Microsoft Paint seems to have been around forever. Odds are pretty good you’ve grown up with it, too. It’s not the most advanced image creation and editing software, but it always gets the job done. That said, there are some advanced features that you might not be aware of that can completely change your painting game. In this article, we’ll be looking at some advanced Microsoft Paint features.
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Microsoft Paint Features You Might Not Know About
We’ve got a few reasons to prove that you can love Microsoft Paint for more than just nostalgia. Let’s dive into some advanced features of MS Paint below:
Free-Form Rotate
Let’s start with one of the newer features added to Paint. Free-form rotate is a much-requested feature. It allows you to rotate any element to any angle once placed on the canvas. The option appears as a circular arrow icon at the top of any selection (use the “Selection” button if it isn’t highlighted already). Simply click it and drag in the direction you want to rotate to a custom angle. Simple, yet invaluable.
AI Features
As with most other aspects of Windows 11, Copilot is embedded in Paint as well, offering several AI tools for you to use:
- Image Creator – Use the text box to describe your desired picture and even choose the style from a list of presets.
- Generative Erase – Remove any background images with a generative fill applied to the area.
- Remove Background – We’ll be looking at this one a bit closer.
Remove Background
There was a time when removing a background was the domain of advanced software. Now, from AI to the simplest apps, it’s almost expected. Paint has this, too. You can remove any background via the “Remove Background” icon that can be found when selecting an image or in the “Image” subsection of the Top Menu. Paint will do the rest.
Custom Brushes
A very handy, though not widely known, feature is the ability to make a custom brush from any shape or scribble. Simply select a drawing with the “Selection” icon, then (Shift + Click) and drag the selection, and the shape will be dragged like a brush.
Eraser Override
MS Paint allows you to select two colors at a time. The left click paints the first, and the right, the second. If you want to override the first color with the second, you need to select the Eraser tool, then right-click when erasing. Only the primary color will be replaced by the secondary, leaving all other colors untouched.
Choose Additional Colors
A third row of blank colors in your top menu means you can add custom colors for your work. Click the “Edit Colors” button next to the palette and choose what colors you’d like to add to the selection.
Layers
Layers, the bread and butter of countless other image editing tools and software, were never a part of the early Paint, but now come standard with it. This allow you to add or edit without changing the image layer below. It’s indispensable for digital artists and photo editors.
You can find the “Layers” icon in the top-right and activate its panel. To adjust, hide, or delete, simply right-click the layer in question.
