September In All Its Facets (2020 Wallpapers Edition) — Smashing Magazine

Community-Made Desktop Art for September 2020

The September edition of our monthly wallpaper series is here, continuing a tradition that has run for over nine years. Artists and designers from around the world have contributed original artwork for the new month, each taking a different creative approach — whether through illustration, lettering, or photography.

As always, the collection is built on creative freedom: contributors choose their own themes and techniques without editorial direction. Every wallpaper is available in versions with and without a calendar, suitable for a wide range of screen resolutions, and free to download.

Getting the Wallpapers

• Click any preview image to see the full-size design.
• All files come in calendar and no-calendar variants.
• Supported resolutions range from 320x480 up to 2560x1440.

Featured Design: Terrazzo

Melissa Bogemans from Belgium crafted a terrazzo pattern wallpaper, designed to bring a bright accent to your desktop as summer winds down.

Downloads for this design are available in both calendar and no-calendar formats across all standard resolutions.

Submit Your Work for October

Are you interested in seeing your own design featured in an upcoming post? The call is open for October submissions. If you have a wallpaper concept in mind, the team would love to see it. Join in! →

Seasonal Scenes for Your Screen

September arrives with a mix of moods: the reflective calm of autumn settling in, the lingering warmth of summer sunsets, and a hopeful glance toward what comes next. The wallpapers below capture those distinct feelings, offered in a range of resolutions and always available with or without a September calendar overlay.

September Vibes

PopArt Studio from Serbia channels the atmosphere of early autumn — school mornings, crisp air, and the quiet rituals of the season. The design evokes falling leaves and the serene, contemplative character of the month, a reminder of the gentle transition into fall.

The wallpaper comes in both calendar and no-calendar versions, sized from 320x480 up to 2560x1440. A preview image is also available for a quick look before downloading.

Sunset Paradise

Designer Anh Nguyet Tran from Vietnam offers a burst of color with a sunset-themed design. The accompanying quote, “Spin me a sunset paradise; Make it glisten in the sun; Give out love and happiness,” sets a warm, optimistic tone. With its bright palette, this one leans into the last golden days of summer rather than the muted tones of fall.

File options include a JPG preview and multiple resolutions, with calendar and no-calendar variants spanning 1280x800 through 2560x1440.

Better Days Ahead

Andrew from Portugal supplies a simple but timely message for September: “A hopeful message we all need right now.” The design pairs that sentiment with a clean, direct visual approach, making it a fitting choice for a month that often feels like a fresh start.

Available in PNG format, the wallpaper can be downloaded with or without a calendar. The size range covers smaller phone screens at 320x480 as well as standard desktop resolutions like 1920x1080 and widescreen displays at 2560x1440.

Marking The Shift To Autumn

LibraFire, a designer from Serbia, captures the transition between seasons with a wallpaper that leans into the contrast of late-summer warmth and early-autumn evenings. The artwork is titled “Changing Of The Seasons.”

Available resolutions:

• Preview
• With calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
• Without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

An Invitation To Roam

Ricardo Gimenes, working from Sweden, contributes a piece that encourages a spirit of adventure. The design, titled “Never Stop Exploring,” is built around a message that fits both desktop and mobile displays, with a 3840x2160 option available alongside the usual lineup.

Available resolutions:

• Preview
• With calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160
• Without calendar: 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440, 3840x2160

Ampersands for Everyone

Erin Ptah’s design pairs National Ampersand Day with Celebrate Bisexuality Day to create a piece full of “&” symbols in a variety of styles. The artwork is meant to highlight the happy, valid relationships that bi people can have with anyone, regardless of shape, size, gender, or orientation. The flag pairings shown are not exhaustive but do include bi, LGBTQ, asexual, intersex, nonbinary, and transgender flags, among others.

Available in multiple resolutions, with or without a calendar. Preview.

Download Options

• With calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2133x1200, 2560x1440
• Without calendar: 320x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1280x720, 1280x960, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1440, 2133x1200, 2560x1440

A Toast to the Weekend

Robert’s submission takes a more relaxed approach, acknowledging that many of us are still staying in this summer. The wallpaper looks forward to the weekend and the chance to enjoy drinks with friends, a simple pleasure worth celebrating.

Offered with and without a calendar in the following dimensions. Preview.

Download Options

• With calendar: 320x480, 1024x1024, 1280x720, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 2560x1440
• Without calendar: 320x480, 1024x1024, 1280x720, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 2560x1440

Honoring Grandparents

Ever Increasing Circles uses the September 13 observance of National Grandparents Day as its theme. The design serves as a reminder to thank grandparents for the love, care, and guidance they provide from our earliest days through adulthood.

The wallpaper is available in a range of resolutions, both with and without a calendar. Preview.

Download Options

• With calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
• Without calendar: 320x480, 640x480, 800x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

Motivational Art for the New Season

This wallpaper carries a straightforward push to keep creating, even when self-doubt creeps in. Designed by Hitesh Puri from New Delhi, India, it pairs a bold message with a clean, focused layout that works well on a desk or laptop screen.

The design is available in versions with and without a calendar, so you can pick whichever fits your workflow. Calendar editions keep the month at a glance, while the no-calendar option gives you an uncluttered background.

Download options:

• With calendar: 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440
• Without calendar: 1152x864, 1280x720, 1280x800, 1280x960, 1280x1024, 1400x1050, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1680x1200, 1920x1080, 1920x1200, 1920x1440, 2560x1440

No matter which resolution fits your display, the message stays front and center: don’t let anyone else define your potential. It is a small daily reminder to get out there and prove the doubters wrong.

From the Archives: September Classics

Some wallpapers earn a permanent place on our screens. This selection of past September favorites captures the season in all its moods — nostalgic, playful, and nature-driven. These designs are available without calendar overlays, so they work well beyond the month itself.

Finding Jaguar

A tribute to nature conservation from PopArt Studio, Serbia, dedicated to Vedran Badjun of Dalmatia, Croatia. The designers note that humanity's relationship with the planet is fragile, and the piece encourages living in harmony with the natural world.

• Preview

Flower Soul

Designer Krishnankutty from India offers a gentle reminder to pause and appreciate the world's natural rhythms — the breeze, the flowers, the butterflies — as an antidote to daily stress.

Autumn Rains

PopArt Studio returns with a welcoming embrace of cooler, wetter days. The message: with the right gear, rain deserves a warm reception rather than dread.

Maryland Pride

Designed by The Hannon Group from Washington DC, this piece honors Maryland's blue crab — a regional staple since the 1700s and the state's most valuable fishery. With over 455 million crabs in the Chesapeake Bay, the blue crab was named the official State Crustacean in 1989.

Fresh Breeze

Bryan Van Mechelen from Belgium looks ahead to autumn's cooler air, a welcome reprieve from the heat of summer.

Summer Collapsed Into Fall

Mindster from India captures the moment when leaves begin to turn and fall, celebrating the season with a poetic nod to "falling in love with fall."

Summer Ending

Ana Masnikosa from Belgrade, Serbia, depicts the transition as creatures retreat inward, dreaming of adventures under the fading dog days of the season.

Funny Cats

UrbanUI from India celebrates the furry companions that are quiet, clean, and endlessly entertaining — a tribute to the cats that share our homes.

Do You Remember?

Brian Frolo from Cleveland, Ohio, draws inspiration from Earth, Wind & Fire's upbeat classic. He notes the tune's bright energy contrasts sharply with September's turn toward the dormant season. The autumn equinox falls on the 22nd this year, a liberty the design takes with the song's lyric — a date co-writer Allee Willis has said carries no special meaning, quipping in an NPR interview that the line just "sang better."

Bear Time

A design by Bojana Stojanovic from Serbia with no accompanying artist statement.

Cheerful September

Ciara from India aimed for a colorful and vibrant look to match the month's energy.

National Video Games Day Delight

Ever Increasing Circles from the United Kingdom marks September 12th's National Video Games Day. What began as home-based 2D play has evolved into a global, competitive online phenomenon, and this design urges players to grab a controller and join the fun.

Listen Closer… The Mushrooms Are Growing…

Igor Izhik from Canada references the seasonal shift when children head back to school and grown-ups head to the forest for mushroom foraging.

Dream It

Teodor Dovichinski from Macedonia focuses on the back-to-school mindset, emphasizing optimism and setting a positive tone for the year ahead.

Batmom

A design from Ricardo Gimenes in Sweden, offered without artist commentary.

Record Of Strings

A contribution by Cédric Bloem from Belgium, also provided without an explanatory note.

Stay Or Leave?

Ricardo Gimenes of Sweden contributes a second piece to this collection, without further commentary.

Put Some Green Everywhere

Philippe Brouard from France shares a photograph from the garden festival in Chaumont, showing plants and concrete coexisting well in an urban corner. His design makes a case for bringing more greenery into cities.

All wallpapers above are offered in a variety of resolutions without the calendar, suitable for a range of screens.