How to Make Buttons in a Computer Program
By knowing a bit of HTML coding, you can make your own navigation buttons to create web links. If you become proficient, you can consider making groups of matching buttons that you can sell for people to use on their websites. For the purposes of this article, you will learn how to make buttons in Paint.net.
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Instructions
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Download a copy of Paint.net from www.getpaint.net/download.html. Paint.net is a free paint and photo editing program.
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Install Paint.net to your computer, then open it. When you open Paint.net, you will notice four windows: Colors, Layers, Tools and History. If any of these windows are not showing, go to the Windows drop-down menu and select them from the menu.
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Choose what shape you want your button to be: round, square or a square with rounded edges.
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Go to the Tools menu. At the bottom you will see four different shapes: a circle, a square, a square with rounded edges, and something else that is in no particular shape. While you can use the no particular shape item, it doesn't work very well. Click on the shape you want, then holding the left side of your mouse down, draw your button in the shape and size you want on the blank document that automatically opens when you open the program. Make sure you click on the color wheel in the window for the color ink you want to use to draw it first.
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Go back to the Tools window and select the paint bucket icon by clicking on it, then go to the Colors window and select a color to fill in the button with, then click on your shape. This will fill it in with your chosen color.
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Go back to your Tools window and click on the A, which will allow you to write what your button is for, or something else like "Click Here" for example. Go back to the Colors window and click on the color you want your writing to be, then click anywhere on the button you drew and type in your word or words. You can then hold the left side of your mouse down and move the word or words where you want them.
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Go back to the Tools menu and select the square with the dotted line around it. Use this to draw around your button as closely as possible, then hold down the Control key and the letter C at the same time to copy your button. Go to the File drop-down menu and select New. This will open a new file in the same shape as your button. Hold down the Control key and the letter V this time to paste your button into the new file.
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Go to the File drop-down menu and select Save As by clicking on it and save your button as a JPG. You have now made a button in a computer program.
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Tips & Warnings
If you choose to make a circular button then color the background behind it the same color as the background on your website, that way all anyone will see is your button and not any of the edges from when you copied it to the new file that would otherwise show up as white triangles when you add it your website.
