Tip: MS Paint Power User -- Setting Line Thickness

[A serious stab at getting the not-so-serious 'MVP for MSPaint' award.]

When annotating a picture with MS-Paint it's handy to use a thick line-style.

But there is no 'line-thickeness' panel available when drawing ellipses, rectangles, polygons, and rounded rectangles.

[Continues...]

The 'line thickness' panel is only displayed when using the 'straight-line' tool or the curve tool.

Here's the unexpected twist... If you pick a line-thickness while using the 'straight-line' (or curve) tool, then it will be carried over use with the other tools you use, such as rectangles, ellipses, polygons and rounded rectangles.

If you're not expecting it, this can be an annoyance. But if you know about this behaviour, then it's a big advantage.

So to draw a thick rectangle, ellipse or other shape:

1. Select the Straight Line Tool
2. Adjust to the width you prefer
3. Then select the shape tool you want (e.g Ellipse)
4. Go nuts

'Zonker Harris' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 05:25:36 GMT, sez:

Oh my gosh

'Rice Crispie' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 06:45:51 GMT, sez:

Dude, that's awesome.

'mike' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:04:40 GMT, sez:

Doesn't everyone know this? ;-)

'leon' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:03:23 GMT, sez:

it's the little things mike!

'pds' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:29:11 GMT, sez:

Tell us how to do a proper conversion to JPG with MS-Paint, and your MVP status will be a lock. In fact, show me how to go from MS Paint to an image embedded in email (WITHOUT bloating the email), JPG or no, and you'll have the MVP, and more important, my heart.

'lb' on Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:33:32 GMT, sez:

although you *can* save as a 'JPG' with MS-Paint, you have no control over the conversion and you end up with a low quality image.

If you save as PNG you get a much higher quality image (lossless infact) but at a slightly larger size. This is usually pretty good for emails, i reckon.

Also, crop the image down to just the bit you want. This can save big amounts. Use ctrl-W to resize the image quickly.

whaddaya say pds? have i got what it takes to be a most valuable painter?

'pds' on Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:21:32 GMT, sez:

You've won my heart, I think that's all that really matters. :)

'Farmer Jeb' on Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:18:51 GMT, sez:

Hey SG. Do you know who this 'pds' is? You've won their heart! (I hope 'pds' is a girl because I happen to know that SG is into p*ssy not c*ck.) Hmmm. Should I not have logged this?

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