# iPad wallpaper size and how to make one that fits [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/ipad-wallpaper) An iPad turns, and its wallpaper has to fill the screen both ways up. That changes the size you should make it. Here is how to find your model's numbers, why a square works, and what to put on it. ## The short version - iPad screens differ in resolution by model, so the exact iPad wallpaper size depends on which iPad you have. - Because an iPad rotates, a wallpaper that fills the screen in both portrait and landscape needs to be a square at least as wide as the screen's longest edge. - You can find your iPad's model under Settings, General, About, and its native screen resolution on Apple's technical specifications page for that model. - Keep the important part of an iPad wallpaper in the centre, because the edges are cropped differently in portrait and landscape. - Save iPad wallpapers as PNG for gradients and flat colour, so blends stay smooth on a high density screen. The right **iPad wallpaper size** is a square whose sides match your iPad's longest screen edge in pixels. An iPad rotates, and the wallpaper has to fill the screen in portrait and in landscape, so a square covers both. Find your model under Settings, General, About, look up its native resolution on Apple's technical specifications page, take the larger of the two numbers, and make a square at that size or a little larger. Keep anything important in the centre, because each orientation crops a different pair of edges. ## How to find your iPad's screen size in pixels There is no single iPad wallpaper size: iPad mini, iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro each have their own resolution, and they have changed between generations. Guessing gets you a wallpaper that is soft or oddly cropped. It takes two minutes to find the real numbers. 1. **Find your model** Open Settings, General, About. Note the model name, for example iPad Air (M2) or iPad Pro 11 inch. 2. **Look up its specifications** Search Apple's support site for that model's technical specifications. The Display section lists the resolution, such as width by height pixels. 3. **Take the longer number** Whichever of the two numbers is larger is your screen's long edge. That is the side of your square. A quick check: take a screenshot and look at its dimensions in Photos, since screenshots are saved at the screen's full resolution. 4. **Add a little room** Make the square slightly larger than the long edge, so any small zoom on the home or lock screen never shows an edge. > **Why we don't list sizes here** Apple changes iPad screens from one generation to the next. Your model's own specification page is the only source that is always right, so use the numbers from there. ## Why a square iPad wallpaper fits both ways Most iPad screens are somewhere between 4:3 and about 3:2, depending on the model. Held upright, the screen is tall; turned sideways, it is wide. A wallpaper made exactly to the portrait size would leave gaps in landscape, so iPadOS scales it up and crops it. A square as wide as the long edge already covers both shapes, so nothing needs to be enlarged. - iPad portrait, about 3:4: 3 × 4 - iPad landscape, about 4:3: 4 × 3 - Square wallpaper 1:1: 1 × 1 The two shapes an iPad shows, and the square that covers both. Portrait crops the left and right of the square; landscape crops the top and bottom. The practical rule that follows: the centre of the square is the only area always on screen. Put any shape, word or bright spot of colour there, and treat the outer band on all four sides as background that may or may not be visible. ## Where the clock, widgets and icons sit On the lock screen, the time and date sit towards the top and notifications gather beneath them. On the home screen, app icons, widgets and the dock cover most of the image. That suits calm, even wallpapers far better than detailed photos: a busy picture fights every icon, while a soft gradient lets labels read and still gives the iPad a personality. [Lock screen wallpaper ideas](https://gradiently.design/guide/lock-screen-wallpaper) goes further into designing around the clock. A square iPad wallpaper with the words Slow mornings set small in the centre of a soft gradient A square wallpaper with a short line at the centre, the one area visible in both orientations. A square iPad wallpaper with a calm gradient and a short line of text in the middle The same square idea with a different Mark: calm everywhere, so icons stay readable. ## iPad wallpaper ideas that suit a big screen An iPad screen is large enough that a wallpaper becomes part of the room, especially on a stand or in a keyboard case. Styles that work well: - **A slow vertical gradient** that stays pleasant both ways up, because it changes gently in every direction. - **A radial glow at the centre** on a dark ground, so the light is visible whichever way the iPad turns. - **Paper or grain textures** for note taking and drawing, which make the screen feel less glassy. - **A colour matched to your case or keyboard,** for a set that looks deliberate. - **One word in the centre,** small, as a quiet reminder of what the iPad is for. - Centre glow, violet: `radial-gradient(circle at 50% 50%, #a78bfa 0%, #4c1d95 40%, #0f0a1f 80%)` - Centre glow, amber: `radial-gradient(circle at 50% 50%, #fde68a 0%, #f59e0b 30%, #431407 85%)` - Mint wash: `linear-gradient(180deg, #ecfdf5 0%, #a7f3d0 50%, #34d399 100%)` - Soft grey for notes: `radial-gradient(circle at 50% 50%, #f8fafc 0%, #e2e8f0 50%, #94a3b8 100%)` Gradients centred on the middle of the square, so the important part survives both crops. Copy the code into any tool that accepts CSS. ## How to make and set your own iPad wallpaper Any design tool that accepts a custom canvas size will do. In Gradiently's Studio you can set a custom size from 200 to 8,000 pixels, which comfortably covers an iPad's long edge, and start from a wallpaper template. Exports at full resolution without a watermark need Pro; a free 720p export would look soft on an iPad. Design in a Mark and the background renders crisply at whatever square you choose. ### Avoid - A phone wallpaper stretched onto an iPad - Important detail near the edges - Low resolution images that turn soft - Heavy JPEG compression on gradients ### Do - A square at your model's long edge or larger - Everything that matters in the centre - Full resolution from the start - PNG, with a touch of grain on gradients To set it, save the image to Photos, then open Settings, Wallpaper, and add a new wallpaper from your photo. Turn the iPad both ways on the lock screen and the home screen before you settle. Save as PNG so gradients stay smooth; [PNG vs JPEG](https://gradiently.design/guide/png-vs-jpeg) explains why, and [gradient banding](https://gradiently.design/guide/gradient-banding) covers the fix if you see stripes. For your other screens, see [phone wallpaper size](https://gradiently.design/guide/phone-wallpaper-size) and [desktop wallpapers](https://gradiently.design/guide/desktop-wallpaper-ideas); one look across all three is easy once you have the colours. ## FAQ ### What size should an iPad wallpaper be? A square at least as wide as your iPad's longest screen edge in pixels, so it fills the screen in portrait and landscape. Find the resolution on your model's specification page. ### Why does my iPad wallpaper look zoomed in? The image is smaller than the screen or the wrong shape, so iPadOS enlarges it to fill both orientations. Make a larger square version. ### How do I find my iPad's screen resolution? Check the model in Settings, General, About, then look up that model's technical specifications on Apple's support site, which list the display resolution. ### Should an iPad wallpaper be portrait or landscape? Neither: a square works best, because the iPad shows the wallpaper in both orientations and crops a different pair of edges in each.