Microsoft Paint (mspaint)
1 min readArticle
Run: mspaint.exe
Basic raster image editor. Included in every Windows version. Useful for quick tasks when heavier tools are not available or needed.
Classic IT Uses
- Screenshot annotation: Win+PrintScreen → open Paint → Ctrl+V → annotate → save for tickets and documentation
- Quick image format conversion: Open PNG → Save As JPEG (or vice versa) without installing additional software
- Cropping: Select a region → Crop to trim screenshots
- Canvas size warning: When pasting a screenshot, the canvas may be larger than the image — use Ctrl+A → Image → Crop to fit canvas exactly to image content
Key Operations
| Action | Method |
|---|---|
| Resize image | Image → Resize and Skew (pixels or percentage) |
| Pick color from canvas | Alt+click on any pixel |
| Select exact region | Rectangle Select → draw → note pixel dimensions in status bar |
| Transparent selection | Select → Transparent selection (removes white background from selection) |
Win11 Paint — Major Update
Microsoft significantly updated Paint for Windows 11 (2023-2024):
- Dark mode support
- Background removal (AI-powered, similar to PowerPoint's remove background)
- Layers support — multiple overlapping layers, opacity control
- Improved UI with ribbon redesign
When Paint Is Not Enough
For more advanced tasks, use free alternatives:
- GIMP — Full-featured open source image editor
- IrfanView — Lightweight, excellent batch conversion and format support
- ShareX — Free screenshot tool with annotation, scrolling capture, and upload features
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