- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7
- Date added: January 12, 2010
- Total Downloads: 5,027,360
- Downloads last week: 11,668
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 915 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on November 09, 2009
If all you want is a quick image retouch, Photoshop is overkill. Paint.NET, on the other hand, is an open-source freeware editor with all the essentials, including tools to crop, rotate, and resize images, adjust colors, and create collages. It supports common image formats--JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and others--but not high-resolution RAW files. There are enough basic and intermediate effects and features to keep image-tweakers happy, including a red-eye removal tool that has seen dramatic improvements. Unlike most free image editors, Paint.NET supports layers, history, and has an actions manager. The pleasing interface boasts semitransparent windows for ease of use.
Version 3.5 addresses many performance quibbles and offers some interface tweaks for the Aero-theme users, but fans of the "dancing ants" may not like the gray-overlay changes made to the selection tools. The useful tools under Effects on the menu bar have seen many additions since version 3, including surface blurs, dents, and crystalize.
The new version automatically downloads and installs the program's prerequisites, including the latest Microsoft .Net version and Windows Installer. It will update in the background now, too, so you can continue to use the program until it's ready to restart. Longtime users should notice that the program starts up about 20 percent faster, according to the publisher. Regardless of minor problems, Paint.NET is far more advanced than Microsoft Paint, and given its free price, it's a must-have for anyone needing to fix images.
Watch the CNET video review of Paint.NET:
Publisher's description
From dotPDN :Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plug-ins.
What's new in this version:
Version 3.5.2 resolves some feature disparities in the Text tool between GDI (XP) and DirectWrite (Win7/Vista); improves overall performance, as well as the correctness and quality of the Move Selected Pixels tool, the Image->Resize function, and the Hue/Saturation adjustment.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.2 stars out of 915 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 18 user reviewsSee all 18 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Paint.NET 3.5.2
"better than many programs that cost"
Pros: though miss some features of some other expensive programs, this offers enough to be at least a great starting point for photo retouching and drawing.
Cons: not much to say negative. program is a little sparse on extra editing features, and seems to lack a good clone feature.
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Version: Paint.NET 3.5.2
Pros: it is very friendly, has the main commands and it is free!
Cons: nothing to state. it is great, according to the goals it has proposed.
Summary: it is not photoshop or another "heavy" software, and limited, it is excelent. well done and thanks
* -
Version: Paint.NET 3.5.2
Pros: A wonderful program which uses minimal space. Very helpful in turning jpegs into gif images. But being an amateur, I haven't explored the program's full potential.
Cons: Not at all crazy about the Help section online. I also wish the program had more image effects options.
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Version: Paint.NET 3.5.2
"I don't believe it is what I wanted nor need."
Pros: I really haven't used it much because I don't understand it.
Cons: I don't like the fact that I have to go online to get help. I want a user's manual at my
fingertips so I can search, try and learn at my leisure. A help resource should have been downloaded with the software. -
Version: Paint.NET 3.5.2
Pros: Did some things well and easily for a 79yo relative
Cons: Didn't do all the basics easily for above relative
Summary: I've tried out PhotoScape which looks like it may do
- See all 18 user reviews Write review
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