User Interface

Other

Keyboard and Mouse Commands

Most commands in Paint.NET can be quickly accessed via the keyboard. For your convenience, all of those commands are listed here.

General Canvas Controls
Hold spacebar + drag with left mouse button Pan image (does not work while typing with the Text tool)
Hold spacebar + drag with right mouse button Scroll image (does not work while typing with the Text tool)
Mouse Wheel up / down Scroll up / down
Shift + Mouse Wheel up / down Scroll left / right
Ctrl + Mouse Wheel Zoom in / out

Move Tools
Drag one of the corner or edge nubs Resize the selection
Hold down Shift while dragging one of the corner nubs Resize the selection while maintaining its original aspect / proportions
Drag anywhere except on the nubs with the left mouse button Move the selection
Drag anywhere with the right mouse button Rotate the selection

Selection Tools (except Magic Wand)
Note: While a selection is active, all drawing, and many other commands, will only draw or have effect inside the selection.
Draw with left mouse button Create new selection, replacing any old selection if there was one
Draw with right mouse button Subtract from the current selection (difference)
Draw with Ctrl + left mouse button Add to the current selection (union)
Draw with Ctrl + right mouse button Invert a given area of the selection (exclusive-or)
Hold Shift while drawing Constrain to square (Rectangle Select), or circle (Ellipse Select)
While drawing with left mouse button, hold right mouse button as well and move mouse Move the new selection
While drawing with right mouse button, hold left mouse button as well and move mouse Move the new selection

Magic Wand Tool
Left mouse click Create new selection from pixels in the surrounding area that resemble the pixel you clicked on, replacing any old selection if there was one (resemblance is determined by the Tolerance setting)
Right mouse click Subtract from the current selection (difference)
Ctrl + Left mouse click Add to the current selection (union)
Ctrl + Right mouse click Invert a portion of the selection (exclusive-or)
Hold Shift with one of the four commands listed above Do a global selection across the entire layer based on the color you click on and the Tolerance setting

Text Tool
Hold Ctrl Temporarily hide the cursor and nub
Tap Ctrl Toggle the nub's visibility
Esc Finish text and commit it to the layer

Paintbrush Tool
Draw with left mouse button Draws with the primary color
Draw with right mouse button Draws with the secondary color

Eraser Tool
Draw with left or right mouse button Erases the given area (sets the pixels to transparent)

Clone Stamp Tool
Ctrl + Left click Set the source point, or "origin"
Draw with left mouse button Copy pixels (you must have already set the source point, or "origin", with Ctrl + left click)

Recolor Tool
Ctrl + Left click Pick up the color under the mouse cursor, and set it as the primary color
Ctrl + Right click Pick up the color under the mouse cursor, and set it as the secondary color
Draw with left mouse button Draws with the primary color, but only over pixels that resemble the secondary color (resemblance is determined by the Tolerance setting)
Draw with right mouse button Draws with the secondary color, but only over pixels that resemble the primary color (resemblance is determined by the Tolerance setting)

Paint Bucket Tool
Left mouse click Fill the surrounding area with the primary color.
Right mouse click Fill the surrounding area with the secondary color
Hold Shift with one of the two commands listed above Do a global fill across the entire layer based on the color you click on and the Tolerance setting

Shape Tools
Draw with left mouse button Draw shape. Outline uses the primary color, interior uses the secondary color.
Draw with right mouse button Draw shape. Outline uses the secondary color, interior uses the primary color.
Hold Shift while drawing Constrain to square (Rectangle), rounded square (Rounded Rectangle), circle (Ellipse), or 15° angle (Line / Curve)

Tool shortcuts
Note: If more than one tool shares a shortcut key, you will need to press the shortcut key multiple times to cycle through the tools that share the particular shortcut key.
Rectangle Select S
Lasso Select S
Ellipse Select S
Magic Wand S
Move Selected Pixels M
Move Selection M
Zoom Z
Text T
Paintbrush B
Eraser E
Pencil P
Color Picker D
Clone Stamp C
Recolor R
Paint Bucket F
Line / Curve O
Rectangle O
Rounded Rectangle O
Ellipse O
Freeform Shape O

File menu
New Ctrl + N
Open Ctrl + O
New Window Ctrl + Shift + W
Open in New Window Ctrl + Shift + O
Save Ctrl + S
Save As Ctrl + Shift + S
Print Ctrl + P
Exit Alt + F4, or Alt + F then X

Edit menu

  
Undo Ctrl + Z
Redo Ctrl + Y
Cut Ctrl + C
Copy Ctrl + X
Paste Ctrl + V
Paste in to New Layer Ctrl + Shift + V
Erase Selection Delete
Invert Selection Ctrl + I
Select All Ctrl + A
Deselect Ctrl + D

Image menu

  
Crop to Selection Alt + I, then P
Resize Ctrl + R
Canvas Size Ctrl + Shift + R
Rotate (clockwise) Ctrl + G
Rotate (counter-clockwise) Ctrl + H
Flatten Ctrl + Shift + F

Layers menu
Add New Layer Ctrl + Shift + N
Delete Layer Shift + Delete
Duplicate Layer Ctrl + Shift + D
Rotate / Zoom Ctrl + Shift + Z
Layer Properties F4

Adjustments menu
Auto-Level Ctrl + Shift + L
Brightness / Contrast Ctrl + Shift + C
Desaturate Ctrl + Shift + G
Hue / Saturation Ctrl + Shift + U
Invert Colors Ctrl + Shift + I
Levels Ctrl + L
Sepia Ctrl + Shift + P

Effects menu
Repeat last effect Ctrl + F

View menu
Zoom In Ctrl + K, or Ctrl + +
Zoom Out Ctrl + J, or Ctrl + -
Zoom to Window Ctrl + B
Zoom to Selection Ctrl + Shift + B
Actual Size Ctrl + Shift + A

Window menu
Tools (toggle) F5
History (toggle) F6
Layers (toggle) F7
Colors (toggle) F8

Help menu
Help Topics F1



Copyright © 2005 Rick Brewster, Chris Crosetto, Tom Jackson, Michael Kelsey, Brandon Ortiz, Craig Taylor, Chris Trevino, and Luke Walker. Portions Copyright © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.