Marcus Chen
Microsoft Paint is a free software that comes with Windows OS and offers basic image manipulation functionalities. While it is not designed to easily crop circles, it is possible to do so using a workaround. In this guide, we will review a step-by-step process on how to crop a circle in MS Paint, as well as some alternative methods and software that can be used to achieve similar results.
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What You'll Learn
Using Paint 3D to circle crop an image
Microsoft Paint 3D does not have a native circle crop feature. However, there is a workaround that can be used to achieve a similar result. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to circle crop an image using Paint 3D:
Opening the Image in Paint 3D
To begin, launch Paint 3D and open the image that you want to crop by navigating to Menu > Open. Alternatively, you can right-click on the image file and select "Edit with Paint 3D" to open it directly in the program.
Drawing the Circle
Once your image is open in Paint 3D, you will need to draw a circle around the area you want to crop. Go to the 2D shapes function at the top of the screen and select a circle from the right sidebar. Move your mouse pointer to the area you want to crop and press the left mouse button. Keep the button pressed and drag your mouse to draw a circle. For a perfect circle, hold the Shift key while dragging.
Make sure to adjust the circle parameters before clicking outside of it. Set the Fill to "None", Line type to "Solid", and Line type color to white. Increase the thickness of the circle outline for better visibility; 50px or 100px is recommended.
Adjusting the Circle and Crop Selection
You might not get the circle in the right position or size on your first try. The edges of the circle can be adjusted individually, so take your time to ensure the inner boundary of the circle fully covers the area you want to crop. Once you are satisfied with the circle, click on the tick mark on the right edge to confirm.
Next, you will need to adjust the crop selection so that it touches the inner edges of the circle. This can be done by using the crop tool or by manually cropping the image using a 1:1 aspect ratio up to the outer edge of the circle.
Erasing the Background
After cropping, you will be left with your image inside a circle, but with the existing background still visible on the four edges of the circle. To remove this, click on the Brushes icon and select the eraser tool. Hold the left mouse button and drag the eraser over the outer areas to delete the background. You can adjust the size of the eraser using the Thickness slider in the right sidebar.
Refining the Cutout (Optional)
At this point, you should have your image inside a circle with a transparent background. However, the crop might not always be 100% accurate. If the automatic crop cut into the object you wanted to preserve, you can refine the cutout by manually marking the areas that need to be added or removed. Paint 3D will adjust the boundary accordingly.
Finalizing and Saving
Once you are happy with the result, click "Done". After a few seconds, your circle-cropped image will be generated. You can then save the image or use it in other projects.
While this method may seem lengthy for a simple crop, it is a useful workaround until Microsoft introduces a native circle crop feature in Paint 3D. Additionally, there are free editing software alternatives like PhotoScape that offer a circular crop tool.
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Using the crop tool to cut shapes
Microsoft Paint is a simple yet elegant software that allows users to create artistic works of high standards. While it does not have the advanced functionality of Adobe Photoshop, it is a handy tool for basic image editing needs, such as simple photo enhancements, image cropping, resolution adjustments, and montage creation.
One common task that can be accomplished in MS Paint is cutting out shapes from an image. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the crop tool to cut shapes:
- Open the image file in MS Paint: Start by opening the image that you want to edit. You can do this by clicking on "File" in the menu bar, selecting "Open," and then navigating to the location of your image file.
- Use the crop tool: MS Paint offers a crop feature that can be accessed by right-clicking on the image. Simply select "Crop" from the menu, and you will be able to adjust the selection to cut out the desired shape from your image.
- Resize the canvas: If you want to ensure that only the desired shape remains after cropping, you can resize the canvas. To do this, click on "Image" in the menu bar and select "Attributes." Adjust the width and height values to make the canvas smaller than the shape you want to cut out.
- Move the desired shape: Before cropping, move the part of the image you want to keep to the top-left corner. This will help cut off the unwanted portions of the image.
- Fine-tune the selection: After making your initial crop selection, you can fine-tune it by clicking and dragging the small boxes that appear around the selection. This will allow you to adjust the size and position of the cropped area to ensure you cut out the exact shape you desire.
- Complete the crop: Once you are satisfied with the selection, simply click on the "Crop" button again or press the "Enter" key to finalize the crop.
By following these steps, you can effectively use the crop tool in MS Paint to cut out shapes from your images. While MS Paint may have limitations compared to more advanced software, it remains a useful tool for quick and simple image editing tasks.
For more complex shape-cutting needs, you might consider using Microsoft Paint 3D, which offers additional features such as the ability to circle-crop images and use the "Magic Select" tool to remove backgrounds outside the desired shape.
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Bolding the edges of the shape
To bold the edges of a shape in MS Paint, you will need to adjust the thickness of the outline. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this:
Step 1: Access the Toolbar
Go to the toolbar at the top of the MS Paint window. Here, you will find various tools and options to customize your shape.
Step 2: Locate the "Shapes" Box
In the toolbar, you will see a box labelled "Shapes". This box contains different shape options that you can use to create your desired shape.
Step 3: Find the "Size" Tool
Next to the "Shapes" box, you will see several tools named "Outline", "Fill", and "Size". Click on the "Size" tool to adjust the thickness of the outline, which will bold the edges of your shape.
Step 4: Select the Desired Thickness
Once you click on the "Size" tool, a drop-down menu will appear, offering different thickness options. Select the option that gives you the boldest outline for your shape. You can choose the thickness that best suits your preferences and the overall appearance of your shape.
Step 5: Choose the Outline Colour
After selecting the thickness, choose the colour for your outline. It is recommended to select the colour white, as this will make the next step, erasing the rest of the image, easier. This step ensures that you do not accidentally erase any part of the image that you want to keep within the bolded outline.
Alternative Tools
While the above method works for bolding the edges of a shape in MS Paint, it is worth noting that MS Paint is not specifically designed for intricate shape cropping. You may also consider using alternative tools like the Pencil tool, Line tool, or Curve tool, which offer more precision in creating straight lines and geometric shapes with varying thicknesses. Additionally, Paint 3D and similar software provide advanced features for shape editing and cropping.
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Resizing the canvas
When working with MS Paint, the canvas size automatically adjusts to fit the image you paste into it. However, if you want to resize the canvas, you can do so by following these steps:
- Paste your image into the canvas.
- Hit the escape key to clear the selection box.
- Use the drag points around the edge of the canvas to resize it. You can make the canvas bigger or smaller, depending on your needs.
- If you're working with a large image, it might be helpful to zoom out before resizing. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + scrolling the mouse wheel.
- If you're using an older version of Paint, such as Vista or older, keep in mind that you might not be able to zoom out further than 1:1. In this case, you can make the Paint window smaller, scroll to the bottom corner, and then drag outwards from there to resize the canvas.
It's important to note that when resizing the canvas, you might need to eliminate extra canvas space by dragging the handles to the edges of your image. Additionally, if you want to extend the canvas in a specific direction after pasting multiple images, you can adjust the image properties by inputting the desired number of pixels or centimetres.
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Using the Magic Select functionality
Microsoft Paint 3D's Magic Select tool allows users to select and remove objects or people from photos and place them in front of different backgrounds. It is a simple, free tool that comes pre-installed on Windows 10.
To use the Magic Select functionality, open Paint 3D and click the 'New' button to create a new project. Then, click on the Menu icon in the top-left corner and select the 'Insert' option. Choose the image you want to edit and click on the Magic Select tool in the upper menu. The Magic Select tool will ask you to slide a rectangular border around the object you wish to remove. Get as close to the object as possible and then click 'Next'. The tool will then algorithmically select the object you want to remove, which you can fine-tune using the 'Add' and 'Remove' buttons.
The Magic Select tool works best with simple, well-lit objects and struggles with more complex scenes. It is important to keep the image simple for the best results. Additionally, the tool works by detecting sharp differences in colour and lighting to distinguish one object from another. Therefore, a well-lit photo with clear distinctions between objects will deliver the best results.
Once all the necessary manual adjustments are made, click 'Done' and your chosen subject will be cut out with the background removed.
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