Question 1

What is the Steam background cropper?

Accepted Answer

SteamBackgrounds.app includes a free Steam artwork showcase cropper. Load a profile background from our catalog or paste a Steam CDN image URL, preview how it looks on a standard profile layout, and export PNG slices sized for Steam artwork showcases — Featured (630px wide), Middle (506px), and Right (100px). No Steam login required; export runs in your browser.

Question 2

How do I crop a Steam profile background for showcases?

Accepted Answer

Open the cropper, paste a direct Steam CDN image URL or pick a sample from our catalog, click Load, then Export ZIP. Upload the PNGs to an Artwork showcase slot on your Steam profile. You need Steam level 10 or higher to display artwork showcases.

Question 3

What link should I paste in the Steam background URL field?

Accepted Answer

Only a direct Steam CDN image URL works — the image file on steamstatic.com, not a Market, Store, or Points Shop page. Easiest: open a background in our catalog and click Cropper. From Steam: right-click the large preview on the item page, copy image address, paste here, and click Load.

Question 4

What size are Steam artwork showcase images?

Accepted Answer

For a normal artwork showcase: Middle artwork is 506 pixels wide (any height), Right artwork is 100 pixels wide with the same height. For a featured artwork showcase (one large box): 630 pixels wide. Profile backgrounds are 1840×860 px. Our cropper exports PNGs at these widths from your background.

Question 5

What's in the ZIP export?

Accepted Answer

Three PNG slices sized for Steam artwork showcases: Artwork_Featured.png (630px wide), Artwork_Middle.png (506px), and Artwork_Right_Top.png (100px), plus optional Avatar.png and Read_Me.txt with upload steps. The Middle and Right slices account for the ~9px gutter between showcase boxes.

Question 6

Featured or Middle + Right artwork showcase?

Accepted Answer

Use Artwork_Featured.png alone in a featured artwork slot, or use Artwork_Middle.png and Artwork_Right_Top.png together in a normal artwork showcase (two boxes). You need Steam level 10+ to unlock artwork showcase slots on your profile.

Question 7

How do I upload long artwork to Steam?

Accepted Answer

On the Steam artwork upload page, your PNG may appear as a thin black line — that is normal. Open the browser console (F12), paste $J('#image_width').val(1000).attr('id',''),$J('#image_height').val(1).attr('id','');, then submit. This lets Steam accept taller artwork than the default limit. Full community guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=748624905

Question 8

Does the cropper work with animated Steam backgrounds?

Accepted Answer

Yes — animated backgrounds from our catalog play as video in the preview when available. Export still uses a static frame from the preview image (Steam artwork uploads are PNG). Browse animated backgrounds with the Animation filter on the catalog.

Question 9

Is this the same as steam.design?

Accepted Answer

Our cropper is inspired by steam.design (SAPIC) — the popular Steam artwork profile cropper — with a similar profile overlay preview and artwork slice export. We add a browsable Community Market catalog, filters, and one-click load from any background detail page.

Question 10

Why doesn't the preview match my full Steam profile?

Accepted Answer

The preview shows the artwork showcase crop area on a standard profile layout at 1840×860 reference size. Zoom controls help check alignment. Your live profile may differ if the source image is not full profile art or if Steam crops differently on your account.

Steam Background Cropper

Frequently Asked Questions