People often use Zoom for work meetings and conference calls, but it doesn’t have to be all work and no play! You can create your own custom background image and stand out from the crowd while remaining professional.

Create a Custom Zoom Background
Professional designers can, of course, create their own Zoom backgrounds in software like Photoshop, but not all of us have that kind of talent. Luckily, there are online applications at your disposal that require little-to-no experience to use. Plus, a majority of them are free.

We’ll be using Canva. It’s extremely easy to use, has a free plan, provides a large library of images, and offers a ton of editing tools. Before you can use it, though, you’ll have to create an account. After you set that up, head over to Canva’s Zoom Virtual Background Maker and click “Create a Zoom Virtual Background.” You’ll now be in the “Templates” tab of the console. Here, you’ll find some custom images with text and special effects. You can also browse under the “Photos” tab to find an image you like and edit it. Most of these are free; if not, you’ll see the “Pro” label.

If you want to upload and use your own photo, just click the “Uploads” tab. Next, click “Upload an Image or Video,” and then drag one over from your desktop. It only takes a few seconds for your photo to upload. When it appears, click your image. Your image will appear on the canvas at the right and you can now freely edit it.

If you click the “Elements” tab, you’ll see stickers, charts, lines, gradients, and a bunch of other stuff you can use in your image. To resize an element, select it on the canvas, and then click and drag the corners. To move it, click and drag the entire element to the appropriate location.

You can also add content to your image under the “Text” tab. Here, you can explore different fonts, and add a heading, subheading, or some text to your image.

When you’re finished editing your image, click the Download icon at the top right. In the drop-down menu, select the file type you want to save your image as, and then choose a resolution. Click “Download” when you’re ready to save your background image. After your image downloads, you can use it as your Zoom background.

Use Your Custom Zoom Background
Now that you’ve created your custom background, let’s see what it looks like in Zoom. To do this, open the Zoom client on your Windows 10 PC or Mac. Click the Settings gear icon at the top right. In the settings window, click “Virtual Background.” In the “Choose Virtual Background” section, click the plus sign (+) to open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Navigate to your custom image on your computer and select it. Once it’s added to Zoom, it will appear in the background of all your video calls. You’ll now stand out from the crowd!

For more information on solutions for running your businesses’ technology more efficiently, visit our website or contact Megan Meisner at mmeisner@launchpadonline.com or 813 448-7100 x210.

This was originally posted by HowtoGeek.