Need more than Microsoft Paint but less than a professional suite? Paint.NET brings layers, drawing tools, effects, and undo history together in a Windows image editor.
Layers keep image elements separate
Paint.NET’s Layers window lets you build an image from separate parts, then adjust their order and visibility as you work. That structure suits graphics with text, background artwork, and foreground details, and it allows edits to one layer without painting directly over every other element.
Save a layered project in PDN format to continue editing it later. For a finished image, export to a common format such as PNG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, or TIFF.
Tools and effects cover everyday image edits
The tool palette includes selections, painting, text, shapes, gradients, and cloning. These tools handle tasks such as cropping or retouching a picture, marking up a screenshot, and creating a basic graphic. Special effects provide another set of adjustments for changing an image’s appearance.
The History window records editing actions, and Paint.NET supports unlimited undo. This lets you move back through a sequence of changes if an edit does not work out, then continue from an earlier point.
Plugins extend the editor
Paint.NET has an active community that shares plugins and tutorials. Plugins can add capabilities to the editor, while tutorials offer guidance on particular tools and workflows.
Pros
- Layers support separate elements within one image
- Unlimited undo lets you step back through editing changes
- Plugins can add tools and effects
- The native PDN format preserves editable projects
System requirements: Windows 10, Windows 11 · ARM64 and x64 · Windows 10 version 21H2 or newer · 64-bit CPU with at least 4 cores · GPU with Direct3D 11 support · .NET 9 included with the app
Can Paint.NET work with layers?
Yes. Use the Layers window to manage separate image elements, and save the project in PDN format to preserve its editable layers.
Does Paint.NET support undo?
Yes. Its History window tracks editing actions, and the editor supports unlimited undo.
Can plugins add features to Paint.NET?
Yes. Community-made plugins extend the editor, and tutorials are also available from its community.
