktop using the Share button. Click the Share button in the top correct corner. (This looks like a box with a vertical arrow.) Select "Set up Desktop Motion-picture show."
- Continue on to display options if yous'd similar to tweak how the image fits your screen.
four
Admission the original file. Some users prefer to motion all their desktop pictures to one binder, and manage them from Arrangement Preferences. Y'all can "drag and drop" the photo to your desktop to make a copy, merely this may lower the quality. Try this instead:
- In Photos, select the image you want, then choose File → Export → Consign Unmodified Original .^[3]
- In iPhoto, correct-click ( Control -click) on the paradigm and select "Show File" to reveal the file in Finder. Alternatively, use File → Reveal in Finder → Original.^[4]
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one

Open up the Desktop preferences screen. Open up System Preferences and select Desktop & Screensaver, followed by the Desktop tab.
2
Change how the paradigm fits the screen. The drib-downwards menu higher up the image pane sets the position of the paradigm on the screen. Here's how each option works:
- Fill up screen: Enlarges photo until screen is covered. This will cutting off part of the photo if its size ratio is dissimilar from your screen.
- Fit to screen: Enlarges photo to fill the height of the screen. Narrow photos will have black borders on either side. Wide photos will have the sides cut off.
- Stretch to fill screen: Distorts photo to fill entire screen with no cut offs.
- Heart: Places photo in middle of screen surrounded past a solid color.
- Tile: Repeats image in grid to fill up screen. In Os 10.seven or after, you tin can simply cull images with resolution lower than your screen.^[5]Shrink large images if you want to tile them.
- If y'all choose an option that doesn't fill the screen, a push volition appear to the right of the drib-downwardly menu. Click this to change the colour of the border.
three
Turn your desktop into a slideshow. Nether the epitome pane, check "Modify flick" to cycle between all images in the selected folder. Change how often the moving-picture show changes with the drop-downwards menu.
- By default, this will cycle in the society the images are placed in the folder. Check "Random club" to change this.
4
Change the bill of fare bar appearance. Check "Translucent bill of fare bar" if yous desire the groundwork visible "backside" the summit carte du jour bar. Uncheck information technology if you prefer an opaque bar.
- This option is not available for all computers.
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Add together New Question

Question

I seem to have slid my wallpaper back to an earlier choice. How do I go my current choice dorsum?

Get to the "Apple" logo on the top of your screen. From there, go to "Organization Preferences." From in that location, go to "Desktop and Screen Saver," and cull whatever desktop wallpaper you want.
Question

Every time I restart my computer, the background returns to the default setting. How tin I brand my changes stick?

Try turning off automatic login in Arrangement Preferences (through Users & Groups or Business relationship, depending on your Bone X version). Yous may demand to click the lock and enter an admin password first. If this doesn't fix the trouble, post on the apple support forums and someone volition guide you lot through some more advanced solutions.

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On some versions of Mac Os X, images in the Desktop Pictures folder tin only exist displayed as "Fit to Screen." If you want to modify information technology to a dissimilar brandish, motion information technology to a different folder. The Desktop Pictures binder is located in Macintosh HD → Library.
Apple recommends using photos at to the lowest degree 1024 ten 768 pixels in size.

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