| There are heaps of beautiful wallpaper designs | | | | part of the scene. Or maybe a part of one side, or |
| available on theweb, many of them are the work of | | | | theother could be sacrificed without spoiling the |
| some very clever andimaginative digital artists. | | | | overall impact? |
| But when it comes to photo wallpaper, even though | | | | Keep in mind that you're not going to completely lose |
| the choice isstill huge, the vast majority of images | | | | this partof the image - just "ghost" it. What this |
| cover your desktop witha beautiful image, only for | | | | entails is loweringthe image contrast, while raising the |
| you to then go and clutter up theimage with all your | | | | brightness, a little at atime until you have a ghosted |
| desktop icons. | | | | image in which you can still seethe picture but more |
| If, like me you frequently drop useful shortcuts on | | | | "dimly" than before. These "ghosted" panelsare |
| the desktopwhilst you are surfing, or you like to | | | | where you are going to place your icons, so that |
| organise your work spacewith all your favourite and | | | | they standout much better than before. With careful |
| most often used program icons easilyto hand, you | | | | choice of image andwhere you place the "ghosted" |
| are likely to end up with the effect of thatstunning | | | | panels, you can create a veryattractive and |
| landscape photo completely destroyed with a | | | | functional desktop wallpaper. |
| messycolection of shortcuts which you can't see | | | | Back to the actual process: use the selection tool to |
| very well becausethey are lost against the backgrond | | | | create apanel, or indeed more than one, at the |
| image. Sounds familiar? | | | | part(s) of the image youhave chosen to "ghost". |
| Well, I'm going to show you how you can overcome | | | | Now, for each panel at a time, use thecontrast and |
| this problem bymaking your own customized desktop | | | | brightness tools, as described above, to alter justthe |
| wallpaper, that will give youboth a pretty image to | | | | selected area(s). When you are satisfied with the |
| grace your computer, as well as areaswhere you can | | | | degree ofghosting, you can further enhance your |
| neatly keep your icons together, easily visibleand | | | | design by adding anoutline to the panel, and/or a |
| identifiable. (To help you understand what we are | | | | drop shadow. |
| aimingfor, take a look at these examples) | | | | When you are happy with the overall design. Save |
| First of all you will need two things: your favourite | | | | the image as a |
| (digitalor scanned) photo, and some sort of photo | | | | JPEG file with a bit of compression but not too much |
| editing software. | | | | if you wantto keep the quality reasonably high (a |
| Start your photo editing program and locate and | | | | quality setting of about |
| open your chosenphotograph file. What size (in pixels) | | | | 85%, or level 10 in Photoshop, will do). |
| is the image? Look at thefile info, or the status bar, | | | | Now you are ready to add this wallpaper to your |
| or image heading, of your editingprogram to find this. | | | | PC's library ofwallpapers: to do this right click on your |
| For the purpose of this excercise we'llassume that | | | | desktop -> chooseproperties -> then the "Desktop" |
| your PC desktop is set at a resolution (screen size)of | | | | tab -> then click "Browse" andlocate the file you just |
| 1024 x 768, which is probably the most common | | | | saved, and finally click OK. Yourediting software may |
| choice at themoment. (To change the size of your | | | | have a command for setting the image asyour |
| desktop/screen resolution:right click on your desktop | | | | wallpaper more quickly, but keep in mind you might |
| - choose properties - then the | | | | havetrouble finding it again if you subsequently |
| "settings" tab, which will present you with the | | | | change to adifferent wallpaper. |
| available sizechoices for your monitor). | | | | With your new design loaded on your desktop, you |
| So, with a screen size of 1024 x 768 pixels, alter | | | | now have toarrange your icons within the panel(s) |
| thedimensions of your image to exactly match these | | | | you made. To make thiseasier, what I do is to |
| dimensions. | | | | right-click the desktop and then -> |
| Warning: don't change both height and width, or you | | | | "arrange icons by"-> "align to grid" first, then drag and |
| may end upwith a distorted image unless the original | | | | dropthe icons to approximately where you want |
| size is proportionateto 1024 x 768. What you should | | | | them, leaving "alignto grid" to tidy up your rows and |
| do is to alter the image width, | | | | columns, then, if yourcollection of icons doesn't quite |
| OR, the height, until you have an image which is the | | | | align with the panel(s),deselect "align to grid", use the |
| same on oneedge, and either the same, or larger on | | | | mouse pointer to select a boxall around the icons you |
| the other edge. Thenusing the crop tool in your | | | | want to move, then drag the whole tidypile to where |
| image editor, carefully selectenough of the image to | | | | you want them to sit. |
| match exactly 1024 x 768 pixels. | | | | (Tip: when de-selecting "align to grid" be careful NOT |
| OK. So now you have your basic background image. | | | | toaccidentally select the next item above: "auto align" |
| Here's theimportant part: Look at your chosen image | | | | or allyour carefull arrangements will be undone!) |
| and decide which area,or areas, are the least | | | | Et voila! (that's French!) There you are, your first |
| important visually. It may be that thebottom of the | | | | TidyDesktopcompleted. |
| image doesn't contain any important detail, orvital | | | | |