How to Personalize Your Mac OS X Desktop

Choosing a Desktop Picture

1. Scan the picture(s) you wish to use on your desktop into your computer. Be patient, this may take a while. Make sure you line the pictures up perfectly when scanning, or they won't fit on your screen. If you don't want to use your own pictures, but you still want a cool design, just skip this step.

2. Create a new folder by going to the "File" menu at the top of your screen and choosing "New Folder". Put all the images into the folder and label it "Pictures".

3. Go to System Preferences. The icon should be displayed in your computer's dock (the long strip of colorful icons), and looks like a light switch with a silver apple on it in 10.0-10.4. 10.5+ looks like a box with gears in it.

4. Once you get to the main System Preferences screen, look under the heading "Personal", and click on "Desktop". For 10.5, Click "Desktop & Screensaver". This will take you to the desktop personalization page.

5. To put your pictures on the desktop, go to the dropdown menu in the middle of the page, and select "Choose Folder...", which will take you to a new page. If you aren't using your own pictures, choose a page from the top of the dropdown list instead of "Choose Folder...".

6. From the dropdown menu at the top of the new window, choose "Desktop". If your image folder is not located on the desktop, find its location and click on the folder. When you've made your selection, click the "Choose" button at the bottom of the page. This should return you to the desktop page.

   1. If you're using the provided images, choose a picture you want from the menu at the bottom of the window.

7. Now, your images should be displayed in a menu running along the bottom of the window. Click on your favorite picture, and it will be shown on the desktop. Now, quit System Preferences.

8. If you want to show all of the pictures, don't quit just yet. Select a picture, then put a check mark in the box labeled "Change Picture" by clicking on it. Now, use the dropdown menu to decide how often the pictures will change. If you want your images to appear in a random order, put a check mark in the checkbox labeled "Random Order". You can also do this with provided images.

9. Enjoy your desktop!