An easy way to decorate your office is to change the desktop background wallpaper on your computer desktop. There are a wide variety of backgrounds online for you to download, when you tire of the few that come with your computer. Look for high-resolution images designed to fit your computer's monitor.

Use the steps to changing the desktop wallpaper on your Windows computer:

1. Determine the size, in pixels, of your computer screen.

2. Click on the appropriate size to enlarge it, then right-click and save the image to your hard drive.

3. Right-click on your computer's desktop, select properties or personalize and change the desktop background image.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

View a tranquil outdoor scene with a nature desktop wallpaper

Most of these images are landscapes, showing outdoor scenes from all seasons. Stark canyons, lush waterfalls, colorful flowers and sweeping vistas of mountains can remind you of the beauty of our planet. You can also find images with animals, birds and even insects.

I recommend: Download free nature wallpaper photos of forests, waterfalls, mountains and other beautiful nature scenes from JS Nature Photos. Choose from a large number of categories and locations as well as screen resolution sizes at Natures Desktop Wallpapers.

Take a vacation with a beach desktop wallpaper

Those who live in areas where it gets cold in winter especially appreciate the beautiful beach scenes desktop wallpaper. These are quite easy to find online. There are so many available, you can 'visit' a different beach each day.

I recommend: Find pictures of Florida beaches in many different screen resolution sizes at Desktop Pictures. Download beautiful, colorful beach photos at Wallpaper 4 Nature Desktop.

Download interesting 3D desktop backgrounds

The backgrounds labeled 3D are almost always computer generated. There are landscapes, space scenes, interesting designs and other unusual pictures. These sites also have some backgrounds meant for computers with more than one monitor.

I recommend: Sign up for a membership at Cognitive Distortion, which allows you to download 3D wallpaper and other beautiful wallpaper images. Find beautiful 3D computer-generated backgrounds in various sizes at 3D Desktops. Both of these sites have some free backgrounds and others that you can download after you pay a small membership fee.

Display animated desktop wallpaper for an eye-catching look

Some types of animated wallpaper require a special download in order to work. Windows Vista also has an option for setting a video as the desktop background. Either of these options might consume quite a bit of system memory.

I recommend: Download animated wallpaper, including waterfalls, beaches, aquariums and cute pets with blinking eyes at Best-Wallpapers.com. Find animated wallpapers such as fireworks, twinkling lights and holiday scenes at EleFun Desktops.

Find fashion desktop wallpapers for your desktop

Fashion-related wallpapers often show models with the latest in trendy apparel and accessories. Beware of some so-called fashion wallpaper sites that have content which might not be appropriate for the office.

I recommend: Get free fashion-oriented desktops in a range of different screen resolution sizes at SoDesk. Choose from many modern and fashion-related wallpaper images at DesktopNexus Entertainment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your Windows desktop background image is not the same size as your screen, you can stretch it, which could distort the image, or allow it to be its correct size, showing a solid background around the edges if it is smaller than the screen.

Change desktop background pictures to suit your mood; with the wide array of desktop icons and desktop backgrounds available, you can have a new wallpaper for desktop any time you like. Cheer yourself up with a desktop background that shows your favorite beach getaway or comfort yourself with a roaring fire in a cozy cabin to make your work day easier.

Check with your IT department before downloading new desktop backgrounds to make sure your place of business has a firewall protection system strong enough to prevent viruses. There may be specific sites you can utilize or you may need to use only your own images, depending upon the regulations of your business. Consider the following:

1. Look online for your new desktop backgrounds.

2. Add depth and realism with 3D desktop wallpaper.

3. Create your own cool desktop wallpaper.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find wallpaper for desktop backgrounds online

There are innumerable websites that allow you to download desktop wallpapers. Find websites with a good reputations that actively protect against viruses to help you maintain the safety of your computer.

I recommend: Wallpapers.com has a very large collection of desktop wallpapers that you can download for free, including animated desktop wallpaper. Away.com specializes in beach desktop wallpaper.

Add character by selecting 3D desktop backgrounds

Add realism to your wallpaper by selecting 3D desktop backgrounds. Whether it's a gentle snowy forest or fish swimming through the ocean, 3D wallpapers are fun and creative ways to enhance your desktop.

I recommend: DXYNS Free Screensavers has a variety of 3D desktop backgrounds for you to choose from. Visual Paradox has one of the most comprehensive selections of 3D desktop background pictures on the Internet.

Use personal photos for your desktop background pictures

Make your desktop space truly one-of-a-kind by using your own photographs as your desktop wallpaper. You can place them on a disk and transfer them to your hard drive or you can email them to yourself and then save them to your picture file to make them available for use. Open the picture and right click with your mouse to show the option for replacing your current desktop artwork with the photo you've opened.

I recommend: Worldstart.com has a very user-friendly tutorial on how you can use any of your photographs or graphics to create your own desktop background. Windows XP also walks you through the process of creating your own desktop wallpaper using your own photographs or images.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider matching your desktop icons to go along with the theme of the wallpaper for desktop picture you've selected. It adds to the realism of the wallpaper and it's as simple to change your desktop icons as it is to change desktop background pictures.

For a graphic designer, there is money to be made creating and selling 3D desktop wallpaper. With the right skill set, you can create cool desktop wallpaper and set up your own online business. There are many examples of sites that have become profitable--users subscribe to site for a small monthly or annual fee, and download desktop backgrounds of choice.

Whether you are just thinking of entering the business, or you are already an experienced graphic designer, there are resources available to help you on your way. Gain the skills you need to start your own online business with these online desktop wallpaper education and training approaches:

1. Learn to create desktop backgrounds by taking a course in graphic design.
2. Visit online tutorials that show you how to create great nature desktop wallpaper or wallpaper from other digital photos.
3. Check out online tutorials that will show you how to make 3D desktop wallpaper.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Sign up for a graphic design course to learn the skills needed to make cool desktop wallpaper

Although there are no courses specifically geared towards creating desktop wallpaper, you can learn the necessary skills by taking a graphic design course. There are many courses available online that you can complete in the comfort of your home.

I recommend: The Sessions Online School of Design offers three different levels of digital arts programs. All certification programs focus on developing both artistry and technical skill. Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular wallpaper and graphic design programs. You can become and Adobe Product Expert with Adobe Online Training at Adobe Systems.

Learn how to turn your digital photos into stunning desktop backgrounds

If you are already a photographer, then you have great starting material for creating beautiful natural desktop backgrounds. All you need are a few skills in photo editing programs like Photoshop.

I recommend: Call of the Wild Photo offers a tutorial on how to create beautiful desktop wallpapers from stock images or your own photographic masterpieces. The Digital Photography School regularly posts new digital photography tips and tutorials.

Discover the tips and tools of the 3D desktop wallpaper trade

Graphic designers often use multiple programs to create stunning 3D desktop backgrounds. Some of the more popular ones are Apophysis (for fractal generation), Lightwave 3D (for professional level modeling), World Builder (for realistic computer generated landscapes) and of course Adobe Photoshop. You will need to become proficient in more than one of these if you want to create bankable wallpapers!

I recommend: Developer Shed has an enormous selection of 3D and 2D graphics tutorials for programs like Photoshop, Bryce 3D, AutoCAD and others. 3D Wallpaper Art links to a video that shows how the webmaster created the 3D art for his website. He also describes which programs are best for 3D design, and directs you to tutorials for each.