How to: Customize your Twitter Background with an “Intro Pitch” (Photoshop)

• Tweet

• Tweet

Having a great customized Twitter background is akin to dressing fashionably; the latter gets you a great first impression and the former, more followers.

The purpose of customization is to have something that is entirely your own.

Bumping into somebody wearing the same thing as you on the streets can be equally awkward as having the exact same Twitter background as somebody else. To avoid all that, a few creative minds came up with the idea of adding an “Intro Pitch” to their Twitter background.

Intro Pitch

An “Intro Pitch” allows Twitters to introduce themselves, put a picture and link their profiles to other social media tools. A brilliant idea isn’t it?

Before you scurry to design your own “Intro Pitch”, I have pre-empted some problems you might encounter and came up with a short cut for you.

The Design and the Fit

As with clothes, first we need to make sure we pick the kick ass design and also the right fit. There are the standard sizes such as S and L but it is not only until we try them on that we know if the fit is perfect for us.

I have no problems with your taste in background designs but I can definitely help you out with the fitting. To get that perfect fit, it usually requires precise measurements and a great deal of trial and error, especially with so many different screen resolutions to observe.

How the Dimensions can affect your “Intro Pitch”

Screen resolutions differ depending on your viewers’ computers. If your viewers’ screen/browser window is too small, your full background might not be displayed, resulting in an out-of-line profile. To have a rough gauge on what exactly viewers are seeing on smaller screens/windows, drag your own browser window in and out to simulate different screen sizes while you are on Twitter.

The common screen resolutions for laptops are 1024 x 768 pixels and 1280 x 800 pixels, and for monitors it is typically 1280 x 1024 pixels.

Viewed on 1024 x 768 pixels when browser is maximized on screen

Viewed on 1280 x 1024 pixels when browser is maximized on screen

After understanding the importance of finding the right dimensions for your Twitter background, you are just 3 steps away from your finished work!

Step 1: Setting the right Dimensions

Before you start designing the background, set appropriate dimensions to avoid any possible misalignment in your profile. After several experiments, below are the best dimensions that should fit in all probable situations.

Step 2: Set your ‘Intro Pitch’ Area

Now you have to decide the placement of your “Intro Pitch”. It was definitely not Twitter’s intention to give us much space for creativity but we can work with the limitations.

Firstly, with more space on the left, I would personally prefer to place my ‘intro pitch’ at the left column.

Next, drag 2 guide lines to set the boundaries for your ‘Intro Pitch’ area.
- 20 mm, from top to align with Twitter’s logo
- 80 mm, from left to ensure your “Intro Pitch” is viewable on all 1280 x 1024 pixels

You should have something like this:

Step 3: Design your ‘Intro Pitch’

Having an ‘Intro Pitch’ does not impress others unless it is well written and designed. An accessory should only be worn if it adds a certain touch to the outfit. If you are going to have a lousy ‘Intro Pitch’, then save yourself the embarrassment and the pain of a back fired response.

One thing you must not do is to turn your introduction into a History lesson. If I recalled correctly, few enjoyed the subject back in the school days. People are not at all interested in reading every single thing that happened in your past. Create a short and punchy introduction and make sure it is consistent with your one line biography.