[Celestial]

As some of you know, I do all of my graphics in a program called Paint.NET. Since I can see that most of you are unfamiliar with it, I have decided to run a series of tutorials related to understanding and basics of this program. Later on, I might do more advanced tutorials, but for now we will stick with the basics.

And I am starting with the Introduction thread, which will explain what is Paint.NET and basics of the basics of the program. So let's get started, shall we?

Paint.NET Tutorials: [1] Intro

BASICS F.A.Q

What is Paint.NET?
Paint.NET is a free graphics editing program for Microsoft Windows (sorry iFags). It was created by Rick Brewster as a replacement for Microsoft's Paint. From then it had grown into a powerful graphics editing program. It was initially released in 2004, and from there it kept developing. The program is still in development, and the newest release is 3.5.10

What are PdNs system requirements? Are they high, like they are for PS?
Nope, almost everyone should be able to run PdN with ease.

CPU 800 MHz
Memory 512 MB
Hard Drive Space 200 MB
Screen resolution 1024×768

What languages does PdN support?
English, Chinese (Simplified), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, and more are being developed as well.

What is the size of PdN?
Roughly 4MB. That is without plugins, extensions or fonts.

Where can I get Paint.NET?
http://www.getpaint.net/

Alright, now that you know some basics, we can expand your knowledge. Once you have downloaded and installed Paint.NET, you opened it, and you can't find your way around? Let me help you with that.

Once you open PdN, something like this will await you.

Spoiler:

Let me explain few things.


This is the top section of the program. It contains various menus which contain various tools and actions. I will now briefly explain all of them.

File

• 
  
• New (Ctrl+N) - makes a new blank image
  
• Open (Ctrl+O) - open a file from your HDD.
  
• Open Recent - shows your recent works which you can open.
  
• Acquire - you will not use this.
  
• Close (Ctrl+W) - closes the image.
  
• Save (Ctrl+S) - saves the progress.
  
• Save As (Ctrl+Shift+S) - saves the progress and ads some options (extension, destination, etc.)
  
• Print (Ctrl+P) - prints the image.
  
• Exit - exits the program.
  

Edit

• 
  
• Undo (Ctrl+Z) - un-does your latest action.
  
• Redo (Ctrl+Y) - re-does and un-doed action.
  
• Cut (Ctrl+X) - deletes the selection and copies it into your clipboard.
  
• Copy (Ctrl+C) - copies the selection into your clipboard.
  
• Paste (Ctrl+V) - pastes the selection from your clipboard.
  
• Paste into new Layer (Ctrl+Shift+V) - opens a new layer and pastes the selection there.
  
• Paste in to New Image (Ctrl+Alt+V) - opens a new image and pastes the selection there.
  
• Erase Selection (Del) - erases your selection.
  
• Fill Selection (Backspace) - fills your selection with the primary color.
  
• Invert Selection (Ctrl+I) - inverts your selection (selects what is currently unselected and reverse).
  
• Select All (Ctrl+A) - selects the entire image.
  
• Deselect (Ctrl+D) - deselects the selection.
  

View

• 
  
• Zoom In (Ctrl++) - zooms into the image.
  
• Zoom Out (Ctrl+-) - zooms out of the image.
  
• Zoom to Window (Ctrl+B) - adjusts the image so it fits your screen.
  
• Zoom to Selection (Ctrl+Shift+B) - zooms to your selection.
  
• Actual Size (Ctrl+0) - adjusts the image so it shows its real size.
  
• Pixel Grid - turns on/off the Pixel Grid.
  
• Rulers - turns on/off the Rulers.
  
• Pixels - changes the unit into pixels.
  
• Inches - changes the unit into inches.
  
• Centimeters - changes the unit into centimeters.
  

Image

• 
  
• Crop to Selection (Ctrl+Shift+X) - crops the image into the selection.
  
• Resize (Ctrl+R) - resizes the image
  
• Canvas Size (Ctrl+Shift+R) - similar to resize image.
  
• Flip Horizontal - flips the image horizontally.
  
• Flip Vertical - flips the image vertically.
  
• Rotate 90 Degrees Clockwise (Ctrl+H) - self explainable.
  
• Rotate 90 Degrees Counter-Clockwise (Ctrl+G) - self explainable.
  
• Rotate 180 Degrees (Ctrl+J) - self explainable.
  
• Flatten (Ctrl+Shift+F) - merges all layers.
  

Layer

• Add New Layer (Ctrl+Shift+N) - adds a new layer, on top of the one you are on.
  
• Delete Layer (Ctrl+Shift+Del) - deletes the current layer.
  
• Duplicate Layer (Ctrl+Shift+D) - duplicates the current layer.
  
• Merge Layer Down (Ctrl+M) - merges the layer with the one beneath it.
  
• Import From File - imports an image from your HDD and adds it to a new layer.
  
• Flip Horizontal - already explained.
  
• Flip Vertical - already explained.
  
• [b]Rotate/Size (Ctrl+Shift+Z)[/b] - opens a new window where you can rotate, zoom and pan your image.
  
• Layer Properties (F4) - opens the layer properties options.
  

Adjustments
Various adjustments for the image (black and white, color changer, sepia etc.)
I wont explain all of those, since there is many more that can be imported via plugins, and it would be too much. Just go ahead and play around with them.

Effects
Same as above, only there is way more, and they are way wider. By that I mean you can do basically anything with the right effects. When you first open PdN you will not have many effects, but we will get on to that later.

Utilities
This is basically the "Miscelaneous" section of this program.

• 
  
• View Plugin Load Errors - you probably won't use this.
  
• Manage Fonts - this will open your fonts directory.
  
• Language - here you can change the language.
  
• Check for Updates - you can figure this one.
  

Windows

• 
  
• Tools (F5) - show/hide the tools window.
  
• History (F6) - show/hide the history window.
  
• Layers (F7) - show/hide the layers window.
  
• Colors (F8) - show/hide the colors layer.
  
• Show Image List (Ctrl+Q) - shows the list of opened images.
  
• Next Image (Ctrl+Tab) - goes to the next image.
  
• Previous Image (Ctrl+Shift+Tab) - goes to the previous image.
  
• Translucent - you wont touch this probably.
  
• Glass Dialog Buttons - same as above.
  
• Reset Window Locations - resets the location of Tools, History, Layers and Colors windows.
  

Help
Various miscellaneous things, like donation buttons, links to the forum etc. It is self explainable so I will just list these.

• Help Topics (F1)
  
• Paint.NET Website
  
• Paint.NET Search (Ctrl+E)
  
• Donate
  
• Forum
  
• Tutorials
  
• Plugins
  
• Send feedback or bug report...
  
• About
  

Down below we have the shortcuts.
All of them have been explained previously, these are just the shortcuts to the options.
I have explained them on the following image.


On the righ top size we have the image previews.
It looks something like this.

You can here switch from image to image, and also quickly close the images.
The little yellow star show wether the image is saved or not.


Below those you have a big white picture, and few windows around them.
Okay this is where things start to get interesting.

We will start with the "Tools" window.



This is the Rectangle Selection Tool (Shortcut: S).
It is used to select rectangular shapes and objects in order to move/copy/delete/recolor/do stuff to/etc them.


This is the Lasso Selection Tool (Shortcut: S. You might be asking yourself how is there a same shortcut to 2 tools. Well pressing the letter "S" once will get you the Rectangle Select, pressing 2 times will get you Lasso, etc.)
It is used to select free-form shapes and objects in order to move/copy/delete/recolor/do stuff to/etc them.


This is the Elipse Selection Tool (Shortcut: S)
It is used to select circular shapes and objects in order to move/copy/delete/recolor/do stuff to/etc them.


This is the Magic Wand (Shortcut: S)
This digital manipulation tool will enable to select pixels similar to those you sampled. It is a hard definition, so go ahead and try it out. You will get used to it.
It is controlled by 'tolerance': low tolerance selects pixels very similar to the sample, high tolerance selects pixels only a little similar to the sample i.e. more pixels will be selected.
This is kinda hard to explain and understand with only words, I suggest you go ahead and try it out.


This is the Paint Bucket (Shortcut: F).
It is used to re-color the pixels, therefore re-coloring the image.
There is more to it, but you will get used to using this as you work with PdN. Come to think of it, the last sentence applies to every tool.


The Paint Brush (Shortcut: B)...
...you all know this I hope. It is similar to Paint Brushes in Paint, Gimp, Photoshop, etc.


The Pencil (Shortcut:. P).
It is similar to the Paint Brush, except it is only one pixel wide, you cannot change its size.


This is the Clone Stamp Tool. (L)
It is used for cloning pixels.
I have never used this tool lol.


Text Tool (T) is used for, believe it or not, writing!


These are the geometric shape tools.
They include Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle, Elipse and Freeform Shape tools.
They are used for drawing various shapes.


Move Selected Pixels (M) is used for - moving selected pixels!


Move Selection (M) moves the selection around.
It will not move the image, or a part of it, it will only move the selection.


Zoom Tool (Z).
In case you don't know by now you can zoom in PdN.


Pan Tool (H) enables you to move around the image if it is bigger than your current zoom amount.


Gradient Tool (G) allows you to draw gradients (a gradual blend of one color to another) in several formats. With its transparency mode, you can also "fade" or "blend" two images together.


[b]Eraser[/b] (E).
You can guess what this one is for. Let me give you a hint: it is for erasing.


Color Picker (K) is used for picking up a color from the current layer and setting it as your primary and/or secondary color.


Recoloring Tool ® can be used to replace one color with another one, also called...
fucking recoloring.


Line Tool (O).
You may draw straight lines and curved lines with this tool.

Those were the Tools.
When selecting a tool, on top of your screen various options will appear and change.
I will not describe them because they are straightforward. For example, that would be changing the size of your brush, your text size, your font, etc.
You will get used to them by using the program.

Below the Tools there is the Colors Window.


1) Selecting your Primary/Secondary Color
Select do you want to pick your primary or your secondary color.

2) More Options
If you click the "More >>" button, the window will expand to present more detailed and fine-grained information. In this mode, you may specify the exact value of each of the color's components in either the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) or HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) color space. Editing the color in hex, or hexadecimal, mode is also possible. The alpha, or transparency level, may also be configured.

3) Current Color
This is showing your current primary and secondary color. Also, there is a button which reverses them and another one that resets them.

4) Color Selection Wheel
Select the color you want by using this bad boy.

5) Palettes
Used for managing palettes. I will not get into this, since I consider this kinda advanced.

On the right side, right opposed of the Tool there is the History Window.



On the History window you can see all of the actions you have performed on the image.
Using this tool, you can undo more than 1 effect or whatever you did on your image.

The blue arrows below are buttons used for Undoing All Changes, the Undo Button, the Redo Button and Redoing All Changes Button. If the arrows are gray, they cannot be applied.


And the last one is Layers Window.

The one I feared. This one is a bitch to explain.

Think of it like this. Each layer is a transparent sheet. They are placed on top of eachother. Images that are on the bottom sheet will show on the top, but only if the layers on top of them don't block them.

Here is a video (not by me) that will help you understand them.



I repeat, the more you use PdN, the more you will understand layers, tools, effects etc.
The buttons on the bottom of the Layers Window are used to:
Add a New Layer
Delete the Layer
Duplicate the Layer
Merge the Layer Down
Move Layer Down
Move Layer Up
Open the Layer Properties

Layer Properties are used to change the layers name, transparency and blending mode. This is all you need to know for now about Layer Properties. The rest is considered advanced.

That's it for this guide fellows. In the next one I will focus more on the effects so stay tuned.

This is the v1.0 of this guide. You can check the changelog below.

Code:

v1.0 - Everything is now done. I am planning on expanding few sections later on, but for now I am satisied.

[Alex]

Holly shit, this is crazy good guide. Thanks for putting out tag on it <3. This need a sticky

[Wonders]

Very nice tutorial mate, thanks for sharing.

[Celestial]

@Jinx

Thanks for the kind words, but this is just the beginning of my project.
Expect more tutorials within the next few days.

@MxRE

No problem, I hope you've learned something.

[Alex]

@Jinx

Thanks for the kind words, but this is just the beginning of my project.
Expect more tutorials within the next few days.

@MxRE

No problem, I hope you've learned something.

It would be cool if you could it to one thread. Me and mxre can delete our post make room

[Google]

This is a Sticky + Award worthy.

[Spire_CnC]

Awesome and amazingly HQ tut! If I was Mod of this section, I would sticky this!

[Alex]

Awesome and amazingly HQ tut! If I was Mod of this section, I would sticky this!

This Is probably 4 hours of work easy

[Celestial]

This is a Sticky + Award worthy.

Thanks for the kind words.

Awesome and amazingly HQ tut! If I was Mod of this section, I would sticky this!

Thanks mate, it really means a lot.

It would be cool if you could it to one thread. Me and mxre can delete our post make room

I was thinking of making more threads, but making one master thread with all of the links and stuff.

[One]

Very HQ and nice looking guide, Celestial! Thanks for this!