Backgrounds

Revision 10 as of 2009-02-23 15:59:23

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Wallpaper Guidelines

  • Avoid prominent use of the Ubuntu logo. It appears in enough places already.
  • Avoid text, it calls for attention too much and will likely look bad when scaled.
  • Be careful with small patterns, they might become uneven when scaled.
  • Consider how the wallpaper will interact with the panels, icons and windows.
  • Show restraint in your use of color tone and contrast. The wallpaper sets the scene for other elements, it is not the main act.

File Formats

  • Use PNG format for bitmap files. Only use JPG for final results and only in case the filesize is an issue, as this format can cause visible compression artefacts.
  • Make the XCF source files available, if you happen to work with GIMP
  • Use SVG for vector art.
  • Work generated with proprietary applications like Photoshop and Illustrator is acceptable, but files in their formats are useless for many of us.

Screen Resolution and Aspect Ratio

Table of screen resolutions of hardware offered in an online store on 2009-02-23:

Monitor

Width

Height

Factor

Aspect Ratio

2560

1600

1.6

8:5

1920

1200

1.6

8:5

2048

1152

1.77 16:9

1920

1200

1.6

8:5

1920

1080

1.77 16:9

1680

1050

1.6

8:5

1600

1200

1.33

4:3

1440

900

1.6

8:5

1280

1024

1.25

5:4

1024

768

1.33

4:3

Laptops

Width

Height

Factor

Aspect Ratio

1920

1200

1.6

8:5

1920

1080

1.77

16:9

1680

1050

1.6

8:5

1680

945

1.77

16:9

1440

900

1.6

8:5

1366

768

1.77

16:9

1280

800

1.6

8:5

1024

576

1.77

16:9