Now we are ready for the really weird part. I am not clear on the exact how and why, but for the startscreens to work properly, they need to be stretched completely out of proportion. Windows will automatically compress it back to normal, so if you started with something with the right aspect ratio, it would end up looking squished. Resize the image to 320 x 400. Be careful doing this as most graphic editors will try and resize proportionately, giving you an image that is 640 x 400. There is always a check box or something that you can set for this function. In IrfanView 32, there is checkbox labeled Preserve Aspect Ratio.

Here is how mine looks:

You are now ready to proceed to Step Four.

Please note: This tutorial assumes that you are familiar with the process of creating the original artwork. This is not a guide to using graphics programs.

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©1999 Timothy Tobin