Step 1: Find your masterpiece
For best results, you’ll want your pic to be a rectangular shape, wider than it is tall. The final image is going to be this shape, so the closer it is to that, the better. Once you’ve found your masterpiece, save it to your desktop.

Step 2: Load up your image editor
If you already have an image editor of choice, then fire it up. If your computer is equipped with only the most basic of image software, you’ll need to get something a little more powerful. We’d recommend GIMP, available freely over the net for both PC and Mac. Don’t worry, it’s more innocent that it sounds.

Step 3: Finding the right size
Exactly what size you want your image of choice to end up depends on which Android handset you have. Most current Android phones use a resolution of 320×480 pixels, which prefers wallpapers 640 pixels long and 480 pixels high, but some newer handsets like the Nexus One have upped their resolution to 480×800 pixels. If that’s the case, you’ll want to end up with an image that’s 960 pixels wide by 800 pixels high.

Step 4: Sizing up
Which dimension you change first will depend on whether your image is too square compared to this ideal size, or too wide. If it’s too wide, you’ll want to set the height of the image to our desired size, and if it’s too squat you’ll want to do the same to the width. Load up the image into GIMP and then select Scale Image under the Image menu. From here you’ll be able to set the required dimension. Make sure this scaling function is set to keep the aspect ratio – in GIMP, just click the chain icon so that it’s linked together.

Step 5: Chopping down
Select Canvas Size under the same Image menu we used before, and type in the figure decided back in Step 3 on the edge that’s not yet been touched. You’ll be able to choose which part of the image you’ll crop too, which might come in handy if there’s an important part of it right by the edge.

Step 6: Finishing up
You should now have a roughly optimised image. Beautiful, no? Save this image to your desktop once more. We’d recommend using a different file name from before, just in case it turns out that something’s gone wrong along the way.

Step 7: Beaming up
Now that you’ve got your image, you just need to get it transported over to your phone. If your computer has Bluetooth, this is the easiest way to do it. Or just send yourself an email, with the final image included as an attachment. Then, just retrieve it from your email using your Android phone.

Step 8: Slapping it on
Almost there. Once the image is on your phone, you just have to find it. Head over to the built-in gallery and select your wallpaper image. The last step may vary if you have a very new version of the Android OS, but not by too much. Press the menu button, then select ‘More’ from the options, which will bring up a ‘Set as’ button.  Tap this and you’ll be shown the option to set the image as your wallpaper. Now, just sit back with a glass of lemonade and marvel at how artistic you are.