Do-It-Yourself iPhone/iTouch Theme Building

By: Karan Goel | 29th May 2010

Are we all destined to have the same old look for our iPhones, iTouches and iPads? Not at all.

iPhones, iTouches, and iPads have four “areas” that can be customized: wallpaper/background, icons, status bar, and dock. Herein, we will discuss only about the iPhone, but the strategy will be the very same for other devices as well.

But before we start the DIY, your iPhone must be jailbroken. (At the end of the article, you can find jailbreaking resources).

So, let’s get started.

1. A Wallpaper Image

If you want to create your own look, you can simply use Photoshop or Gimp to create a wallpaper image. Your final image should be saved as a PNG and should be 320px by 480px. You can use any image.

2. Icons

If you have images that you would like to use (faces of your kids, flowers, whatever), simply use Photoshop or Gimp to create PNG images that are 57px by 57px. Truly, anything can be made into an icon so long as it stays small.

3. Status Bar

Though there is only one place that offers status bars for download (iPhone Theme Generator), you can create your own very easily in Photoshop or Gimp. Your design should be simple (because the icons on the phone are tiny). My recommendation is to stick to only 2 colors. Save your image as a PNG that is 320px by 20px.

4. Dock Bar

iPhone Theme Generator is the only place that offers downloadable Dock bars, but you can make your own very easily in Photoshop or Gimp. Like the status bar, the design should be simple, so it is best to stick to one or two colors. Save your image as a PNG that is 320px by 91px.

5. Wait! And Check..

Now, before you move, check that

• All files should be saved as PNG
• Wallpaper = 320px by 480px
• Icons = 57px by 57px
• Status Bar = 320px by 20px
• Dock Bar = 320px by 91px

6. Install The Theme

Now, that you have all the material, and verified it, head over to this page to learn how to get your theme up on your iPhone.

Jailbreaking Resources

iClarified: Jailbreaking iPhone
RedmondPie: Jailbreak iPhone 3.1.3 with Redsn0w 0.9.4
AppleiPhoneReviews: iPhone Jailbreak: The Ultimate Guide