Paint.net V3.5- Free Image Editing Software.

There was a time when I used to use the software that came bundled with Windows called

'Microsoft Paint' I'm sure most of you have heard of this and many of you probably use it. If you need something that has more features then a good piece of free software is Paint.net. It is a happy medium between 'Microsoft Paint' and more complex, expensive to buy pieces of software like 'Adobe Photoshop.'

The majority of users will find the features of Paint.NET more than enough for day to day photo manipulation however, also thrown in to the mix, are a number of extremely powerful tools.

Firstly, the application has layers; unless you've ever used layers it's difficult to explain in words exactly what they are and how they can help you. The simplest way to explain them would be to think of them as a number of transparency slides, which when all stacked and viewed together form the basis of a whole image. By changing one of the individual slides you will not change any of the other slides but the overall image will look different. This means that changes that you make to one layer which are later altered won't result in damage to the image caused by previous alterations.

Another good feature is the way that the application allows you to view multiple images all at once; instead of having a number of windows open that can be minimised and reopened as and when necessary, Paint.NET has a tabbed interface that works really well. In order to navigate between open files you simply click a thumbnail of the image from a scrollable selection on the top right hand side of the screen.

I did fear that development on this fantastic free application had become stagnant - the last release (3.36) was well over a year ago and even that only offered minor improvements on earlier versions. Having obtained the beta for version 3.5 it would appear the developers are getting back on track as the finished product is due for release next month.

Notable improvements include improved memory usage, a Vista / Windows 7 style glass look, new effects along with the usual helping of bug fixes and rendering improvements.

Speaking of special effects, Paint.Net has a large number built in as standard; ink sketch, oil painting, blurs, distortions, noise control, red eye removal, sharpening, softening and so on. The image can also be manipulated by way of adjustments such as hue, saturation, level, brightness, contrast and sepia controls. The standard drawing and selection tools are provided and of course the intensity, tolerance or size of these tools can all be easily adjusted as necessary.

The size of the application has increased quite considerably since the last release which weighed in at 1.6mb but the application is still only a tiny 4.8mb in size which in relative terms is about the size of one MP3 music file.

by: Chris Holgate

POST COMMENT

How Can Acrylic Window Benefits You In Your Home Getting The Best Of Both Worlds: Basset And Ashley Furniture Information On How To Utilize Low Priced But Working Components In Upgrading Attic Insulation For Sp Foreclosed Homes On Sale: Top Things You Should Be Aware Of Access Top Collections From Vaughan Basset And Durham Furniture In One Site Dragon Nursery Theme: How To Paint A Dragon Mural Water Garden Makes For Serene And Beautiful Addition To A Home Landscape The Rising Need for Denver Moving Companies Tips On How To Utilize Low Rate But Recommended Products In Setting Up Basement Insulation For Any W Office Chairs That Are Just Perfectw How To Choose Right Plumbers - Why Plumbers Are Important Systems On How To Avail Low Rate But Vital Components In Setting Up Thinsulate Insulation For Rainy 10 Tips In Finding The Right Property To In Real Estate