Graphics editing and drawing software manufactured by Microsoft
Graphics editing and drawing software manufactured by Microsoft
Popular programs in Graphics Editors
What is MS Paint
The Microsoft Paint program, usually called MS Paint, is a basic raster graphics editor included in all Windows releases, though being retired sometime in 2018. This classic program is very easy to use, great for children and those who are just getting started with digital art.
The toolbox included in MS Paint includes a number of tools, useful for creating new images and modifying existing ones. It includes a color palette stocked with starter colors, but capable of handling custom colors and gradients. Using two colors is easy with the primary color available with a left click and the secondary color available with a right click.
Users can select from a number of brush styles, including marker, brush, and pencil. It is easy to select line thickness. They can select from a number of stock shapes or, alternatively, use the line and curve options to create new ones.
Adding text to the image is easy with the text tool, which allows the user to select which font to use, which font size, and whether to display with bold, italic, underline or strikethrough effects.
The image menu gives the user the tools to manipulate the image at a higher level. The user can select all or part of the image using the standard or free-form selection tools. Other options include being able to crop, resize or rotate the image. Users are also able to save the picture in multiple formats, including .jpeg, .gif, .png , and .bmp.
The most frustrating part of using MS Paint is the lack of refined tools available. The toolbox is so basic that it cannot be effectively used for editing photos or finer grained images.
Microsoft has placed MS Paint on its deprecated software list, meaning it will be removed from future releases of Windows. The company says it will remain available through the Windows store.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Useful for other things like screenshot capture and quick notes
Cons
- Includes only the simplest editing tools available
- Is not robust enough to use as a serious image editing tool