Welcome to "The Complete Wallpaper Guide". This guide is to be your one stop for any info pertaining to wallpapers. From resolutions to file formats to requirements, all can be found within this guide.
As the times change, so will wallpaper information. When this happens, The Complete Wallpaper Guide will be updated to reflect the new information.
If you feel that something has been left out of this guide,
note me (
splintered13) with your suggestion.
Feel free to link to this guide in your journal/sig/comments. This is a guide for the community, so advertise away.
What is a Wallpaper?</u>
A desktop ‘wallpaper’ is a picture or pattern displayed as a background image to the windows or other items on the computer's desktop in a graphical user environment.
It is called wallpaper because the screen is vertical like a wall, rather than horizontal like a real desktop.
Can wallpapers be used by both PC and Mac users?</u>
Yes, absolutely, there are no differences between the sizes or resolutions between each platform.
How do I know what wallpaper resolution will look best on my monitor?</u>
Windows XP Users:
Right-click on your desktop and select "Properties". Then click the "Settings" tab, which will show you what resolution your monitor is currently set to.
Mac OSX Users:
Click on the apple logo in the top left of the screen. Select "System Preferences..." from the menu. Then click "Displays" under Hardware. This shows you the current resolution your monitor is set to and also allows you to change it if required.
Linux Users:
Under KDE - Right-click on the desktop, and select "Configure Desktop." Background should already be open. If not, click it. Now, click the folder button next to the drop-down box under "Picture" and browse to the picture you would like to use.
Under GNOME - Right-click, and select "Change Wallpaper". Then, add the wallpaper to the list.
Under either, you can right-click and set as desktop background too. (Under KDE, r-click, Actions, Set as Wallpaper.)
What Image format should a wallpaper be?</u>
Wallpapers should be submitted as .jpg's as the file size is small.
What screen resolutions are accepted as Wallpapers?</u>
Standard PC / Mac (4:3)
640x480
800x600
1024x768
1152x864
1280x960
1344x1008
1280x1024
1400x1050
1600x1200
2048x1536
Dual Display / Widescreen
960x600
1024x640
1280x480
1280x800
1344x840
1440x900
1600x600
1600x1000
1680x1050
1920x1200
2048x768
2304x864
2560x960
2560x1200
2560x1024
3200x1200
Bold Italicized numbers are the most common resolutions
Signature/Watermark/Copyright?</u>
It is recommended that when you submit a wallpaper, you have some form of identification on it to mark the wall as yours. This can be a simple "yourname.deviantart.com" or a custom logo that is placed somewhere on the wallpaper. These identifications are usually located on the bottom-right corner of the wallpaper.
Borders?</u>
This is entirely a personal choice of the artist. Some people like frames, as it gives them room to place icons on the desktop without covering the artwork, others prefer a seamless desktop.
Wallpaper Pack?When submitting a wallpaper in numerous resolutions, it is ideal to submit it as a "Wallpaper Pack."
A "Wallpaper Pack" is a ZIP/RAR file containing several resolutions, variations or themes of the same wallpaper which is made available via the 'download' button in the submission.
Wallpaper packs are usually denoted by a preview image listing the different resolutions / variations offered. Gallery director / super wallpaper artist
JesseLax has put together a great News Article titled
A Crash Course in the Art of Preview Cards. It explains anything and everything you need to know about preview cards for wallpaper packs.
Submitting a wallpaper pack instead of multiple wallpapers makes it easier for users to access your wallpaper. Users need only to download one pack to obtain all resolutions/versions of a specific wallpaper rather than going from wall to wall to get each resolution/version needed.
Wallpaper packs also keep the gallery organized by having only 1 deviation per wallpaper. Therefore more wallpapers are available to be shown instead of multiple versions of the same wall.
How to submit a wallpaper packHaving saved your ZIP/RAR, also make sure you have a preview image of the wallpaper. This can be one of the full resolution images, or a custom 'face plate' image.
When you are going through the submission process, upload the ZIP as you would a normal image. The submission process will recognize your ZIP/RAR and then ask you to supply a preview image. Upload the preview image you have prepared and then fill in the rest of the submission details as normal.
When the work is submitted, the preview will appear as the submission image and the ZIP will be available as the "download file" link.
ImagesOnly images that you have personally made or have received permission to use are allowed in wallpapers. This means that if you use a stock image, you must give credit to the original artist (unless that artist specifically states that you do not have to). Images found on Google and other search engines are ABSOLUTELY NOT ALLOWED. You do not have permission to use these images and therefore if you do use such an image, you are committing copyright violation / art theft.
FAQ #8: What are violations of the DeviantArt copyright policy?Copyright Infringement (aka "Art Theft" or "Ripping")
Current deviantART policy defines 'Art Theft' to be any situation where a user takes the original art, photography, or writing of another person (a "third party") and then either misrepresents the original, unaltered work as one of their own creations or includes the work (either altered or unaltered) in a new image.
Generally speaking any submission which is directly built upon the existing work of another artist or photographer can be considered to be a case of art theft. These works may feature screenshots, official artwork or sprites taken from a video game, scans from an art book, artwork found on a website somewhere on the internet or a photograph of a famous person (just to name a few examples), but in every case the 'seed image' is the legal property of another artist. In many cases these 'seed images' are manipulated, colored over, blended with other images, and otherwise digitally worked over but none of this makes the use acceptable or allowed.
These submissions will be removed regardless of whether you have credited or linked back to the original source. Knowing where you ‘found’ the original image or knowing who created it or took the photo is not the same as actually having the legal permission to use it in your submission.
Only valid, legal, stock resources are allowed to be used as part of your deviantART submission. Public Domain imagery and works governed by certain Creative Commons licenses may also be used.
ScreenshotsScreenshots are NOT wallpapers. Screenshots have their own gallery located here:
www.deviantart.com/#catpath=cu… and that is where they belong. Not in the wallpaper gallery.
To clear up any confusion about screenshots, here is dA's stance.
FAQ #578: What does DeviantArt consider to be a proper desktop screenshot?The various screenshots categories which we provide here at deviantART are intended primarily for the submission of desktop screenshots.
Valid desktop screenshots are those which display your current wallpaper, your desktop icons, your taskbar, and preferably one or more open programs. Screenshots which have been cleared in a manner which leaves only the wallpaper will be considered invalid submissions to these categories and may in fact violate the deviantART copyright policy.
All users should be aware that the submission of plain or “cleared off” third party wallpapers, video game screenshots, and still frames from television programs or motion pictures will be considered violations of our copyright policy. Likewise screenshots consisting solely of official video game artwork, artwork ‘found’ on other websites and any other material created by another artist will also be removed from this section as violations of our copyright policy if they do not possess the characteristics of a valid desktop screenshot as described above.
Other Important FAQsFAQ #257: What sort of permission do I need to use someone else's work?FAQ #193: How do I prove that I had permission to use someone's work?FAQ #157: Can I use things created by other people in my submissions?FAQ #252: Model release forms? Do I need it? What is it? 
