Short and simple:
If you wish to set a web graphic as your wallpaper (first, click on
the thumbnail image from a page to load the full sized graphic) ...
then simply right click on the image and choose the option to set as wallpaper.
(Mac users click and hold, since they only have one button). When
you right click an image, read the pop up menu, it's pretty easy.
Details:
Note that both IE (Internet Explorer), and Netscape "center" wallpaper
by default. Newer systems (Windows XP, etc.) can stretch or shrink
a graphic to fill your screen. For older versions of Windows you
will need to find a third party program to 'resize' the image. I
suggest you download a program capable of resizing images. Several
of the best that I have seen are Thumbs
Plus, (current version has grown to be a pretty big download)
and IrfanView.
(Less than 1 meg. download, and packed with features - one of the best
graphic programs available). There are MANY of these little 'wallpaper'
programs available at the numerous download
sites. (web shots is
very popular)
1. Using your browser to
make the picture, "the wallpaper".
Works fine for
computers already running the same resolution as the image size, however, One
item to remember is that when you resize a smaller picture to a bigger one (i.e..
800x600 to a 1024x768 screen) then you will get a blurring of the image, where
resizing a larger image to a smaller one will not cause the same blurring
effect.).
A.) Internet Explorer. Right click on the wallpaper image, and choose "Set as wallpaper" This will create a file in your
\windows directory called \windows\Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp - you may want to copy it to somewhere in "Your Files".B.) Netscape. Right click on the wallpaper image, and choose "Set as wallpaper" This will create a file in you \windows directory called \windows\Netscape Wallpaper.bmp - you may want to copy it to somewhere in "Your Files".
2. Save the files:
Another note to those with limited hard drive space ... a ".bmp" image uses MUCH more room (it's a much bigger file) than a ".jpg" jpeg image.1. Internet Explorer = 'right-click' on image and choose "Save Picture As"
Netscape = 'right-click' on image and choose "Save Image As"
2. Then opening it with the graphics program of your choice - use one of the tools to set it as wallpaper, and choose a 'stretch', or 'Fit to desktop' type of item. If you are running Windows 98 then you can even use Paint - but again - Paint - will only "center" or "tile" the image.
Once a file has been saved to your computer, and is the right format for "your" computers wallpaper, (Windows 9x and higher) you can right-click on any open spot on your desktop (current background or wallpaper), and pick the "Properties" option from the pop-up menu. Then select the "Desktop" tab at the top of the box, from there you can browse for the graphics you want, choose the graphic you want, choose how that graphic is displayed, and even see a small preview. The same tools can be found by clicking on Start ... Settings ... and Control Panel. From there, double click the "Display" tool.
charles h. davis
updated: 01.17.2003