Steps

Mac OS 8.5 to 9.2.2

  1. Open the Appearance window. Click the Apple icon at top-left corner, resembling a rainbow Apple icon on color Macs, or a black Apple icon on monochrome Macs. In the Apple menu, hover over Control Panels and click Appearance.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 1.png
  2. Click the Desktop tab. It's the fourth tab at top of window.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 2.png
  3. Select a pattern. Scroll through a list of patterns and select one you like. Click Set Desktop to change the current wallpaper to the selected pattern.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 3.png
  4. Set a picture as a wallpaper. Click Place Picture..., then in the selection window, browse through the list of pictures, then select a picture and click Open. Then click Set Desktop to change the current wallpaper to the selected picture.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 4.png
    • You may want to adjust the position of the picture. Click the dropdown below Remove Picture and choose one of the options:
      • Tile on Screen - This creates a tile of multiple pictures arranged horizontally and vertically. Recommended for pictures of 256x256 or less resolution.
      • Center on Screen - This centers the picture.
      • Scale to Screen - This scales the picture to fit the screen.
      • Fill Screen - This stretches the picture to all sides to fill the screen.

Mac OS 8.0 to 8.1

  1. Open the Desktop Pictures window. Click the Apple icon at top-left corner, resembling a rainbow Apple icon on color Macs, or a black Apple icon on monochrome Macs. In the Apple menu, hover over Control Panels and click Desktop Pictures.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 5.png
  2. Scroll through a gallery of patterns. Use the scrollbar below pattern to scroll and select a pattern you like.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 6.png
  3. Click Set Desktop. It's at bottom-right corner of the window. This will set your desired pattern as the wallpaper.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 7.png
  4. Set a picture as a wallpaper. Click Picture tab at left and click Select Picture..., then in the selection window, browse through the list of pictures, then select a picture and click Open. Then click Set Desktop to change the current wallpaper to the selected picture.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 8.png
    • You may want to adjust the position of the picture. Click the dropdown to the left of Remove Picture and choose one of the options:
      • Tile on Screen - This creates a tile of multiple pictures arranged horizontally and vertically. Recommended for pictures of 256x256 or less resolution.
      • Center on Screen - This centers the picture.
      • Scale to Screen - This scales the picture to fit the screen.
      • Fill Screen - This stretches the picture to all sides to fill the screen.

System 7.5 to Mac OS 7.6.1

  1. Open the Desktop Patterns window. Click the Apple icon at top-left corner, resembling a rainbow Apple icon on color Macs, or a black Apple icon on monochrome Macs. In the Apple menu, hover over Control Panels and click Desktop Patterns.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 9.png
  2. Scroll through a gallery of patterns. Use the scrollbar below pattern to scroll and select a pattern you like.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 10.png
  3. Click Set Desktop Pattern. It's at bottom-right corner of the window. This will set your desired pattern as the wallpaper.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 11.png

System 7.0 to 7.1.2

  1. Open the Control Panels window.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 12.png
  2. Open the General Controls window.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 13.png
  3. Draw your own pattern in top-left corner.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 14.png
  4. Set the pattern as wallpaper.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 15.png
  5. Choose an existing pattern.
    File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 16.png

System 6.0.8 and earlier

  1. File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 17.png
  2. File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 18.png
  3. File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 19.png
  4. File:Change Wallpaper in Classic Mac OS Step 20.png