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Setting Your Desktop Picture from iPhoto

Friday, May 13 2011 by chrisb iPhoto

See your favorite picture all the time

Set Desktop <br>Click to see a larger image

Set Desktop
Click to see a larger image

I have heard that one of the first changes most people make to their Mac is to change the Desktop picture. To personalize your Desktop, you might want to use a photo from your iPhoto Library.

The method for setting the Desktop picture has changed often in iPhoto over the years. Here is how to do it in iPhoto '11 and iPhoto '09.

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First off, select the photo you want to set as your Desktop picture.

In iPhoto '11, Choose Share / Set Desktop. That's it. You're done.

iPhoto '09 has a Set Desktop button on the bottom tool bar. If you see that button, click it and you are done. If you don't see a Set Desktop button, read on.

To add the Set Desktop button back to the tool bar, go to View / Show in Toolbar on the Menu bar and choose Set Desktop.

If you still don't see the Set Desktop button, keep reading.

If you have a small screen, iPhoto might not be able to show every button on the bottom tool bar. If there isn't room for all the buttons, you will see a » symbol at the right side of the toolbar. Here is what that symbol means.

If you want more options for your Desktop picture, go to System Preferences from the Dock or the Apple Menu and select the Desktop & Screen Saver panel. On the Desktop tab, you can select from a range of stock photography backgrounds. Your iPhoto albums are there as well. Once you choose an album or a folder, you can check the Change Picture checkbox and your Mac will rotate between the photos in that album or folder.

Related Items: iPhoto | Desktop

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