Research Resources : Images: Paint

Quick Start Guide: Paint

This tutorial covers the basic steps for using Paint. The program’s look and functionality may be slightly different on your computer, depending on the operating system you are using. This tutorial was created using a computer running Windows Vista Home Premium.

Note: Paint is a excellent program for making simple edits, like resizing and cropping images. For more advanced edits, like adding text or drawing, be aware that paint does not allow you to make changes once you’ve completed your edit. If you need to change text or drawing that you’ve already exited out of, use Ctrl + Z to undo the change and then add it again.   

Launching Paint

To open Paint, click the Start button, select All Programs, click on the Accessories folder, and then click Paint. 

Open the File menu and click Open to navigate to the image you would like to edit.

To use a paint tool, click on an icon in the sidebar. Settings for the tool will appear in the area below the paint tools. To use an image editing tool, open the Image menu.   

Resizing an Image

There are two ways to resize an image in Paint. Use the Resize/Skew option if you prefer to adjust the size using percentages, or use the Attributes option to enter exact values for the width and height. 

To use the Resize/Skew…option  

1. Open the Image menu 

2. Select Resize/Skew…

3. Change the percentage values

4. Press OK

To use the Attributes… option

1. Open the Image menu

2. Select Attributes…

3. Choose a unit of measurement (Inches,Cm,Pixels)

4. Enter new Width and Height values

5. Press OK

Cropping an Image

Click the Select tool icon

Click on the image and drag to select the crop area

Open the Image menu

Select Crop

Adding Text to an Image

Click on the Text tool icon

Click on the image and drag to create a text box

Choose an opaque or transparent background

Enter text

Right click on the text box

Select Text Toolbar

Choose font options

When you are satisfied with the look and location of your text, click outside of the text box to finalize your choices.

Note:  Once you’ve exited the text box, you can no longer move it, resize it, or edit its contents. To make changes, remove the text box by pressing Ctrl + Z (Undo) and start over.    

Resizing the Canvas

Extending the canvas size allows you to add text, paint, or additional images outside the boundaries of your photo.

To change the canvas size, hover over the canvas “handles” until the resize arrows appear. Then click and drag the canvas to the desired size.

Add an image caption and credit, a brief description, or create a drawing in the new canvas area. To add images, open the Edit menu, select Paste from…, and then open the image you would like to add. After you’ve pasted the image, you can reposition it and resize it using the image “handles.”