Selection of Background Pictures

Select pictures with the same aspect ratio as your screen, and use Center only when the picture’s pixel dimensions already match the desktop closely.

Set and test the picture

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.
2. Select Background.
3. Under Personalize your background, choose Picture, then select Browse photos.
4. Under Choose a fit for your desktop image, select the appropriate option:
   • Center places the picture in the middle without resizing it. A smaller picture leaves a border; a larger picture may extend beyond the screen.
   • Fit resizes the entire picture while preserving its proportions, but may add bars.
   • Fill covers the whole screen while preserving proportions, but may crop the picture’s edges. ^1^

Choose suitable pictures

For consistent results:

• Prefer an image whose width-to-height ratio matches the display. For example, a 1920 × 1080 display has a 16:9 ratio, so other 16:9 images should fit predictably.
• For Center, use an image at or near the display’s actual pixel dimensions.
• If using Fill, choose photos with the important subject near the middle because Windows may crop the top, bottom, or sides.
• Avoid mixing portrait, square, and wide landscape pictures in the same slideshow if consistent placement is important.
• Windows does not provide controls for manually moving or scaling an individual wallpaper; image placement is controlled through the available fit options. ^2^

If you use multiple monitors and want one image across them, choose Span instead. For separate pictures, use Picture, right-click an image under the recent images, and select the target display. ^1^

References

1. Change the desktop background in Windows | Microsoft Support
2. Shrink a photo uploaded for display personalization - Microsoft Q&A