microsoft paint, ms paint tools

MS paint app is among one of the most useful designing tools for beginners. First of all it comes as standard with all Windows installations and it is also very easy to use. Therefore we can say that this free design tool from Microsoft is an amazing application. Image editing is a skill that most of us need. From creating meme for WhatsApp to using professional photo editing software, design skills play an important role. MS paint plays an important role in the initial days of computer learning. It teaches you to point your mouse cursor at a specific position, drawing a straight line with a steady hand. Therefore, you not only get to learn this tool but also use the skill of operating the mouse correctly in all other applications.

Even if you are making a website for a small business, you need a steady hand. Skills like removing background, adding two images in one frame etc. are always in demand. The start can happen with MS paint and later you can move to better tools like photoshop.

Benefits of Using MS Paint

There are many benefits of using MS paint.

  • First of all, the cost paint application is included in the Windows package. Therefore, you can say that it is a free designing application.
  • Everyone does not have money to bear the cost of photoshop or other designing tools. When you start your career as a blogger then you have a limited budget. MS paint like applications support a lot in getting the work done.
  • This is one of the most easy to learn image editing software. With just 20-30 minutes of MS Paint Tutorial on YouTube, you will start using the software.

Learn MS Paint

Paint is a free designing software from Microsoft. Therefore, it is useful not only for individuals but also for businesses. As we say money saved is money earned. As a small business you do not need to buy image editing software for small editing work. The small savings will contribute towards increasing profit in business. In this article we will not only learn MS paint but also go learn paint shortcuts to increase speed. MS paint tools are very useful in basic image editing. First of all, we will start with the MS Paint overview and then move on to the key part of the paint application. At the end we will learn paint shortcuts to increase our designing speed.

MS Paint app overview

This is one of the most easy and simple tools available in your computer. You can also use it on a tablet without any hassle. The software comes with a work area (white section), control section (top menu) and a status bar (which shows size of an application. This is it. This simplicity allows you to learn quickly and start using it. Let us try and understand this software step by step.

ms paint app, microsoft paint

1 – Quick Access

Quick access button in paint works as a shortcut. There are few features of ms paint you use on regular bases. You can add these features in quick access bar so you can find them easily.
File dropdown menu

2 – Home Ribbon

Home is the place where most controls are located. You need to learn everything step by step. Additionally, you should also practice the lessons to make sure you understand it well.

This section has all the tools that you need in the work area. The entire section is divided into a set of tools to make it easier. Here is the list.

First set has copy and paste tools. In case you want to cut, copy and paste you can do this using tools available here. Let us understand them in a little more detail.

Tools area in MS paint app

Second set has selection tools. You can select any specific section from here. You can also resize the entire working area from here in percentage of pixel depending on your requirement. Therefore, this is one of the most famous controls of MS paint. In other words tools in MS paint show all the standard commands available. This includes pencil, eraser, text, fill and a magnifier lens tool.

At the right hand side you see brushes and these also have many options. Select the brush type, decide color from the write and Strat drawing.

MS Paint Shapes

These are ready made shapes available for the users. Due to this you can use shapes like square, oval, arrow etc depending on your requirement. You can fill these shapes with different colors to make it even better. Simply select and start using. You can also resize the shapes.

Colors Section

There are two different colors mentioned in MS paint app.

Color 1 is the main color you are using. For example you are using a pencil tool or a text tool. When you start typing, color 1 appears.

Color 2 is the background color. When you select all and delete, your background color remains the same as color 2.
There are options available on the right hand side to choose from. If you are not happy with the default color available, you can change using the Edit color option.

3 – View Section in MS Paint Application

In the view section, you can use features like zoom in and zoom out. You also get other options to display or hide ruler, gridlines and status bar etc. Let us understand them one by one.

Ruler in paint app

When you click on ruler paint adds a measurement scale on top and left hand side. For example if you want to divide the screen in equal sizes it is very easy using the ruler function.

Gridlines

If you check (tick) Gridlines, then it converts the screen into a graph-like sheet. You can also draw graphs using this. For new designers it is a very useful tool to control mouse movement. When you save the picture, gridlines disappear.

4 – MS Paint app Status bar

Status bar in MS paint comes at the bottom of the screen. It provides basic information about the screen. It also provides overall size of the image.

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft paint app

When a large number of people use any application, it is normal to have some questions in mind. Here is the list of most common questions related to MS paint.

What are some benefits of using ms paint?

If you consider it as a basic design tool then there are many benefits linked. Let’s go one by one.

  1. First of all MS paint is among the fastest applications in your system. It opens and saves fast. Controls are quick and react early, this saves a lot of time.
  2. If you are just starting up with a basic computer course it is helpful. Drawing in in this application also increases your accuracy of mouse operations.
  3. It is an easy to operate application. Due to this you can learn it easily.
  4. You can paste screenshots. You can also save them for future reference.
  5. MS paint download is free of cost. It comes with all versions of windows operating systems.

What is the main purpose of MS paint app?

As mentioned above it is an initial designing tool that an individual can learn. You can do a lot of things in this application. For example you have taken a screenshot while working and you want to save it somewhere for future reference. You can open paint and paste it in the work area and simply save at a location of your choice.

How difficult is the MS paint app download process?

The answer is not at all. You actually do not need to download ms paint. It comes as standard with Microsoft Windows. Therefore, there is no need to download it. In case you want to uninstall paint you can do it via the control panel. When you need it again, you can download paint from Microsoft’s website.

How to open MS Paint app?

If you are using an older version you open paint app by clicking on Start – All Programs > Accessories > Paint

If you want to open paint in Windows 10 or 8 click on Windows Icon > All Programs > Windows Accessories > Paint.

Can I design good MS paint art?

Sure, when you are proficient in working with ms paint, you can design good ms paint art. All you need is enough practice. This may look basic but if you are good, you can edit pictures, remove background from images or create something fresh.

What are some common MS paint shortcut keys for Windows 10?

Once you learn MS paint completely, we recommend learning some keyboard shortcuts windows 10 operating system. These shortcuts will also help you save a lot of time. Some of the most common Microsoft paint shortcut keys include these.

Open an existing file CTRL + O
Create a New file. CTRL + N
Save a new untitled file CTRL + S
Cut a selection CTRL + X
Copy a selection CTRL + C
Paste an already copied selection CTRL + V
Undo last action / activity CTRL + Z
Redo an action Ctrl + Y
Show image properties Ctrl + E
Shortcut  to display or hide Gridlines Ctrl + G
Print the picture Ctrl + P
Show or hide the ruler Ctrl + R
MS Paint Zoom IN Shortcut Ctrl with +
MS Paint Zoom Out Shortcut Ctrl with –
Shortcut to open the Resize and Skew dialog box Ctrl + W

MS Paint Tutorial

Watch this MS paint tutorial to gain more knowledge about ms paint tools and other important features.

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