Awesome Vector Fireworks
![9.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F10/C43P/F3SYP3HB/F10C43PF3SYP3HB.jpg&filename=9.jpg)
These groovy firework desktop images will make even the blandest beige box look awesome!
Get Your Materials (Software, That Is)
Let's Get Started!
![1.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F48/2PQ4/F3SYP3HG/F482PQ4F3SYP3HG.jpg&filename=1.jpg)
![2.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F0Q/KYDR/F3SYP3HD/F0QKYDRF3SYP3HD.jpg&filename=2.jpg)
![3.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F4K/0Z3G/F3SYP3HJ/F4K0Z3GF3SYP3HJ.jpg&filename=3.jpg)
First things first: get your image. I used a large-ish (2048 x 1536) image that I took at this year's local fireworks display. Open it up in GIMP, and choose the Select By Color tool. I usually set the threshold around 75. Click on an area in the region of sky around the firework and type Ctrl + X. On a Windows machine, this will remove the region. You should be left with a colorful firework in a region of strange lightness. Not to worry.
Ready, Set, FLIP!
![4.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F3Z/ACP2/F3SYP3HF/F3ZACP2F3SYP3HF.jpg&filename=4.jpg)
![6.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FRY/OKBV/F3SYP3HC/FRYOKBVF3SYP3HC.jpg&filename=6.jpg)
![7.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FQM/H5Z3/F3SYP3HA/FQMH5Z3F3SYP3HA.jpg&filename=7.jpg)
![8.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FM4/B0OD/F3SYP3HE/FM4B0ODF3SYP3HE.jpg&filename=8.jpg)
Mouse over to Filters > Colors > Invert Values. Now you've got something that looks like a negative. From here, click Layer > Colors > Color Balance and play around with the values until you've got something interesting. I was going for a blue image, so I moved the sliders to Cyan and Blue.
Save Your Work!
![9.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/F10/C43P/F3SYP3HB/F10C43PF3SYP3HB.jpg&filename=9.jpg)
Now move the image to where you'd like it to be in the final product. Since all of my icons are on the left-hand side of my desktop, I put the image on the right so it wouldn't be obscured. Now save it as .bmp. The .bmp file extension will become very important in a moment.
STOP...Vector Time
![10.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FJX/5BF1/F3SYP3HI/FJX5BF1F3SYP3HI.jpg&filename=10.jpg)
![11.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FY7/OJPP/F3SYP3HH/FY7OJPPF3SYP3HH.jpg&filename=11.jpg)
![13.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FX0/TTJV/F3SYP3KY/FX0TTJVF3SYP3KY.jpg&filename=13.jpg)
![12.jpg](/proxy/?url=https://content.instructables.com/FFN/GNUZ/F3SYP3H9/FFNGNUZF3SYP3H9.jpg&filename=12.jpg)
Open up Inkscape and pull up the file you just saved. Select the image and mouse to Path > Trace Bitmap. Now change the settings in the dialog box. First, select the checkbox marked Colors, then change the number of passes to 3. Clicking OK should start the trace - be patient as this may take a while depending on your machine. Once it's done, you've got a groovy vector image. Save this image as a .svg file, then open the .svg in GIMP and save as a .bmp or .jpg. Set your background to this new .bmp or .jpg, and your desktop is looking groovier than ever!
Trust me, it looks much better on a screen larger than the Instructables viewer. Try it on your desktop and see!
- DE
Trust me, it looks much better on a screen larger than the Instructables viewer. Try it on your desktop and see!
- DE