Background Maker
Create a colorful wallpaper online for your desktop, phone, or even as an Instagram story background.
Use a Popular Palette
Click on any palettes below to use them in the background maker.
How to Make a Background
Making your own background takes four steps:
- Pick a style, from a smooth gradient or soft mesh to triangles, particles, waves, stripes, or a solid color.
- Choose your colors (2 to 9), or hit the shuffle button for a fresh set of matching colors.
- Set the size to match where it is going, like a desktop wallpaper, a phone screen, or a square social post.
- Adjust the style options and add grain if you like, then download a full-resolution PNG, free and with no sign-up.
Background Styles
Each style turns the same set of colors into a completely different look:
- Gradient blends your colors into one smooth transition. The classic, clean background.
- Mesh places a soft, blurred blob of each color around the canvas for a modern, airy look.
- Palette uses hard stops between colors for bold, blocky color fields.
- Triangles scatters low-poly triangles across the canvas for a faceted, geometric feel.
- Particles connects floating dots into a network pattern, drawn on your darkest color.
- Waves flows your colors into soft, layered wave shapes.
- Stripes fills angled lines with a gradient for a striped, dynamic look.
- Solid fills the whole background with a single color from your palette.
Picking the Right Size
The size you choose decides where your background will look its best:
- Widescreen (1920 x 1080) for desktop and laptop wallpapers, slides, and video backgrounds.
- 4K (3840 x 2160) for extra sharpness on large or high-resolution displays.
- Ultrawide (3440 x 1440) for 21:9 ultrawide monitors.
- Phone (1080 x 1920) for phone wallpapers, lock screens, and Instagram or TikTok stories.
- Square (1080 x 1080) for profile backgrounds and feed posts.
- Portrait (1080 x 1350), the 4:5 size used for portrait posts on Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the background maker free?
Yes. Every background is free to create and download as a high-resolution PNG, with no account or sign-up required.
What file format do I get?
Backgrounds download as PNG images at the resolution you select, ready to set as a wallpaper or drop into a design.
Can I use my backgrounds commercially?
Yes. You generate each background from your own color choices, so you are free to use the results in personal and commercial projects.
How do I change the colors?
Use the color circles below the preview. Click one to change it, add colors with the plus button (up to 9), remove the last one with the minus button, or hit shuffle for a new set. The preview updates live.
Can I make a phone wallpaper?
Yes. Set the size to Phone (1080 x 1920) and download. The PNG is saved at that full resolution, so it stays crisp on screen.
Where do the popular palettes come from?
The palettes lower on this page are community favorites from ColorKit. Click any one to load it straight into the maker as a starting point.