How to use Paint?

I have Win XP SP3 and the version of the Paint that comes with it (Programs
Accessories).

Is this the correct NG to ask questions about Paint? If not, what then?

My question....

I use ctrl-PrintScreen to capture the display. Then I run Paint and paste
the image. To copy a subset of the image, I use the box Select tool to
outline the area, then press ctrl-C and ctrl-V.

At that point, I have trouble "selecting" the two different objects: the
original PrintScreen image and the subset I just pasted. By "select", I do
not mean the box Select tool. I mean outlining the object so that I can
move, resize and delete it.

How do I get into that kind of selection mode again? How do I "select" each
object individually?

Paint Help says: "To turn off the selection box, click outside the box". I
have tried clicking all over, to no avail.

"Joe User" joeu2004 wrote in message
...
I have Win XP SP3 and the version of the Paint that comes with it
(Programs
Accessories).

Is this the correct NG to ask questions about Paint? If not, what then?

My question....

I use ctrl-PrintScreen to capture the display. Then I run Paint and
paste the image. To copy a subset of the image, I use the box Select
tool to outline the area, then press ctrl-C and ctrl-V.

At that point, I have trouble "selecting" the two different objects:
the original PrintScreen image and the subset I just pasted. By
"select", I do not mean the box Select tool. I mean outlining the
object so that I can move, resize and delete it.

How do I get into that kind of selection mode again? How do I "select"
each object individually?

Paint Help says: "To turn off the selection box, click outside the
box". I have tried clicking all over, to no avail.


Try this freeware tool for screen shots. You can easily select an area on
the screen to capture with no messing around.

PrintKey:
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=292
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA

Thanks for the pointers so far. I'll follow through in time.

I am beginning to think that the Paint accessory that comes with Win XP
(SP3) is simply brain-dead. Would that be an unfair assessment?

I have used it in the past, but apparently only for the most rudimentary
tasks. Well, I think my current task is rudimentary. Anyway, I do remember
that it was always a struggle; I felt like I was fighting the tool.


----- original message ------

"Joe User" joeu2004 wrote in message
...
I have Win XP SP3 and the version of the Paint that comes with it (Programs
Accessories).

Is this the correct NG to ask questions about Paint? If not, what then?

My question....

I use ctrl-PrintScreen to capture the display. Then I run Paint and paste
the image. To copy a subset of the image, I use the box Select tool to
outline the area, then press ctrl-C and ctrl-V.

At that point, I have trouble "selecting" the two different objects: the
original PrintScreen image and the subset I just pasted. By "select", I
do not mean the box Select tool. I mean outlining the object so that I
can move, resize and delete it.

How do I get into that kind of selection mode again? How do I "select"
each object individually?

Paint Help says: "To turn off the selection box, click outside the box".
I have tried clicking all over, to no avail.

On 3/12/2010 10:37 AM, Joe User wrote:
Thanks for the pointers so far. I'll follow through in time.

I am beginning to think that the Paint accessory that comes with Win XP
(SP3) is simply brain-dead. Would that be an unfair assessment?

Paint wasn't ever meant to be even a moderately powerful graphics
editor. It's more of a demostrator of how to use a mouse with some of
the operating system's built in graphic capabilities.

I have used it in the past, but apparently only for the most rudimentary
tasks. Well, I think my current task is rudimentary. Anyway, I do
remember that it was always a struggle; I felt like I was fighting the
tool.

Also remember that there are object oriented vs. bitmap oriented
images/graphics. It's the object oriented type that allows various
shapes like lines, circles and rectangles to be easily selected and
manipulated. The object oriented type is sometimes reffered to as
"vector graphics". With a bitmap oriented application like Paint the
image is represented as separate values for each pixel, very much like a
dark panel with an array of holes for translucent colored pegs (remember
a product called "Light Bright"?). A bitmap oriented program translates
the drawing tools into that grid format as soon as you finish drawing
the shape (ussually when you release the mouse button) and doesn't have
any way of translating the array of pixels back into the definition of a
shape.

Some of the bitmap oriented programs permit the user to separate bitmaps
into multiple layers. This has an effect similar to a stack of clear
plastic sheets with different images painted on each sheet. Drawing an
image on its own layer simplifies isolating that group of pixels for
subsequent editing. The Paint program that comes with many versions of
Windows wasn't designed to be that powerful. A multiple layer bitmap
might also require a lot of memory and/or hard disk storage.

A bitmap with a wide variety of colors (like a photo or shaded drawing)
is often best stored in a format with individual data for each pixel and
allowance for a WIDE variety of colors (like a jpeg/.jpg). An image with
a limited number of colors and large areas of the same color, like a
newspaper editorial cartoon or smiley face, will take a MUCH smaller
amount of storage as a lossless compressed format like a Graphics
Interchange File (.gif). That might make a significat differene if your
web site host limits your storage space or you want guests at your site
to see your images quickly.

----- original message ------

"Joe User" joeu2004 wrote in message
...
I have Win XP SP3 and the version of the Paint that comes with it
(Programs
Accessories).

Is this the correct NG to ask questions about Paint? If not, what then?

My question....

I use ctrl-PrintScreen to capture the display. Then I run Paint and
paste the image. To copy a subset of the image, I use the box Select
tool to outline the area, then press ctrl-C and ctrl-V.

At that point, I have trouble "selecting" the two different objects:
the original PrintScreen image and the subset I just pasted. By
"select", I do not mean the box Select tool. I mean outlining the
object so that I can move, resize and delete it.

How do I get into that kind of selection mode again? How do I "select"
each object individually?

Paint Help says: "To turn off the selection box, click outside the
box". I have tried clicking all over, to no avail.

On 3/12/2010 6:54 AM, Bruce Hagen wrote:

"Joe User" joeu2004 wrote in message
...
I have Win XP SP3 and the version of the Paint that comes with it
(Programs
Accessories).

Is this the correct NG to ask questions about Paint? If not, what then?

My question....

I use ctrl-PrintScreen to capture the display. Then I run Paint and
paste the image. To copy a subset of the image, I use the box Select
tool to outline the area, then press ctrl-C and ctrl-V.

At that point, I have trouble "selecting" the two different objects:
the original PrintScreen image and the subset I just pasted. By
"select", I do not mean the box Select tool. I mean outlining the
object so that I can move, resize and delete it.

How do I get into that kind of selection mode again? How do I "select"
each object individually?

Paint Help says: "To turn off the selection box, click outside the
box". I have tried clicking all over, to no avail.


Try this freeware tool for screen shots. You can easily select an area
on the screen to capture with no messing around.

PrintKey:
http://www.freewareweb.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?ID=292

I've been using PrintKey for several years with good results. You can
google for other free screen capture programs. Also consider IrfanView,
another free graphics program, not including drawing features, with
various screen capture options.

Bill