Your InstantEncore app defaults to a solid black wallpaper. While this is certainly not the most exciting choice, it is a useful default color due to its neutrality.
When customizing your own background image, remember that you want it to be interesting but not obtrusive. It should be a tasteful, thoughtful representation of you or your organization.
Here are five tips to help you create a great background image for your mobile app:
When customizing your own background image, remember that you want it to be interesting but not obtrusive. It should be a tasteful, thoughtful representation of you or your organization.
Here are five tips to help you create a great background image for your mobile app:
Tip #1 – Prepare and
upload an image according to the specified dimensions.
UPDATE: The recommended image size is 640px wide by 960px tall. Must be JPG or PNG format. Smaller images (e.g. 320 x 480) will load more quickly, but may not look as sharp on higher resolution devices. Larger images (e.g. 1240 x 1920) will look sharper on tablet devices, but will take longer to load initially.
It is usually best to avoid landscape-oriented photos, but
you can easily modify one to fit the proper background size. Try cropping the
image or adding onto it in creative ways. Sometimes it’s not the best choice to
merely crop a portion of your photo to 640x960, since the result could be a
larger distraction to the eye. When that is the case, you can try this suggestion:
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| A quick suggestion to turn your favorite landscape-oriented photo into a useable background image. Click here to enlarge the photo. |
Tip #2 – Subdue and
avoid bright hues.
The primary text throughout your app is white, so we recommend
keeping your background image dark – the darker the better. A light background
will cause your content to be washed out, and any abrupt textures will create too
much of a disturbance for the user.
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Avoid light backgrounds
and textures like this.
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If you really insist on
your background being a pile of sticks, because for some reason it’s the best
representation of you, add a black overlay and bring the opacity down to about
85% to lessen the attack - though using such a hectic image is still not advised.
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Textures are usually great for a unique look, just remember
to keep it simple. Avoid sharp repeated patterns. At such a small screen-size,
an overly busy texture is very off-putting. If you like a particular image, but
you’re worried about how it will look behind the text in your app, you can add
a black (or other dark solid color) overlay with the transparency set anywhere
from 50%-90%, depending on just how busy or bright the image is you’re using.
Then simply preview, adjust as necessary, and use your best judgment.
The best digital wallpapers, small or large, are those that
are subtle enough to not take away from the foreground, yet maintain a fair amount of elegance.
Tip #3 – Avoid text.
Text will get in the way of the actual content in your app.
When positioned appropriately, a little subtle text or logo is manageable, but
too much text – no matter how faded it is – will be distracting.
Tip #4 – Match your
splash screen and remember your color scheme.
An easy and effective background idea could already be right in front of
you. Your splash screen image is already the right size, so why not apply it to
the rest of the pages in your app? You may have to adjust the intensity of the
colors, or remove (if not fade) any logos or images, but using elements from
your splash screen for the background is a great way to create a beautifully unified
look throughout your app. Choosing a complementary color scheme for your header
and accent features will give your app the sophistication your fans are looking
for.
Tip #5 – Preview your
app.
The background image appears on every page, including any
custom pages you create, so spend some time previewing your app to make sure the
pages are readable and looking the way you want. Remember, you can update your background
or change it out as much as you like, whenever you want to freshen up the
overall look of your app.
Here are some background examples
from various InstantEncore Partners to help inspire you.
To view the most detail, expand the slide deck to full screen.
Customizing a background image for your app is a small step in enhancing your mobile appearance, but it makes your content more approachable and contributes a unique visual environment. Users will undoubtedly notice and appreciate your attention to detail.
Customizing a background image for your app is a small step in enhancing your mobile appearance, but it makes your content more approachable and contributes a unique visual environment. Users will undoubtedly notice and appreciate your attention to detail.
Be creative, and have fun with your style! If you would like feedback or suggestions on your background image, send us an email. We're happy to help.
