Choosing different background color?

[typecase]

Hello All,

I'm pretty new to the Mac and was wondering how to change my background color to a solid color other than the few that are available by default. In Windows, in the absence of a desktop picture, I can specify pretty much any color to be the background color. All I see are the several swatches of color and no way to get more colors.

Are these background "colors" simply little pictures that are tiled? How do I get a true background color that's not already there? Any help appreciated.

 

[jackieonasses]

Hello All,

I'm pretty new to the Mac and was wondering how to change my background color to a solid color other than the few that are available by default. In Windows, in the absence of a desktop picture, I can specify pretty much any color to be the background color. All I see are the several swatches of color and no way to get more colors.

Are these background "colors" simply little pictures that are tiled? How do I get a true background color that's not already there? Any help appreciated.

Well... you could just go into photoshop.... and use the Paint Bucket tool to make your own color... save a jpeg.. and drag to make it your desktop. What color are you looking for?


kyle

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Edit: Forget everything...

Go with the photoshop option...

I thought you could use the palett that appears when you "center" an image, to decide the colour of the rest of the desktop, even if you didn't have an image... think I could do this earlier (but that might have been back in OS 9...)

 

[typecase]

Well... you could just go into photoshop.... and use the Paint Bucket tool to make your own color... save a jpeg.. and drag to make it your desktop. What color are you looking for?

kyle

Thanks for the replies. I could probably do this and create little swatches but I was hoping there was some button I could push or something I could do to make it bring up a color palate so I could just choose any color at a moment of whimsey. Seems strange that the OS would limit you do doing such a simple thing.

 

[jsalzer]

Windows Green

Huh - I've never wanted a pure color in the background, so I've never tried the "solid colors" option.

My assumption would be that the selections available are Apple's way of:

a) Discouraging people from making their background Windows Green.

b) Discouraging primary colors that might make passersby say "it is just a toy".

My recommendation - Photoshop is overkill. Open AppleWorks, make a square with no border (of any color you choose). SaveAs JPEG, change the color, SaveAs JPEG, change the color, SaveAs JPEG - and dump them all in a folder you create called "colors". Then you'll forever have a folder of swatches that you can view in the Desktop preference pane. A half hour of work, and you'll have exactly the ease of switching colors you were looking for.