Your clothes or choice of music can reflect your mood and like this so can your computer desktop. Whether you change your wallpaper daily or yearly, when you want to change your style then the wallpaper gallery caters for your every need and gives you the ability to change the look of your computer with one click!

Desktop Wallpapers are images from all different types of art mediums and created with specific sizes in mind that will accomodate a variety of sizes (resolutions) of computer screen monitors.

The Wallpaper Gallery offers our dA community access to thousands of pieces of artwork from every art medium to suit a myriad of styles and tastes, spanning everything from Abstract Fractals to the dark worlds of Horror and Macabre, or perhaps a flight of fancy with a dragon, or an adventure in a galaxy far away.

We provide artists an excellent platform for interaction and exposure to propel them into a community which offer contests, special features and much more.



Rough Guide

How do I make my work more effective?

Firstly, the most important thing to consider is size. Strange you would think, to have to mention this, but you would be surprised just how many submissions to the Wallpaper Gallery don't meet even this simplest of criteria.

DeviantART describes wallpaper submissions as:

Any imagery designed with the specific dimensions to fit ones screen.

Which sizes should you use? Well, for a good start look at the screen resolution you are reading this at. As a general rule of thumb the two most popular resolutions used are 1280x1024 and 1024x768. This means that anything smaller than 1024x768 is not suitable for their desktops and so are likely to avoid submissions smaller than this. Remember that you can scale down large sizes, but not scale up. If you can work at 1600x1200, so much the better, as it opens up your work to the increasing number of people with larger monitors.

But why stop at just one size? Looking through the gallery you will notice that some of the most successful submissions offer a ZIP download with multiple sizes included. Some also include variations on colour to match any desktop theme. Going that extra mile will reap rewards.

Designing your perfect wallpaper
So you've got the size, now what to put in it? Well, anything you want! But there are a few simple rules to help you when designing your perfect wallpaper:

Colour
A desktop will be something that is seen more than any other part of the OS. Its right there in front of you all the time, so bear in mind that garish colours could begin to grate on the person viewing it, resulting in removal and replacement!

Space
What are the other things that sit on the desktop? Icons right? So make sure that there is somewhere on the wallpaper which allows the user to arrange their icons. This doesn't mean that the image has to sacrifice its design purely to accommodate some negative space, but a solid, well thought-out piece will naturally lend itself towards this.

Focus
As much as an image needs space, it also needs focus. A point of any image, not just wallpapers, that draws the eye, or gives the piece its centre point. Combining space and focus will give the image its dynamics. Purely adding details to fill the page is bad. More detail does not necessarily add value to the piece. In fact a wallpaper that is too complex can be confusing and tiring on the eye.

One of the simplest ways to see these rules in action is to just browse the most popular submissions over the time the Wallpaper Gallery has been in existence. Look at the submissions and ask yourself why they are popular. Good designs go beyond just being "pretty" or "complex" or "trendy".

Finally, the most important thing: would you yourself have this piece of art on your desktop? If the answer is yes, then it's a fair bet that someone else will too! So submit and rejoice! Desktops of the world unite!



Wallpaper Gallery Frequently Asked Questions

What is a "Wallpaper"?

wall.pa.per
n.

A picture or design displayed on the background of a computer screen.

A desktop ‘wallpaper’ is a picture or pattern displayed as a background 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.

What makes a good wallpaper?

It is hard to define exactly what makes wallpaper good, or more attractive to one person than the next. But by following some simple rules you can help make your wallpaper much more desktop friendly.

• Keep important detail away from the right and left edges of the wallpaper. Windows puts icons on the left of the screen; Mac puts them on the right.
• Try to avoid making your image too bright or vivid in colour. Remember that the user has to look at their screen for long periods of time and anything too bright will result in a change of desktop.
• Less can sometimes be most definitely more. A lot of users like complexity to add depth to their wallpapers, but it is a good rule to not swamp the image in detail or it will loose focus and impact
• Make sure you cater for a number of resolutions. Work to a maximum, not a minimum, then scale down appropriately. Provide a ZIP of different resolutions to reach the widest audience.

What does the wallpaper community offer

The Wallpaper Gallery offers our dA community access to thousands of pieces of artwork from artists all around the world, to suit a myriad of styles and tastes. No matter how often you change your desktop, this gallery gives you the ability to change the look of your computer to suit your mood with just one click! You can also get involved with contests, view featured wallpaper images and suggest Daily Deviation images within this gallery.

Why should people submit to the wallpaper gallery?

Submitting your designs to the wallpaper gallery can give you more exposure than other galleries because of its interactive opportunities. Viewers are potentially searching for inspiration and artwork to add to their desktops and they might not have seen your work otherwise.


How do you install a wallpaper?

Windows XP Users:
Right click on your desktop and select Properties. Now click the “Desktop” tab and click “Browse”. In the dialogue both presented simply browse to the image you want to display and then click “ok”. Now click “Apply” and your image will appear on the desktop.

Mac OSX Users:
Right click on your desktop and select Change Desktop Pattern. Use the dialogue box to browse to your image, or you can drag and drop you image onto the preview thumbnail.

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.)

How do I know what resolution- (size) of wallpaper will look best on my monitor.?

Windows XP Users:
Right click on your desktop and select Properties. Now click the “Settings” tab and this will show you want your desktop is currently set to.

Mac OSX Users:
Click on the apple logo in the top right 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.

Why do colors/pictures looks so different from monitor to monitor.?

Each monitor displays colours slightly differently depending on the calibration of the monitor. You can change the colour calibration and gamma through your video card drivers (winXP) or via the “Displays” section of the system settings (Mac OSX).


How can I calibrate my monitor?

Using this Calibration Image adjust the brightness and contrast on your your monitor as directed in the instructions on this link.

Also, your PC may come with some calibration software (eg EzTune) which you can use. Macs have a Calibration wizard which can be accessed under 'displays > color > calibration' in the system preferences panel.

What sizes belong in the Wallpaper section.?

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
2560x1024
3200x1200

_{(The resolutions marked in italics are the current most often encountered monitor resolutions)}

Can my wallpapers be used for both PC and Mac?

Yes, absolutely, there are no differences between the sizes or resolutions between each platform. Your work can be used by all!

Can I put a signature, watermark or copyright on my art before submitting it to the Wallpaper gallery?

Yes and we recommend you put some form of identification on your work to mark it as your copyright. This can be done simply as text in a corner of the image, or as a ghost image, or watermark across the image, or as a digital signature using software such as Digimarcs “MyPictureMark” which is available as a plug in for applications such as Photoshop.

Some people that download wallpapers complain if there is any signature at all.. so what is best?

It is always recommended to put your signature on your work. It doesn’t need to be obtrusive on the image, but we do urge you to add your signature if at all possible.

Framing the wallpaper artwork, is this OK or should it be borderless?

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.

What is a Wallpaper Pack?

A ' pack ' is a ZIP file containing several resolutions, variations or themes of the same wallpaper which is made available via the 'download' button in the submission.

How do I upload a ZIP Pack?

Having saved your ZIP, 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 recognise your ZIP 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.

What is a Daily Deviation?

The Daily Deviation is a daily staff feature chosen from the galleries here on deviantART.

A small assortment of submissions is chosen each day by a select group of staff members who wish to showcase an image, that they found impressive or otherwise interesting enough to deserve being brought to the attention of the community-at-large.

The staff members responsible for selecting submissions for the daily feature often are open to suggestions and individual community members may direct their attention by noting the appropriate gallery director or staff member with your account name (for proper suggestion credit), a direct link to the deviation which you are suggesting and a brief description about why you think the work in question should be featured.

How do I get a Daily Deviation?

To be eligible for a Daily Deviation firstly your work must conform to the submission guidelines for the gallery. After that your work has to be either suggested by someone else to the Gallery Director, or chosen by the Gallery Director themselves.

You cannot suggest your own work for Daily Deviations.

I've suggested wallpapers for a DD and mine never get picked, why is that?

The choice of Daily Deviation is entirely up to the discretion of the Gallery Director. Your image suggestion may have been deemed unsuitable for a number of reasons but the most common are:

• Non-conformance to gallery submission guidelines
• Deviant may already have received a DD within the last 3 months

What art mediums are accepted for creating wallpaper?

Wallpapers should ideally be JPGs. GIFs are also currently accepted.

My wallpaper was removed from the gallery, can you tell me why?


The most likely causes for removal are:

• Failure to conform to the submission guidelines
• Using copyrighted images

If the work has been removed you will receive a note telling you why the image was removed and what action (if any) is required by you.

Do you have to purchase wallpapers on dA to use them?


No, all images are freely submitted for personal use only.




^emciem & ^archanN