I Forbid You
I formally forbid you from using one of the Twitter default backgrounds when you set up your profile. Unless you’re a solid green in support of Iran, you should absolutely have a custom background- it’s free advertising space on one of the most highly ranked sites in the world. I highly recommend hiring a graphic designer to create a custom image for your background with at least your website URL featured. This is great opportunity for branding as well as prime real estate to point viewers toward your other social networking efforts.
In the Meantime
If you’re not going to hire a graphic designer and your logo isn’t very sexy (sidenote: a tiny logo tiled across the page is ugly a sin), below are five sources for pimping out your Twitter wallpaper. On some of these sites, you have to dig to get to the good stuff, but it’s better than your solid color wasted opportunity!
Matt Stigliano
June 29, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Lani – Great…one more thing for me to do! I’ve been swearing I’d get around to mine, but have yet to do it. Now I have no excuse.
Ilene Haddad
June 29, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Uh-oh, I’d better get to work…
Jason Sandquist
June 29, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I’m very happy with my ‘solid color waste of opportunity’! 🙂
Ben Goheen
June 30, 2009 at 1:10 am
doesn’t get much more pimped out than this: https://www.twitter.com/bgoheen Boom!
Michelle DeRepentigny
June 30, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I had a “friend” tell me my background was too busy. Still trying to decide if I believe them or not, I’m open to thoughts & suggestions.
Jason Sandquist
June 30, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Whatever you choose to do, just don’t end up on this list!
sorry @bennrosales, I know how much you hate links in the comments
(h/t @andykaufman)
MIssy Caulk
July 1, 2009 at 10:24 am
You always send me a way to try something. 🙂
Ian Greenleigh
July 1, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Lani-
Great advice. Another thing to do (what I did recently) is to create your background using photoshop, illustrator, or similar program. It’s important to get the dimensions correct. Twitter likes 1440 pixels x 1000 px.