Adding new pictures as the Desktop

[dcs.79c]

I have 2 Macs. I have a Mac mini with Mojave & a MacBook Air with High Sierra.

What is the path for the pictures? I found the Desktop folder in Library > Desktop Pictures.

How do I add pictures? I have pictures in Google Drive. If I right-click on the file & choose "set as desktop" is it permanent? Will it be there the next time I boot up my mini or laptop? Will a copy of the picture be saved in the Desktop Pictures folder? Do I need to use the Photos app? The desktop picture in my laptop is of a lion. Can I copy the file from my laptop to Google Drive & install it on my mini? I suppose that I can delete any picture files that I've installed as desktop. I also suppose that I can't delete any picture files that were installed when I installed macOS, right? I've seen .tif & .jpg files in the Desktop folder. Will any picture format work - .bmp, .gif, .tif, .png, etc. ?

I'm sorry that I'm asking so many questions!

 

[ferrarr]

When you right click on an image, and select "Set as Desktop", that adds the path to the image, to the System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver "desktop" preference pane.

See if this helps, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207703.

 

[nickyr]

I used to use the right click method to set a photo as a desktop image, but I found it quite unreliable. Some restarts would mean the picture would be forgotten and the default desktop would return.

I've found a much more reliable method is to actually resize your image to match the pixel size of your display, and then copy it into the /Library/Desktop Pictures folder and to set it as your desktop picture via System Preferences and Desktop / Screensaver. Your image should be at the bottom of the Apple stock images.

 

[toMACsh]

...copy it into the /Library/Desktop Pictures folder and to set it as your desktop picture via System Preferences and Desktop / Screensaver. Your image should be at the bottom of the Apple stock images.

That's how I do it also. It works well. I have a different image on 8 Desktops at any given time, changing randomly.

 

[dcs.79c]

I used to use the right click method to set a photo as a desktop image, but I found it quite unreliable. Some restarts would mean the picture would be forgotten and the default desktop would return.

I've found a much more reliable method is to actually resize your image to match the pixel size of your display, and then copy it into the /Library/Desktop Pictures folder and to set it as your desktop picture via System Preferences and Desktop / Screensaver. Your image should be at the bottom of the Apple stock images.

How do I resize the image? I have a 27" HD display (1920 X 1080).

The desktop picture on my laptop is of a lion. Can I copy the file from my laptop (with High Sierra) to Google Drive & then copy it from Google Drive on my mini (with Mojave) to my mini?

 

[nickyr]

I resize mine in Lightroom (to match monotor size ratio - so for your's that's a 16x9 crop ratio), and then at a pixel level (so to 1920 x 1080) in Photoshop. This ensures your image fits your monitor correctly and is not stretched or manipulated into the image you see on your deskptop. If this doesn't bother you then skip resizing.

You can resize images using the Preview App as well.

I can see no reason why copying the image across other than the fact your laptop and desktop monitors mght have a different resolution / crop factor.

 

[dcs.79c]

I resize mine in Lightroom (to match monotor size ratio - so for your's that's a 16x9 crop ratio), and then at a pixel level (so to 1920 x 1080) in Photoshop. This ensures your image fits your monitor correctly and is not stretched or manipulated into the image you see on your deskptop. If this doesn't bother you then skip resizing.

You can resize images using the Preview App as well.

I can see no reason why copying the image across other than the fact your laptop and desktop monitors mght have a different resolution / crop factor.

I don't want to pay a monthly subscription to Adobe & learn how to use both programs.

I did some research. My MacBook Air has a 16:10 aspect ratio & my 27" monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio. So does that mean that an image copied from my MBA to my 27" monitor will have a narrow black line on the top & bottom of the monitor or will the monitor stretch the image to fit the monitor?