Main Window

The Paint.NET user interface is broken up in to 9 major areas:

1. Title Bar

   This tells you the name of the image you are working with, as well as the current zoom level and the version of Paint.NET you are using.

2. Menu Bar

   This is where you can access the various menu items. Quite often, commands accessible from this location will be referenced using Menu → Command notation. For example, File → Exit  means to clicking on the File menu, and then click on the Exit command.

3. Toolbar

   Right below the menus there are several icons and controls for executing various commands or adjusting certain global drawing options.

4. Image canvas

   This is where the image is visible, and is the area where you may draw and perform other actions.

5. Tools Window

   This where the active tool is highlighted, and where you may choose from other tools. It is also where the selected primary and secondary colors are displayed.

6. History Window

   Everything you've done to an image since you opened it is listed in this window.

7. Layers Window

   Every image contains at least one layer, and this window is your primary area for managing them.

8. Colors Window

   This is the primary area for selecting colors to draw with. It consists of a color wheel and a brightness slider. If you have expanded the window with the "More" button then it will also contain several controls for fine tuning and exactly specifying color values.

9. Status Bar

   This area is divided into several sections. The first, on the left, displays quick help and status information. The next sections display rendering progress (if pertinent), image size, and the cursor location within the image.