How to Change the Desktop Picture in Mac OS Panther

The Mac's system's used to allow an unprecedented amount of control over the "look and feel" of the desktop and even the startup screen. The Mac solidified its status as the "artist's computer" with these graphic customizing abilities, and on the Mac OS Panther 10.3, there is almost complete control over the appearance of the desktop and other interface elements.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Digital pictures (optional)

Change the Desktop Picture in Mac OS Panther

1. Go to "System Preferences" and select "Desktop & Screen Saver" from the available icons, or Control-click (right-click with a properly configured 2-button mouse) on the desktop directly.

2. Choose the left tab ("Desktop") in the resulting window if it is not already selected.

3. Select a source folder for your background image in the window pane at left. You will have access to the graphics (solid colors, patterns, photos) that came with your Mac OS Panther, as well as any picture you have saved into the "Pictures" folder. If you don't see the folder you want in the window pane, select "Choose Folder."

4. Select the image you wish to change to from the large window at right by clicking directly on it.

5. Set your preferences for how the image will be displayed with the drop-down menu (you can scale it to fill the screen or tile it), and choose at the bottom of the window whether or not you want the picture to change, and at what intervals.

6. Select "Random" if you chose "Change Picture" and don't want the pictures changing in the order they appear in the selected folder source.

7. Close the "Desktop & Screen Saver" window and enjoy your newly decorated desktop.

Tips & Warnings

• Your graphics, whether pictures, colors or patterns, need to be in either TIFF, PICT or JPEG format to work as desktop images.
• If you want to display all of your pictures at once, consider making a digital photo collage for use as your desktop background.
• Some third-party utilities that offer video playback as a desktop background have a serious impact on system responsiveness. Avoid these if you wish to maintain your Mac's processing speed.
• If you choose to make your desktop or screen saver a slideshow of your favorite pictures, keep in mind anyone who visits your home will be able to view these pictures. You may want to go through your photos carefully to be sure there aren't any you would prefer not to show to others.