I’m currently on a wallpaper binge. I gathered dozens of Google images with a resolution of 1290x1080 or higher. Using the drag-and-drop method, I placed the images in a Wallpaper folder I created on my Desktop. When I go to System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver to select and view them, they’re out of focus and pixelated. Is there another way to select the images without losing resolution?

Many times, dragging and dropping an image from Google search results without first loading the high-resolution version of the image will give you a lower-resolution “thumbnail” version instead. Then when your Mac enlarges it to fill your display, it looks pixelated.

Be sure to click Full-Size Image on the right side of the page.

Instead, click the image in the Google Images search results to be taken to the source page. On the right side of the page, you’ll see a frame that has a link to the original high-resolution image. After clicking “Full-size image,” you’ll be presented with the full-resolution version of the image. Drag this image to any Finder window to save it.

Dimensions in the More Info pane shows us this image has plenty of pixels to be a Desktop background.

To check the resolution of the images you have already saved, select an image in the Finder window and press Command-I, or right-click it and select Get Info. You’ll see the image’s dimensions in the More Info section of this dialog.

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