If you're wondering how to set up Twitter backgrounds, below you'll find information that will help you decorate your Twitter page.
What Are Twitter Backgrounds?
Twitter is a social networking site that allows people to communicate via a microblogging platform. Once you start following people, you can check their updates through your contacts page or you can set it up to check updates with your web-enabled phone. Your contacts page on Twitter comes with a standard blue background. While this is normally fine, some people like to spruce up their pages to make them a little more exciting.
Also, when you create an account, Twitter automatically generates a profile page for your username. When people visit this profile page, they will see the same background as the one on your contacts page. Users often like to personalize their profiles, so this is another reason why you might want to customize your Twitter background.
Changing Twitter Backgrounds
If you want to change your background, there are two options. First, you can select one of the service's prefab designs, which is by far the easiest way to alter your background. Here is an example of a profile where one of the preset backgrounds has been selected. Second, you can install a custom background. You can see examples of custom backgrounds on Photo Doto.
Finding wallpapers for your profile page can be a lot of fun. The sky's the limit, so make sure you express yourself! Keep in mind, Twitter will suspend your account if your profile image is inappropriate or in any way violates their terms of service. Remember that Twitter is a family-friendly site!
Creating Your Own Background
If you want to create your own Twitter background, remember that the center of your screen will always be filled with the site's content, such as your contacts' updates or your profile information. For this reason you should try to decorate the edges of the background, and not the center. Be sure to use a high-resolution image that is large enough to fill the screen - the maximum width is 2048 pixels. If the image is very small, you can choose to either have it appear once in the upper-left hand corner of your page, or you can tile it over and over again to fill up the screen. Beware of the tile option; it can look very busy and overwhelming to some users unless you fade the image so that it isn't too bold.Also, the maximum size that Twitter allows for background images is 700k, and they must be in JPG or PNG format. Here is a great tutorial on how to create a wallpaper with these specifications in mind.
Finding Backgrounds
Here are a couple of sites where you can download free Twitter backgrounds:
Business Backgrounds
If you are using Twitter for business purposes, you might want to consider creating a background that will list your business contact info. Again, keep in mind that anything in the middle of the design will be unreadable, so you have to keep the good stuff around the edges of your image. If you are unsure how to proceed, try using a free web tool.
More Information
If you're looking for more information on Twitter backgrounds, here are some more links that might interest you:
- Croncast posted some great tips and specifications for creating Twitter backgrounds. This article also talks about color palettes.
- Hongkiat offers 40 tools to help you create your own custom background.
- Mashable talks about how to extend your Twitter profile. Particularly useful if you're using the service for business purposes.
