Pictures. We all love to take them, collect them and are in them. Our fondest memories can be saved for future generations to enjoy. With digital cameras, we are masters at work, snapping the shot, edit, re-sizing and deleting. We save our favorite photos on our computers and even pick a prized photo as our desktop background. The steps to making a photo your background are fun and easy.

Simple Right Click

To get your photo as your background your first have to know the screen resolution size of your computer. For this article we are using a 17-inch screen with a 1280x800 pixels resolution. This is important when sizing your photo to cover the entire background or centered in the middle of the screen. Open your "Pictures" file and mouse over your desired photo. A window will pop up and give you the photo's size and dimension information, if the dimension meets the 1280x800 screen resolution then rick click on the photo. When you right click, a window will come up with various options, including "Set as Desktop Background." Pick that option and your computer will refresh, showing your photo set as your desktop background.

Re-sizing Photo

If you photo does not fit the resolution spec, then you need to re-size it. Open your photo software and choose photo to be re-sized. Go up to your toolbar and click on "View" or "Picture" and find the "re-size" option. Based on the kind of software you are using, "re-size" be under one of the main toolbar options. A re-size menu will appear giving you setting options. Click on the customize, width and length options. Here you can type in the new size you desire. Save the photo and close the software. Open the "Pictures" file, find your newly re-sized photo thumbnail, right click and choose the "Set as Desktop Background," option. The computer will refresh, with your photo set as your desktop background.

Source:

Louisiana Tech University Center for Rural Development: Windows XP Photo Resizing

Lander University: Desktop Backgrounds

More Information:

Auburn University Office of Information Technology: Changing the desktop background in Windows XP

University of Virginia Curry School of Education: Resizing Photos in Picasa