How to Use Microsoft Paint in Windows
Launch Paint.Opening Paint, like other features, varies slightly across different versions of Windows., Opening an image file., Understand the canvas., Crop an image.With an image open in Paint, click the “Select” tool at the top of the screen...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Launch Paint.Opening Paint
Windows 10:
Click the start button, then the magnifying glass icon.
Type paint, then select “Paint” when it appears in the search results.
Windows 8:
Swipe inward from the right side of the screen and select “Search.” Type paint.
When “Paint” appears in the search results, click it.
Windows Vista and 7:
Click the Start button, then expand the “All Programs” group.
Open the “Accessories” menu and select “Paint.” -
Step 2: like other features
Paint can open up many different image types, including *.bmp, .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, .tif/.tiff, .ico, and .png.
To open a file in Paint, click “File,” then “Open.” Navigate to the folder where your image file is stored and click “Open.” , When Paint launches, you’ll see a white “canvas” appear on the screen.
Imagine this canvas as a piece of paper for you to draw or write on.
You can adjust the size of the canvas before you start creating your masterpiece.
Windows 7 and later:
On the Home tab, click “Resize.” Select “Pixels” and type the desired size in the “horizontal” and “vertical” boxes.
Or, if you’d rather adjust the size by percentage, select “Percentage” and enter the percentage by which you’d like to increase or decrease the current canvas size.
For example, if you’d like to make your image 50% of the size it is now, type 50 into each box.
To double the current size, type 200 into each box.
Vista:
Click “Image” and select “Attributes.” Enter your desired canvas size (in pixels) in the Width and Height boxes. , Click once at the top left corner of the part of the image you want to preserve, then drag the mouse down toward the right until the dotted box encloses just the part of the image you want.
Let go of the mouse button, then click “Crop.” , Click “Image,” then select “Resize/Skew” (if you’re using Windows 7 or later, just click “Resize” on the toolbar).
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+W to bring up the Resize/Skew dialog.
Type a new size (in pixels, or by percent, as you did when creating the canvas) to increase or decrease the image size. , To flip an image upside down (or some other direction), use the Flip and Rotate tools.
Windows 7 and later:
On the toolbar, click “Rotate” and choose a direction in the menu.
Vista:
In the “Image” menu, click “Flip/Rotate,” and select a direction to flip or rotate your image.
You can also press Ctrl+R to bring up the Rotate tool on any platform. , Click the magnifying glass icon to enable the Zoom tool.
To zoom in, click anywhere on your image with the left mouse button.
To zoom out, click with the right mouse button.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+⇞ PgUp to zoom in, and Ctrl+⇟ PgDn to zoom out. , If you make a mistake using any of these tools, you can “undo” your action by pressing Ctrl+Z. , You’ll also see the option to choose a file format.
This depends based on what you plan to do with your picture.
JPG is a good option for photographs or images with lots of colors.
If you only use a few colors and not much detail, GIFs are versatile and have small file sizes.
If you’re only planning to use this image in Paint, you can save it as a Bitmap (.bmp), which is the default file type.
You can always convert your images to a different file format later.
See How to Convert Pictures to JPEG or Other Picture File Extensions. , The assortment of colored squares at the top of the screen is the color palette.
Clicking a color will select that color as the foreground (main) color for any tool you use in Paint.
You can also set a background color for when you start working with shapes.
Windows 7 and later:
The foreground is called “Color 1,” the background “Color
2.” To choose a foreground color, click “Color 1” and select any color from the palette.
For a background color, click “Color 2” and click any color.
Windows Vista or below:
Find the two overlapping colored boxes to the left of the palette.
The front box is the foreground color, the back box is the background.
Set the background color by right-clicking the color of your choice. , To draw a straight line, click the Straight Line tool, then choose a color from the palette.
Click anywhere in your canvas.
While holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse away from that first click in any direction.
Release the button when the line is as long as you want it to be.
For a curved line, click the Curve icon (a squiggly line).
Draw a line as you would with the straight line tool.
When you lift your finger from the mouse button, click somewhere on the line and drag it in any direction.
The straight line you drew will curve in that direction. , The width of the line can be adjusted by clicking the Size menu and selecting a different line width.
To draw, simply press the mouse button as you move the mouse on the canvas. , The Paintbrush is more versatile than the Pencil, as you can choose different brush “tips” for more unique lines.
In Windows 7 and above, click the down-arrow beneath “Brushes” and choose one of the brush tips.
You can adjust the size of each brush tip by clicking the “Size” icon.
In Windows Vista and earlier, click the Paintbrush icon, then choose a brush tip shape from the menu that appears just below the toolbar.
Select a color from the palette and drag the mouse to draw a design on the canvas. , This tool works similarly to the Paintbrush tool, but the look is more in line with that of can of spray paint.
Windows 7 and newer: this tool is located in the “Brushes” menu.
Vista and earlier:
Click the icon that looks like a can of spray paint.
Draw as you would the pencil or brush tools. , Like other tools, you can adjust the width of the eraser with the Size menu.
Note that the background color (“Color 2” in Windows 7 and later) will appear wherever you use the eraser tool.
If you’re erasing a red line on a white background, for example, make sure the background color is set to white. , Select any shape from the toolbar to draw that shape.
Once you’ve chosen a shape, you’ll notice some options for the shape’s appearance.
In Windows 7 or above, click the “Outline” and “Fill” menus to view your (slightly more varied) options.
If you’re using Windows Vista or an earlier version, you’ll see an outline of a shape, an outline of a shape around a filled-in color, and a solid-colored shape.
Select your preferred outline and fill options, then click the canvas where you’d like to place your shape.
Hold down the mouse button as you drag the cursor to enlarge the shape.
Let go of the mouse button when you reach the desired shape size.
If you chose a shape with an outline, the color of the outline will be the current foreground color.
If your shape has a solid filling, the fill color will be the background color. , Also known as the “Paint Bucket,” the Fill tool will paint an entire defined area with a single color.
Click the icon that looks like a spilling paint bucket, then choose a color from the palette.
Now, click the canvas to fill it with the color you selected.
The Fill tool will fill the space between all closed lines.
Try creating a square or circle with the shape tool in one color, then use the Fill tool to change the color of just that shape. , There are two different tools you can use to select parts of your image:
Freeform Select (a dotted outline of oval-ish shape) and Rectangular Select (a dotted outline of a rectangle).
Freeform allows you to draw your own freehand selection line around an image, while the rectangular selection tool lets you draw a rectangle.
In Windows 7 and later, click the arrow beneath “Select” and choose “Rectangular” or “Freeform.” In Windows Vista and earlier, you’ll see both on your toolbar.
To use either tool, start by clicking at the top left corner of your image, then hold the mouse button as you trace your way around.
The rectangular selection will be fairly quick, but you’ll need to be more deliberate to trace manually with the freeform tool.
Let go of the mouse button when you’re done selecting. , Copy the selected area by pressing Ctrl+C.
Paste it somewhere else (in Paint or in other compatible programs, like Microsoft Word or Power Point) by clicking a new location and pressing Ctrl+V.
If you don’t want the background color to be a part of your selection:
Windows 7 and later:
Check “Transparent Selection” in the Select menu.
Windows Vista or earlier:
Find the two icons that feature multicolored shapes with a “selection” rectangle on top.
Click to highlight bottom (transparent) of the two icons.
To disable this later, click back to the top selection icon. , Select the Text tool, which is signified by the letter “A,” then double-click somewhere on the canvas to start typing.
A dotted text box with square boxes on each corner will appear.
Make sure the text in the text box is exactly the way you want it before switching to another tool (you’ll be unable to edit text after closing the text box.
To increase the text box size (which will give you more room to type), hold the mouse over one of the square corners until the cursor turns to an arrow, then drag the box to a larger size.
Choose a font face and size from the top of the screen and begin typing.
To change the color, size or face of the text after you type, highlight the text, then choose the new color, size, etc.
When you’re typing, click somewhere outside of the text box to leave the tool. , You can distort an image with the “skew” feature.
Click “Image,” then select “Resize/Skew” (if you’re using Windows 7 or later, just click “Resize” on the toolbar).
To stretch/distort the image by degree, type a number (in degrees) in the boxes marked “horizontal” and “vertical. , The small eyedropper icon represents the Color Picker tool.
Click this tool, then click somewhere in your drawing.
The area you click will now become the foreground color for your next tool of choice. , You can edit any of the colors by adjusting their hue, brightness and other options in the Paint color mixer.
Click “Edit colors” or “Define custom colors” to enter the color mixer.
When you’ve decided on a color you like, click “Add to custom colors.” , Drawing symmetrically isn’t easy when you’re using a mouse, so you may want to give yourself some guidelines.
Click the “View” tab, then put a checkmark next to “Ruler” to see horizontal and vertical rulers around your canvas.
Put a check next to “Gridlines” to create a grid on your canvas.
You can turn either of these items off at any time by removing these checkmarks. , Here are some of the more common ones:
Rotate:
Ctrl+R New Canvas:
Ctrl+N Cut:
Ctrl+X Paste:
Ctrl+V Copy:
Ctrl+C Save:
Ctrl+S Delete:
Del Print:
Ctrl+P Undo:
Ctrl+Z Highlight All:
Ctrl+A Open:
Ctrl+O Redo:
Ctrl+Y Hide Toolbar:
Ctrl+T Open Attributes:
Ctrl+E Stretch And Skew:
Ctrl+W Hide Color bar:
Ctrl+L -
Step 3: varies slightly across different versions of Windows.
-
Step 4: Opening an image file.
-
Step 5: Understand the canvas.
-
Step 6: Crop an image.With an image open in Paint
-
Step 7: click the “Select” tool at the top of the screen.
-
Step 8: Resize an image.
-
Step 9: Rotate an image.
-
Step 10: Zoom in and out.
-
Step 11: Learn how to “undo” mistakes.
-
Step 12: Save your work.Click “File
-
Step 13: ” then “Save As” to choose a filename and saving location.
-
Step 14: Get to know the color palette.
-
Step 15: Draw a straight or curved line.Depending on your version of Windows
-
Step 16: you’ll find the two different line tools (Line and Curve) on either the top or left bar.
-
Step 17: Draw freeform with the Pencil tool.The pencil is a freehand drawing tool
-
Step 18: much like an actual pencil.
-
Step 19: Paint with the Paintbrush tool.
-
Step 20: Using the Spray can.
-
Step 21: Erase your imperfections.To erase something you’ve drawn with any tool
-
Step 22: click the Eraser icon and draw over the area you’d like to disappear.
-
Step 23: Create shapes.
-
Step 24: Fill an area with color.
-
Step 25: Learn the different selection tools.
-
Step 26: Copy and paste your selections.
-
Step 27: Add text.
-
Step 28: Stretch or skew an image.
-
Step 29: Try the Color Picker.
-
Step 30: Create your own colors.
-
Step 31: Try using a ruler or grid.
-
Step 32: Learn keyboard shortcuts.Keyboard shortcuts can greatly increase your productivity.
Detailed Guide
Windows 10:
Click the start button, then the magnifying glass icon.
Type paint, then select “Paint” when it appears in the search results.
Windows 8:
Swipe inward from the right side of the screen and select “Search.” Type paint.
When “Paint” appears in the search results, click it.
Windows Vista and 7:
Click the Start button, then expand the “All Programs” group.
Open the “Accessories” menu and select “Paint.”
Paint can open up many different image types, including *.bmp, .gif, .jpg/.jpeg, .tif/.tiff, .ico, and .png.
To open a file in Paint, click “File,” then “Open.” Navigate to the folder where your image file is stored and click “Open.” , When Paint launches, you’ll see a white “canvas” appear on the screen.
Imagine this canvas as a piece of paper for you to draw or write on.
You can adjust the size of the canvas before you start creating your masterpiece.
Windows 7 and later:
On the Home tab, click “Resize.” Select “Pixels” and type the desired size in the “horizontal” and “vertical” boxes.
Or, if you’d rather adjust the size by percentage, select “Percentage” and enter the percentage by which you’d like to increase or decrease the current canvas size.
For example, if you’d like to make your image 50% of the size it is now, type 50 into each box.
To double the current size, type 200 into each box.
Vista:
Click “Image” and select “Attributes.” Enter your desired canvas size (in pixels) in the Width and Height boxes. , Click once at the top left corner of the part of the image you want to preserve, then drag the mouse down toward the right until the dotted box encloses just the part of the image you want.
Let go of the mouse button, then click “Crop.” , Click “Image,” then select “Resize/Skew” (if you’re using Windows 7 or later, just click “Resize” on the toolbar).
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+W to bring up the Resize/Skew dialog.
Type a new size (in pixels, or by percent, as you did when creating the canvas) to increase or decrease the image size. , To flip an image upside down (or some other direction), use the Flip and Rotate tools.
Windows 7 and later:
On the toolbar, click “Rotate” and choose a direction in the menu.
Vista:
In the “Image” menu, click “Flip/Rotate,” and select a direction to flip or rotate your image.
You can also press Ctrl+R to bring up the Rotate tool on any platform. , Click the magnifying glass icon to enable the Zoom tool.
To zoom in, click anywhere on your image with the left mouse button.
To zoom out, click with the right mouse button.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+⇞ PgUp to zoom in, and Ctrl+⇟ PgDn to zoom out. , If you make a mistake using any of these tools, you can “undo” your action by pressing Ctrl+Z. , You’ll also see the option to choose a file format.
This depends based on what you plan to do with your picture.
JPG is a good option for photographs or images with lots of colors.
If you only use a few colors and not much detail, GIFs are versatile and have small file sizes.
If you’re only planning to use this image in Paint, you can save it as a Bitmap (.bmp), which is the default file type.
You can always convert your images to a different file format later.
See How to Convert Pictures to JPEG or Other Picture File Extensions. , The assortment of colored squares at the top of the screen is the color palette.
Clicking a color will select that color as the foreground (main) color for any tool you use in Paint.
You can also set a background color for when you start working with shapes.
Windows 7 and later:
The foreground is called “Color 1,” the background “Color
2.” To choose a foreground color, click “Color 1” and select any color from the palette.
For a background color, click “Color 2” and click any color.
Windows Vista or below:
Find the two overlapping colored boxes to the left of the palette.
The front box is the foreground color, the back box is the background.
Set the background color by right-clicking the color of your choice. , To draw a straight line, click the Straight Line tool, then choose a color from the palette.
Click anywhere in your canvas.
While holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse away from that first click in any direction.
Release the button when the line is as long as you want it to be.
For a curved line, click the Curve icon (a squiggly line).
Draw a line as you would with the straight line tool.
When you lift your finger from the mouse button, click somewhere on the line and drag it in any direction.
The straight line you drew will curve in that direction. , The width of the line can be adjusted by clicking the Size menu and selecting a different line width.
To draw, simply press the mouse button as you move the mouse on the canvas. , The Paintbrush is more versatile than the Pencil, as you can choose different brush “tips” for more unique lines.
In Windows 7 and above, click the down-arrow beneath “Brushes” and choose one of the brush tips.
You can adjust the size of each brush tip by clicking the “Size” icon.
In Windows Vista and earlier, click the Paintbrush icon, then choose a brush tip shape from the menu that appears just below the toolbar.
Select a color from the palette and drag the mouse to draw a design on the canvas. , This tool works similarly to the Paintbrush tool, but the look is more in line with that of can of spray paint.
Windows 7 and newer: this tool is located in the “Brushes” menu.
Vista and earlier:
Click the icon that looks like a can of spray paint.
Draw as you would the pencil or brush tools. , Like other tools, you can adjust the width of the eraser with the Size menu.
Note that the background color (“Color 2” in Windows 7 and later) will appear wherever you use the eraser tool.
If you’re erasing a red line on a white background, for example, make sure the background color is set to white. , Select any shape from the toolbar to draw that shape.
Once you’ve chosen a shape, you’ll notice some options for the shape’s appearance.
In Windows 7 or above, click the “Outline” and “Fill” menus to view your (slightly more varied) options.
If you’re using Windows Vista or an earlier version, you’ll see an outline of a shape, an outline of a shape around a filled-in color, and a solid-colored shape.
Select your preferred outline and fill options, then click the canvas where you’d like to place your shape.
Hold down the mouse button as you drag the cursor to enlarge the shape.
Let go of the mouse button when you reach the desired shape size.
If you chose a shape with an outline, the color of the outline will be the current foreground color.
If your shape has a solid filling, the fill color will be the background color. , Also known as the “Paint Bucket,” the Fill tool will paint an entire defined area with a single color.
Click the icon that looks like a spilling paint bucket, then choose a color from the palette.
Now, click the canvas to fill it with the color you selected.
The Fill tool will fill the space between all closed lines.
Try creating a square or circle with the shape tool in one color, then use the Fill tool to change the color of just that shape. , There are two different tools you can use to select parts of your image:
Freeform Select (a dotted outline of oval-ish shape) and Rectangular Select (a dotted outline of a rectangle).
Freeform allows you to draw your own freehand selection line around an image, while the rectangular selection tool lets you draw a rectangle.
In Windows 7 and later, click the arrow beneath “Select” and choose “Rectangular” or “Freeform.” In Windows Vista and earlier, you’ll see both on your toolbar.
To use either tool, start by clicking at the top left corner of your image, then hold the mouse button as you trace your way around.
The rectangular selection will be fairly quick, but you’ll need to be more deliberate to trace manually with the freeform tool.
Let go of the mouse button when you’re done selecting. , Copy the selected area by pressing Ctrl+C.
Paste it somewhere else (in Paint or in other compatible programs, like Microsoft Word or Power Point) by clicking a new location and pressing Ctrl+V.
If you don’t want the background color to be a part of your selection:
Windows 7 and later:
Check “Transparent Selection” in the Select menu.
Windows Vista or earlier:
Find the two icons that feature multicolored shapes with a “selection” rectangle on top.
Click to highlight bottom (transparent) of the two icons.
To disable this later, click back to the top selection icon. , Select the Text tool, which is signified by the letter “A,” then double-click somewhere on the canvas to start typing.
A dotted text box with square boxes on each corner will appear.
Make sure the text in the text box is exactly the way you want it before switching to another tool (you’ll be unable to edit text after closing the text box.
To increase the text box size (which will give you more room to type), hold the mouse over one of the square corners until the cursor turns to an arrow, then drag the box to a larger size.
Choose a font face and size from the top of the screen and begin typing.
To change the color, size or face of the text after you type, highlight the text, then choose the new color, size, etc.
When you’re typing, click somewhere outside of the text box to leave the tool. , You can distort an image with the “skew” feature.
Click “Image,” then select “Resize/Skew” (if you’re using Windows 7 or later, just click “Resize” on the toolbar).
To stretch/distort the image by degree, type a number (in degrees) in the boxes marked “horizontal” and “vertical. , The small eyedropper icon represents the Color Picker tool.
Click this tool, then click somewhere in your drawing.
The area you click will now become the foreground color for your next tool of choice. , You can edit any of the colors by adjusting their hue, brightness and other options in the Paint color mixer.
Click “Edit colors” or “Define custom colors” to enter the color mixer.
When you’ve decided on a color you like, click “Add to custom colors.” , Drawing symmetrically isn’t easy when you’re using a mouse, so you may want to give yourself some guidelines.
Click the “View” tab, then put a checkmark next to “Ruler” to see horizontal and vertical rulers around your canvas.
Put a check next to “Gridlines” to create a grid on your canvas.
You can turn either of these items off at any time by removing these checkmarks. , Here are some of the more common ones:
Rotate:
Ctrl+R New Canvas:
Ctrl+N Cut:
Ctrl+X Paste:
Ctrl+V Copy:
Ctrl+C Save:
Ctrl+S Delete:
Del Print:
Ctrl+P Undo:
Ctrl+Z Highlight All:
Ctrl+A Open:
Ctrl+O Redo:
Ctrl+Y Hide Toolbar:
Ctrl+T Open Attributes:
Ctrl+E Stretch And Skew:
Ctrl+W Hide Color bar:
Ctrl+L
About the Author
Frances Parker
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: