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Paint tools
The following tables describe how to use each of the tools on the toolbar.
Tool Description
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Tool Description
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Tool Description
Pencil tool
Use the Pencil tool to draw thin, free-form lines or curves.
To draw using the Color 2 (background) color, right-click while you drag the pointer.
Brushes
Use the Brushes tool to draw lines that have a different appearance and texture—it's like using different
artistic brushes. By using different brushes, you can draw free-form and curving lines that have different
effects.
To paint using the Color 2 (background) color, right-click while you drag the pointer.
Line tool
Use the Line tool to draw a straight line. When using this tool, you can choose the thickness of the line,
as well as the appearance of it.
To draw a line that uses the Color 2 (background) color, right-click while you drag the pointer.
4. (Optional) To change the line style, in the Shapes group, click Outline, and then click a line style.
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Curve tool
To draw a line that uses the Color 2 (background) color, right-click while you drag the pointer.
4. After you have created the line, click the area in the picture where you want the arc of the curve to
be, and then drag the pointer to adjust the curve.
Shapes in Paint
Ready-made shapes
You can use Paint to draw different types of ready-made shapes. Here's a list of them:
Line
Curve
Oval
Rectangle and Rounded rectangle
Triangle and Right triangle
Diamond
Pentagon
Hexagon
Arrows (Right arrow, Left arrow, Up arrow, Down arrow)
Stars (Four-point star, Five-point star, Six-point star)
Callouts (Rounded rectangular callout, Oval callout, Cloud callout)
Heart
Lightning bolt
To draw a shape with equal sides, press and hold the Shift key as you drag the mouse. For example,
to draw a square, click the Rectangle , and then press and hold the Shift key and drag the mouse.
3. With the shape still selected, you can do one or more of the following to change its appearance:
To change the line style, in the Shapes group, click Outline, and then click a line style.
If you don't want your shape to have an outline, click Outline, and then click No outline.
To change the outline size, click Size, and then click a line size (thickness).
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In the Colors group, click Color 1, and then click a color for the outline.
In the Colors group, click Color 2, and then click a color to fill the shape.
To change the fill style, in the Shapes group, click Fill, and then click a fill style.
If you don't want your shape to be filled, click Fill, and then click No fill.
Polygon tool
Use the Polygon tool to make a custom shape with any number of sides.
To create sides with 45- or 90-degree angles, press and hold the Shift key as you create each sides.
3. Connect the last line to the first line to finish drawing the polygon and to close the shape.
4. With the shape still selected, you can do one or more of the following if you want to change the
appearance of it:
To change the line style, in the Shapes group, click Outline, and then click a line style.
If you don't want your shape to have an outline, click Outline, and then click No outline.
To change the outline size, click Size, and then click a line size (thickness).
In the Colors group, click Color 1, and then click a color for the outline.
In the Colors group, click Color 2, and then click a color to fill the shape.
To change the fill style, in the Shapes group, click Fill, and then click a fill style.
If you don't want your shape to be filled, click Fill, and then click No fill.
Adding text
In Paint, you can also add your own text or message in your picture.
Text tool
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Work faster in Paint
There's a fast way to put the commands you use most often in Paint in easy reach—put them on the Quick Access Toolbar
above the ribbon.
To add a Paint command to the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click a button or command, and then click Add to Quick Access
Toolbar.
Select tool
Use the Select tool to select part of the picture that you want to change.
Crop
Use Crop to crop a picture so only the part you selected appears in your picture. Cropping lets you
change the picture so only the selected object or person is visible.
1. On the Home tab, in the Image group, click the arrow under Select, and then click the kind of
selection you want to make.
2. Drag the pointer to select the part of the picture you want to show.
3. In the Image group, click Crop.
4. To save the cropped picture as a new file, click the Paint button , point to Save as, and then
click the file type for the current picture.
5. In the File name box, type a new file name, and then click Save.
Saving the cropped image as a new picture file prevents overwriting the original picture file.
Rotate
Use Rotate to rotate the whole picture or a selected part of it.
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To rotate the whole picture, on the Home tab, in the Image group, click Rotate, and then
click the rotation direction.
To rotate an object or part of a picture, on the Home tab, in the Image group, click Select.
Drag the pointer to select the area or object, click Rotate, and then click the rotation direction.
If the Maintain aspect ratio check box is selected, you only need to enter the horizontal value (width)
or vertical value (height). The other box in the Resize area is updated automatically.
For example, if a picture is 320 x 240 pixels and you want to make it half that size with the same
aspect ratio, in the Resize area, with the Maintain aspect ratio check box selected, enter 160 in
the Horizontal box. The new picture size will be half the original size at 160 x 120 pixels.
1. On the Home tab, click Select, and then drag the pointer to select the area or object.
2. On the Home tab, in the Image group, click Resize.
3. In the Resize and Skew dialog box, select the Maintain aspect ratio check box so that the resized
part will have the same aspect ratio as the original.
4. In the Resize area, click Pixels, and then enter a new width in the Horizontal box or new height in
the Vertical box. Click OK.
If the Maintain aspect ratio check box is selected, you only need to enter the horizontal value (width)
or vertical value (height). The other box in the Resize area is updated automatically.
For example, if the part you selected is 320 x 240 pixels and you want to make it half that size with the
same aspect ratio, in the Resize area, with the Maintain aspect ratio check box selected, enter 160
in the Horizontal box. The part will be half the original size at 160 x 120 pixels.
To resize the drawing area and make it larger, drag one of the small white boxes on the
edge of the drawing area to the desired size.
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To resize the drawing area by entering a specific size, click the Paint button , and
then click Properties. In the Width and Height boxes, enter the new width and height, and then
click OK.
Skew an object
On the Home tab, click Select, and then drag the pointer to select the area or object.
1. Click Resize.
2. In the Resize and Skew dialog box, type the amount to skew the selected area (in degrees) in
the Horizontal and Vertical boxes in the Skew (Degrees) area, and then click OK.
1. On the Home tab, in the Image group, click Select, and then drag the pointer to select the area or
object you want to cut.
2. In the Clipboard group, click Cut.
3. In the Clipboard group, click Paste.
4. With the object still selected, move it to a new place in your picture where you want it to appear.
1. On the Home tab, in the Image group, click Select, and then drag the pointer to select the area or
object you want to copy.
2. In the Clipboard group, click Copy.
3. In the Clipboard group, click Paste.
4. With the object still selected, move it to a new place in your picture where you want the copy to
appear.
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Color boxes
The Color boxes indicate the current Color 1 (foreground color) and Color 2 (background color) colors.
How they're used depends on what you're doing in Paint.
When using the color boxes, you can do one or more of the following:
To change the selected foreground color, on the Home tab, in the Colors group, click Color
1, and then click a color square.
To change the selected background color, on the Home tab, in the Colors group,
click Color 2, and then click a color square.
To paint with the selected foreground color, drag the pointer.
To paint with the selected background color, right-click while you drag the pointer.
Color picker
Use the Color picker tool to set the current foreground or background color. By picking a color from the
picture, you can make sure that you're using the color you want when drawing in Paint, so your colors match.
Editing colors
Use Edit colors to pick a new color. Mixing colors in Paint lets you choose the exact color that you want
to use.
The color will appear in one of the color boxes, so you can use that color in Paint.
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Magnifier
Use the Magnifier tool to zoom in on a part of your picture.
1. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, click the Magnifier , move the magnifier, and then click to
zoom in on the part of the image shown in the square.
Drag the horizontal and vertical scroll bars on the bottom and right side of the window to move around
the picture.
In Paint, there are few different ways to zoom in or out, depending on what you want to do.
Rulers
Use the Rulers to view a horizontal ruler at the top of the drawing area and a vertical ruler on the left side of
the drawing area. The rulers let you view the dimensions of your picture, which can be helpful when resizing
pictures.
Gridlines
Use the Gridlines to align shapes and lines when you're drawing in Paint. Gridlines are useful because they
can help provide a visual reference for the sizes of objects as you draw, and they can help you align objects.
Full screen
Use Full screen to view your picture full screen.
1. To view the picture on the entire screen, on the View tab, in the Display group, click Full screen.
2. To exit full screen and go back to the Paint window, click the picture.
You can also set the picture, so it's used as the desktop background on your computer.
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