Overlay

Nowadays computer customization can mean anything which comes to mind, given the right set of applications, or if you manage to obtain the desired result through default Windows features. For instance, Overlay helps you add a secondary background image which sits on top of every other window, but also allowing interaction.

Note that the application is good to go from the moment download is done, requiring no installation to be functional. On the one hand, this enables you to store it on a USB flash drive and use on other computers besides your own. On the other hand, it leaves no traces on the target PC, mostly because registry entries are not modified during runtime.

A compact window shows up on launch, with clear instructions of what needs to be done. The context menu needs to be summoned so you can first add an image, which can be of formats like PNG, JPG, BMP, and more. Sadly, you can only add one image, so it's not possible to create a gallery to have it scroll on the desktop, similar to default wallpaper controls.

Size of the picture is not really of great importance, but the larger the resolution, the better it fits on the screen and prevents it from becoming pixelated. There are a few scale adjustment options to zoom, fit the picture to the window, or even show up in custom size specifications by simply writing the desired width and height values.

For optimal performance, it's a good idea to adjust the level of transparency so you're able to see objects in the background, because the picture you load stays on top of everything else, with no possibility to set layer priority. To be able to interact with background elements, the application lets you pin the window, removing the title bar, and creating a tray icon for further manipulation of application functions.

All things considered, we can state that Overlay is a simple, yet neat method of enhancement. Choosing the right image and combining it with just the right amount of transparency adds a cool effect, making it look like every window, including folders have a custom texture to them. It would, however, been useful to be able to create a slideshow.