How to edit images in Microsoft Paint

(Image credit: Shutterstock/Tom'south Guide)

If y'all need a picture edited in a hurry, nosotros'll prove you how to edit images in Microsoft Pigment.

You lot might be tempted to pay for Photoshop, or other loftier-cease expensive editing software. Simply in most cases, there'southward no need — Microsoft Pigment is groovy for bones image editing jobs and, best of all, it'southward free and comes pre-installed in Windows 10, and then there's no need to download annihilation.

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Microsoft Paint may be regarded every bit a uncomplicated tool, simply the current version in Windows 10 is a vast comeback on the former one in previous editions of Windows. It'due south packed with useful features to help you perfect your pictures, and it'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to use.

Nosotros'll show you how to get the about out of MS Paint, from resizing and cropping images to calculation backgrounds and text, and other useful editing tips.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - Resize images

one. In the toolbar at the top of the window, select "Resize" from the epitome-editing tools.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the Tom's Guide logo in Microsoft Paint, with the "Resize" button selected

(Epitome credit: Future)

2. The "Resize and skew" window will appear. Select whether you lot want the dimensions to be in pixels or percentages, and whether y'all'd like to maintain the aspect ratio (aka scale both the length and the width by the same amount.)

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Resize and skew" menu Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Hereafter)

three. Enter the new dimensions, and and so click "OK."

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the Tom's Guide logo in Microsoft Paint

(Image credit: Futurity)

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - Crop images

There are two ways to crop images in MS Paint, either selecting the part of the prototype you lot desire to keep and clicking "Crop" or by dragging the borders of the image to the right size.

Here'southward the first mode:

1. In the toolbar at the acme of the window, cull "Select" and then either "Rectangular selection" or "Free-form selection." Gratuitous-grade will permit yous draw freehand the shape yous wish to crop to, whereas rectangular lets you crop the image to a rectangle or square.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "select" menu in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Hereafter)

2. Select the expanse yous would like to crop by property downwardly the mouse button as y'all depict.

How to edit images in MS Paint - a screenshot of a rectangular selection being made on an image in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Futurity)

iii. And so select "Crop" in the epitome toolbar at the superlative.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "crop" tool being selected in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Time to come)

And the 2d way:

i. Click and drag the white boxes beneath and to the right of the image to ingather out the parts you don't demand.

Keep in mind that afterward you let go of your mouse, you won't be able to disengage the crop past dragging the boxes dorsum to where they were — you'll accept to click "Undo" at the very superlative of the window.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the white borders of an image being dragged in Microsoft Paint — (Paradigm credit: Future)

ii. To ingather the left and top sides of the image, you'll have to flip the paradigm — click "Rotate" in the image toolbar, and flip the image horizontally or vertically to be able to ingather the right and summit sides. Don't forget to flip the image dorsum to normal when y'all're done.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Flip and rotate" menu in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Hereafter)

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - Add text

1. In the "Tools" section at the top of the window, select the "A" (text) icon.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Text" tool being selected in Microsoft Paint — (Paradigm credit: Future)

2. Click where you want the text to appear.

How to edit images in MS Paint - a screenshot of the "Text" tool being used in Microsoft Paint — (Prototype credit: Future)

3. Choose the font, size, and color of the text using the icons at the peak of the window.

four. If you want the text to be on a colored background, select "Opaque" from the background tools. Click "Color ane" to change the color of the text, and "Color 2" to change the color of the background.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Background" menu in Microsoft Paint — (Epitome credit: Future)

How to edit images in Microsoft Pigment - Change the colors

Once you've mastered the nuts, here's a more advanced editing tip for you lot — y'all can select multiple areas at in one case that are however color, and change them to a new color, rather than repeatedly using the fill tool.

This can be handy if y'all need to change multiple areas that are all 1 color to another color, but go along in mind that information technology works best with simple images rather than photos where the amount of different colors in the image are very high.

i. Use the eyedropper in the "Tools" section, and right-click the color yous would like to modify. This will set the color you would like to change every bit "Colour 2."

How edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Eyedropper" tool being selected in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Future)

2. Click "Color one" and set it to what you want the new color to be.

iii. Open the "Select" drop-down menu, and brand certain "Transparent selection" is turned on. Then click "Select all".

4. In the "Clipboard" section at the top of the window, select "Cut." This volition turn the image to a solid background of whatever color you had "Color two" set as.

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "cut" tool being selected in Microsoft Paint — (Paradigm credit: Future)

v. In the "Tools" department, select the pigment bucket tool, and left-click the sheet to fill it with the color you set as "Color 1".

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of the "Paint bucket" tool being selected in Microsoft Paint — (Image credit: Future)

vi. At present, in the "Clipboard" section, click "Paste" to bring your prototype back onto the canvas. The colour yous had set as "Color 2" will be replaced with "Colour 1".

How to edit images in Microsoft Paint - a screenshot of a red version of the Tom's Guide logo in Microsoft Paint

(Image credit: Future)

If yous demand more help using Microsoft software, nosotros have plenty of tutorials that volition help you. Check out how to track changes in Microsoft Word, how to sign a Microsoft Word document, and how to convert a PDF to Microsoft Give-and-take.

Nosotros'll too show you lot how to convert a PDF to Excel, and how to use VLOOKUP in Microsoft Excel.

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Millie is a Deals writer at Tom's Guide covering the latest tech news and specializing in deals content and how-to articles virtually everything from phones, streaming devices and headphones to games and software. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gaming on her Nintendo Switch and creating digital art.