Microsoft Paint Features

Microsoft Paint has been included in Windows for decades. This tool gives users the ability to create and edit graphics. Because the program is simple to use, it is an attractive option for people new to graphic editing. However, Paint has numerous features that allow users to enjoy some creativity when working on graphics.

The Tool Box in Paint contains icons for artistic tools. These tools allow users to choose from various size brushes with different textures. Users may also choose the colors used for free-form drawing. Other tools in the Tool Box let users create shapes, such as circles, squares and rectangles. The Fill with Color tool fills a selected section of the graphic with a selected color, saving the user the trouble of manually coloring that section.

Users have the ability to change the viewing size of the open file. By clicking on the "View" menu, they will find options to resize the viewable area. Choosing "Custom" from the menu allows users to enlarge the view up to 800 percent of the original. This ability to look closely at parts of the creation allows the worker to edit her graphic in great detail. An additional choice on the "Zoom" menu permits users to add gridlines to the window. Gridlines do not print. They are a guideline for the artist to use to be more precise when using drawing tools. Users may also enlarge the screen view by using keyboard commands. To zoom in hit the "CTRL" key with the "Page Down" key. To zoom back to the original view size hit the "CTRL" key with the "Page Up" key.

The "Image" menu gives users several commonly used tools that affect the overall image. For instance, the "Flip and Rotate" selection allows the editor to turn the image in a new direction. For example, he can flip the image horizontally, vertically or rotate the graphic a specified number of degrees. He can also stretch the image or skew it by degree, pulling sides in opposite directions. Users can also change the size attributes vertically and horizontally.

Microsoft Paint allows users to easily forward an open file via email. By clicking on the "File" menu, users may select the "Send" option. Once selected, the program opens the computer's email software and inserts the file into an email. The user has only to choose the recipient, write a message and subject and hit "Send."