Microsoft Paint or 'MS Paint' is a basic graphics/painting utility that is included in all the Microsoft Windows versions.
- MS Paint can be used to draw, colour and edit pictures, including imported pictures from a digital camera for example.
- MS Paint is found by using the search button/icon on the bottom taskbar.
Put in Paint and the Paint app should be found at the top of the list that appears.
- It can save creations in standard formats such as .jpg and .png
- Paint can enable ‘painting’ by dragging the mouse and using different types of artistic brushes or pens that can give for example a watercolour or oil effect. The paint also ‘runs out’ on certain brushes after a period of time so that the brush needs to be put back into the colour again, as if it was a real painting brush.
- More recent versions of Paint allow up to three colours to be picked at a time using the primary colour with left mouse click, the secondary colour with right mouse click and the tertiary colour with the control key on the keyboard and any mouse click
- Features included in paint are pencil, brush and airbrush tool. The ability to add text, lines and shapes. Also included are an eraser, magnifier, and fill colour tools.
- Many complex graphics software applications have concepts that are included in Microsoft Paint and the same principals can be applied in these from learning within Microsoft Paint.
Karen Maxwell is a Digital Unite tutor and assessor/trainer of computer accessibility.
Last updated 29 June 2022