creating .dmg for install with background

  1. make a new folder (for this example: AppBundle)
  2. drag the finished application file (.app) and any other files you want the user to have into AppBundle
  3. create a background image (png file)
  4. using the terminal, create a hidden directory named .background in AppBundle
  5. copy the background image into the .background folder
  6. open Disk Utility
  7. drag the AppBundle folder onto the Disk Utility icon, or use File → New → Disk Image from Folder… and select AppBundle
  8. set the Image Format to read/write, and don't use encryption
  9. save the dmg file as “AppBundle read-write.dmg”
  10. mount (open) the “AppBundle read-write.dmg” file in the Finder
  11. press command-j to bring up the window settings dialog
  12. click “This window only” so the changes won't modify any other folders
  13. in the Background section, select Picture
  14. since the image is in a hidden folder, use command-shift-g to bring up the Go To Folder sheet
  15. type the full page to the background folder: /Volumes/AppBundle/.background and click Go
  16. select the background image, and click Select (Finder needs to have “show all file extensions” enabled)
  17. adjust the icons and window as desired:
    • icon size
    • text size and label position
    • show or hide sidebar and toobar
    • window size
    • window position
  18. once you have the window looking exactly the way you want users to see it, unmount the dmg file (eject)
  19. in Disk Utility, use the convert tool on the AppBundle read-write.dmg file
    • set the Image Format to “compressed”
    • save the file as AppBundle.dmg
  20. AppBundle.dmg should open up with your view settings intact