How to Make MacOS Terminal Beautiful With Background Image

Posted by Chaitanya Shahare on Thu, Dec 29, 2022

Introduction

MacOS’s default Terminal as of it is, is pretty boring and not very good to look at.

It’s just some text on a solid background.

The easiest way to customise your terminal is to add a background.

Following are the steps for the same:

Install Iterm2

Iterm2 is a terminal emulator, does everything the default Terminal does and more.

https://iterm2.com

Transparency

Iterm -> Preferences -> Profiles -> Window -> Transparency

Transparency Preferences screenshot

Full screen

Iterm Preferences -> General -> Window -> Native full screen windows

Uncheck it.

Full screen Preferences screenshot

Use Cmd + Return/Enter to get in the fullscreen mode.

Desktop Picture

Now just add a nice desktop picture and done.

You have a nice background for your terminal.

Other tips

  • Don’t open other apps on the desktop with Iterm for best look and feel.
  • Bind Iterm2 to a desktop & turn on desktop shortcuts in Keyboard -> Keyboard shortcuts -> Mission Control -> Switch to Desktop #

Binding app to desktop screenshot
Binding an app to a desktop

Desktop Keyboard Shortuts screenshot
Desktop Keyboard Shortuts

  • Refer my blog post on split panes here.

Final result

Final result screenshot