How to create high-resolution iphone launch image?

Question

As per the Apple iPhone Human Interface Guidelines I have created a Default.png image which is displayed while waiting for the application to load.

I created the image using the xcode organizer 'capture screenshot' feature.

I am now preparing my application for the iphone 4 high resolution screen and am wondering how to create the high resolution version of Default.png.

Is there a way to generate it from a screen shot like the standard Default.png image?

Solution 1

It appears there are two options to create a high resolution (980x640) launch image from a screen shot of your application:

1. Using an iPhone 4 you can either use xcode to capture the image via the organizer window or by taking a screen shot on the device (using the lock and home buttons). I have not been able to test this as I do not have access to an iPhone 4

2. Using the iPhone Simulator you can emulate the iPhone 4 by going to Hardware -> Device -> iPhone 4 and capture a screen shot. In order to capture the screen shot you can use the built in os x screen shot functionality (cmd-shift-4). Alternatively there is a free tool called iPhone-Simulator Cropper which does a good job.

Solution 2

The easiest way I found is to use the special "Copy Screen" menu option in Simulator.

While the Simulator is running, hold the control key. The Edit menu will change from "Copy" to "Copy Screen". You now do a Command-V in Preview or Photoshop since the screen was saved to your clipboard buffer. Then save out the file as png.

Solution 3

High resolution Launch Images just need the @2x designation. You can capture them as a screen shot when running on iPhone 4, device or simulator.

Solution 4

In recent versions of the iOS Simulator just use File -> Save Screenshot.

If you need to edit the screenshot at all (like rotate 90 degrees for landscape-only apps) using Preview's Tools -> Rotate Right is easy. If you edit the screenshot in Preview, be sure to take @ville-laurikari's advice and also use Tools -> Assign Profile... -> Color LCD before saving to make sure your colors look right.

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Comments

[n.dee]

How do you use the iPhone Simulator to take a screen shot?

[Jonathan Grynspan]

Cmd+Shift+4, hit Space, then click the simulator window. A PNG file containing the window's contents will be promptly deposited on your desktop. You can then use Photoshop, Acorn, or even Preview to crop out the 960x640 pixels of the virtual screen.

[n.dee]

Great tip. I didn't know about the 'Copy Screen' option. It's a lot more elegant than cmd+shift+4.

[testing]

Still one problem remains: The status bar is full of data (carrier, time, connection status, battery status). How could that be removed without using Photoshop or something like this?

[Jesse Anderson]

I think apple overwrites the status bar.

[Ravi]

When saving the image from Preview, make sure the color profile is set to "Color LCD" (from Tools -> Assign Profile). Unless I did this, the colors were slightly off.