Create A Grid Of Custom Windows 8 Start Screen

Introduction

In this article we are going to explain how to create a grid of custom Windows 8 Start Screen tiles out of any image.

Procedure for creating a grid for a custom Windows 8 Start Screen

Step 1

Note: This UI app can only be installed from the Windows Store; the exclusive Windows Store apps marketplace.

To download the Custom Tiles Maker, after the search results are displayed, we can access the app's in-store page.

Step 2

This is a simple UI app, it runs in full screen mode. If we want to create a new tile grid, then use following four simple steps. To get started, click Select Photo on the main screen.

Step 3

Custom Tiles Maker automatically scans and recognizes the image directories on your machine. You may easily browse to the target location, and after selecting the image, click Open to add it into the app.

Step 4

Tiles can be arranged in distinct patterns. The drop-down menu under Step 2 houses a number of tile dimensions and arrangements, both in square and wide designs. You may also click Adjust Cropping to drag the image to your preferred position, which helps in bringing your desired area into focus. Once configured, click each tile to pin it to the Start Screen.

Step 5

Have a look at the screenshot below to see how the final result appears on the Start Screen:

All in all, Customer Tiles Maker is a great application, apart from two major disadvantages we noticed. First, it doesn't allow you to launch custom apps when clicking a particular tile. Secondly, you have to click each tile separately to pin it to the Start Screen. The application works only on Windows 8.