Windows Gallery: An open call for art and photography

Your photo or art here

More about themes

Overview

Guidelines

Show your work to an audience of millions

Millions of people a month come to the Windows Personalization Gallery to download themes and wallpapers for their desktops. Send us your art or photography, and we might use it in the gallery, either as a wallpaper (a standalone desktop image) or a full theme (a set of desktop images and colors).

This is your chance to get your work and your name in front of a global audience while retaining full rights to all your images.

Here's how to send us your work:

First, please review the guidelines to make sure what you're sending is the right size, the right format, and is appropriate for our site.
Send us your work in email. Attach one image per email. If you send five pictures, send five emails.
Don't zip or compress your art.
Include this info, in English, in each email:
- Your name (how you want to be credited)
- A brief description of your art or photo
- Your preferred contact email name
- The address of your website, if you have one
Click the Submit button below (this will launch your email program if you have one), or just use this address: winpgal@microsoft.com. By emailing your work to this address, you agree to the Terms of Use.
Still have questions? Check out the frequently asked questions.

Need ideas?

Seasons: Show the transition from one season to another, or celebrate a single season.
Water: Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, dewdrops on a leaf, raindrops on a window pane. Use your imagination to bring this liquid element to life.
Natural beauty: Whether it’s your neighborhood park down the street or the magnificent national park you visited on vacation, share your photos of the loveliest places on Earth.
Animals: From cute kitties to fierce wolves, animals have proven to be very popular with Windows users.
Monsters, dragons, and magical creatures: Including but not limited to pixies, gnomes, dryads, zombies, dragons, giant squid, werewolves, and aliens.

These are just suggestions. The sky is the limit. Let your imagination run wild.

By submitting your photo or art to Windows Personalization Gallery, you agree to these Terms of Use.

Submit

Guidelines

To be considered for the Windows gallery, your photo or artwork must:

Have been created by you. You must own the copyright on it, and it must not infringe on the copyright, trademark, or intellectual property of another party.
Be at least 1920 pixels wide by 1200 pixels tall, at 96 dots per inch (dpi). Images can be larger than this, but must not be smaller. JPEG format is preferred, but you can also send GIFs, BMPs, or PNGs.
Not include advertising or promotional messages.
Be clean, uncontroversial, inoffensive, and family-friendly.

No photography, artwork, or text will be accepted into the Windows Gallery if it:

Is obscene, sexually suggestive, profane, or vulgar.
Contains nudity.
Depicts cruelty to people or animals.
Depicts realistic violence or gore.
References or depicts the use of illegal drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, or chewing tobacco.
References or depicts gambling.
Promotes the purchase or sale of ammunition or firearms.
Is illegal or promotes illegal activity, or if it violates any applicable local and national laws.
Is offensive, discriminatory, or perpetuates a negative stereotype based on considerations of race, national origin, gender, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation; or if it incites, advocates, or expresses obscenity, hatred, or bigotry.
Threatens, stalks, defames, defrauds, degrades, victimizes, or intimidates any individual or group of individuals for any reason.
Misrepresents the source of anything posted or uploaded, including impersonation of another individual or entity.
Disparages any company or its products, including Microsoft or Microsoft products.
Is intended to harm or exploit minors—or anyone else—in any way.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some answers to questions you might have about submitting your art and photography to the Windows gallery.

Show all

Is there a limit to how many images I can submit?

Yes. Please limit your submissions to ten or fewer images. We'll let you know if we want to see more. And remember: Please attach only one image to each email. If you're sending five images, send five emails.

What happens if my work is chosen?

If we choose your photo or artwork, it will either be included in a Windows 7 theme in the gallery, or showcased on the Desktop Backgrounds page, or both.

Will I be notified?

We'll do our best to contact each person whose work is chosen, but we can't guarantee this. We will not contact anyone whose work isn't chosen.

Will I be credited?

Yes. You will be credited in one or more of the following locations:

On the feature page of the theme your image is included in
In the JPEG metadata of your image
Visibly on your image, in the lower-right corner

Do I retain the copyright on my work?

Yes, the copyright on your art or photograph still belongs to you. You give Microsoft permission to post your photo or artwork in the gallery, but you are still the owner of the copyright on it.

Will you modify my image?

We will not significantly alter your image. We will not, for example, cut out or erase details or composite it with other images. However, we might make the following minor modifications:

Cropping and/or scaling your image so that it matches our size and dpi specifications (1920 x 1200 pixels at 96 dpi).
Changing the format of the image to JPEG, if it is not in that format already.
Minor optimizations such as making a dull or dark photograph brighter and clearer, making a horizon-line level, or making colors look naturally saturated.
Adding your credit to the image, if you have not added a credit or signature to it already.

What if I want to submit an entire theme of my own art or photography?

If you submit enough images that we think would make a good theme, we may choose to do an entire theme devoted to your work. It is more likely, however, that we’ll accept only one or two images per person. In this case, images by multiple artists or photographers that are on a similar topic or in a similar style could be combined together in a theme.

What will you do with my personal information?

We will credit you, but we will never share or publicize your email contact information.

If I change my mind later, can I get my photo or art removed from the gallery?

Yes. If you change your mind, send an email to Windows Personalization Gallery with the word “REMOVE” in the title line. Include the following information and we will remove your image from the Windows Personalization Gallery worldwide within 60 days of receiving your request:

Your full name.
A copy of the image you want removed. It does not need to be full size, just large enough to help us identify the image.
The email name you used when submitting the image, if you are using a different one now.
Optionally, the reason why you want the image removed.

Terms of Use

LICENSE. By submitting your photograph, image, or artwork (“Image”) to Microsoft, you grant to Microsoft (including its subsidiaries and affiliates) a worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up, perpetual license, in and in relation to, personalization services and features in the Windows operating system products (e.g. Windows themes and backgrounds) and any related Microsoft websites, the Windows Personalization Gallery, and any marketing and advertising materials for such personalization services and features: (a) to copy, use, and to create derivative works based on the Image; (b) to publicly perform and display copies of and derivative works based on the Image; and (c) to distribute and license copies of and derivative works based on the Image to Microsoft customers for their personal use (“License”). You unconditionally waive: all enforcement of any moral rights and similar rights that you may have in the Image, worldwide; and any right to inspect or approve the form in which the Image may be used, and you hereby consent to any alteration to, including additions to, or deletions from the Image that would otherwise violate any moral right or similar right if done without your consent.
NO OBLIGATION. Microsoft is not obligated to use the Image in any way, and may stop using the Image at any time, for any reason or no reason. Microsoft will not be liable for any damages for deciding not to use (or from ceasing to use) the Image and will solely determine the location in which the Image may be used.
ATTRIBUTION. You grant to Microsoft (including its subsidiaries and affiliates) the right to use your name, image, likeness, or any combination of these, to identify you as the artist who created the Image (collectively, “Attribution”). If Microsoft, its subsidiaries, or affiliates use the Image, they may make Attribution at their discretion, and will solely determine the placement, prominence, format, and length of time for its display and publication.
NO MONETARY COMPENSATION. You acknowledge that you have no expectation of any compensation (monetary or otherwise) for the rights granted to Microsoft, and its subsidiaries and affiliates, under these Terms of Use or the use of the Image (and any photographs or content in any Attribution).
INADVERTENT DISPLAY. If Microsoft inadvertently displays, publishes, or performs the Image as part of a Microsoft product or website not included in the License set forth in section 1 above, you will send written notice to Microsoft and Microsoft will use commercially reasonable efforts to remove the Image from such Microsoft product or website. You agree that this shall be your sole remedy for such inadvertent display of the Image.
ASSISTANCE. At the expense of Microsoft, you will execute and deliver instruments and take other actions that Microsoft may reasonably request to allow it fully to enjoy the rights granted under these Terms of Use.
PUBLICITY. Except as stated in §§1 and 3, neither party will communicate with the press or public regarding this License and these Terms of Use without the other’s prior consent.
WARRANTIES. You warrant and covenant that: (a) you are the copyright owner of the Image, (b) you have full power and authority to grant the rights and licenses under these Terms of Use; (c) distribution and use of the Image, as permitted under these Terms of Use, does not infringe any third-party intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other proprietary right or break any law in the country where the Image was created, or require the approval, review, or payment of compensation to any person; and (d) you had all rights necessary and relevant to any person depicted in the Image in order to create the Image.
DISCLAIMERS; EXCLUSIONS; LIMITATIONS. Subject to §8, neither party makes any warranties (express, implied, or otherwise), including implied warranties of merchantability, non-infringement, fitness for a particular purpose, or title, related to its performance or anything else provided under these Terms of Use. Neither party will be liable for any special, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages of any kind for any reason whatsoever relating to the Image, any Attribution, or the License, even if such damages were reasonably foreseeable. Microsoft and its subsidiaries and affiliates’ total liability under these Terms of Use will not exceed US $500.
TERMINATION; EFFECT OF TERMINATION. Either party may terminate the License at any time upon 60 days written notice to the other party. Microsoft will cease making the Image available as soon as commercially practicable after the end of the 60-day written notice period. Sections 9, 10, and 11 will survive termination of this License. For the avoidance of doubt, Microsoft customers’ rights to the Image distributed to such customers before the expiration or termination of this License will survive expiration or termination of this License.
NOTICE. All notices under these Terms of Use will be: (i) in writing; (ii) in English (unless otherwise required); (iii) deemed given when received; (iv) sent by email, delivery service, messenger, or registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested); (v) if by email, sent to winpgal@microsoft.com; or if by physical mail, sent to “Attn: Program Manager, Windows 7 Themes, Microsoft” (with a fax copy to Legal ' Corporate Affairs at (425) 936-7329).
JURISDICTION AND VENUE. These Terms of Use are governed by Washington law, and the parties consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the King County Federal or State courts.