Avoiding Background Erasure In Ms Paint: Tips And Tricks

Microsoft Paint has introduced an update with layers and the ability to create transparent backgrounds. This has caused some confusion among users, who are now facing issues with the eraser tool, which is causing the white background to disappear. While some users have found this update handy, others have expressed frustration with the lack of an option to turn off transparency. This paragraph introduces the topic of how to avoid erasing the background in MS Paint, highlighting the recent update's impact on the eraser tool and user reactions to the changes.

Use Paint 3D to remove the background

Paint 3D is a pre-installed Windows 10 and 11 app that is a "modernised" version of Microsoft Paint, bringing a lot of useful features. It is not possible to make the background transparent in MS Paint, but you can do this in Paint 3D. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to remove the background in Paint 3D:

• Open Paint 3D by typing "Paint 3D" into the Start Menu.
• Open the image you want to use by selecting "Open", then "Browse Files" from the Welcome Screen.
• Click "Canvas" and enable "Transparent Canvas". This will add a transparent canvas behind your current image instead of white space.
• Use the Magic Select tool to highlight the section of the image that you want to keep.
• If there are parts of the image that are highlighted that you don't want to keep, click "Remove" in the menu bar to the right. Use it like an eraser and erase the parts of the image you don't want to keep.
• If any parts of the object you want to keep are not highlighted, click "Add" in the menu bar to the right. Then, trace around the parts of the object or sections of the image you want to keep.
• Click "Done". This will create a cut-out of the object you want to keep. You can now click and drag the foreground object you want to keep. The area behind the object is now filled in using AI.
• Save your document.

You can also use the "Select" tool in Paint 3D to ignore the white background when you copy images and paste them into another image.

Select the image with a white background

To select an image with a white background in Microsoft Paint, follow these steps:

• Open Paint by clicking on the File menu in the top-left corner and selecting Open.
• Select your desired image with a white background and click Open again.
• Click on Color 2 in the toolbar at the top of the screen, to the right of the color palette.
• Click on the eyedropper icon in the "Tools" panel at the top of the screen.
• Click on a blank area of the white background. This will ensure that the background color is now selected as "Color 2."
• Use the Rectangular selection tool by clicking on "Select" in the toolbar and choosing Rectangular selection.
• Click and drag your mouse around the subject to create a dotted rectangular selection box.
• With the selection made, you can now copy and paste the image into another document or program while ignoring the white background.

Additionally, if you are using Windows 10, you can use the "Paint 3D" method to achieve a similar result:

• Open Paint 3D from the Start menu or by searching for it in the Windows search bar.
• Click Open and then Browse Files to select your desired image with a white background.
• Click on the Canvas tab in the toolbar at the top of the app and remove the checkmark from "Resize image with canvas."
• Drag the canvas edges so that the image fits inside without the white background.

Click on Transparent selection

To prevent accidentally erasing the background in MS Paint, you can use the "Transparent selection" feature. This tool allows you to copy images and paste them into another image without affecting the background.

Step 1: Open MS Paint and your desired image file.

Step 2: Click on the "Select" tool in the toolbar at the top of the screen. This will display a drop-down menu.

Step 3: Choose the "Transparent selection" option from the bottom of the menu. A checkmark will appear next to the selected tool.

Step 4: Now, use the selection tool to draw a box around the part of the image you want to keep. You can do this by clicking and dragging the mouse until you have selected the entire area.

Step 5: Lift your finger from the button, and a dotted rectangular selection box will appear around the selected area.

Step 6: At this point, you can copy the selected area and paste it into another image. The transparent selection tool will ignore the background of the original image, preserving only the selected content.

It is important to note that the "Transparent selection" feature has been reported to be buggy in some versions of MS Paint, particularly in Windows 11. In some cases, the selected area may turn white instead of retaining its original colour or transparency. This issue does not seem to be present in Windows 10.

Additionally, you can also explore using "Layers" in newer versions of MS Paint to work around background erasure. By adding a new layer on top of the background, you can draw or make edits without affecting the underlying background layer.

Remember that MS Paint is a basic image editing software, and more advanced transparency tools can be found in programs like Photoshop or Gimp.

Use the Background Eraser tool

Although there is no specific tool named the "Background Eraser tool" in MS Paint, there are several methods to prevent erasing the background of an image. One way is to use layers. By adding a new layer on top of the background, you can draw or make edits on that layer without affecting the background.

• Open MS Paint and create a new canvas.
• On the canvas, draw or insert the image you want to work with.
• Click on the "Layers" button, usually located on the right sidebar or the top toolbar.
• Add a new layer by clicking the "New Layer" or "Add Layer" option.
• Select the new layer and make your desired edits or drawings on it.
• If you need to erase anything on this new layer, use the eraser tool, ensuring that the correct layer is selected.

Another method to prevent erasing the background is to use the transparent selection feature. This tool allows you to select and copy parts of an image while ignoring the white background. When you paste the selection onto another image or layer, only the selected content will appear, leaving the background untouched.

• Open MS Paint and load the image you want to work with.
• Click on the select tool, usually found in the toolbar at the top of the window.
• From the drop-down menu, choose "Transparent Selection."
• Now, use the selection tool to draw a box around the area you want to keep. Make sure to include everything you want to preserve.
• Once you release the button, the selected area will be surrounded by a dotted rectangular box.
• Copy the selected area by pressing Ctrl + C or right-clicking and choosing "Copy."
• Paste the selection onto another image or layer, and the content will appear without the white background.

By using layers or the "Transparent Selection" tool, you can effectively prevent accidentally erasing the background of your images in MS Paint.

Add a layer on top of the background

While it is not possible to make the white background transparent in MS Paint, you can add a layer on top of the background to draw on. This will allow you to erase mistakes without affecting the background.

To do this, open Paint 3D from the Start menu or by typing "Paint 3D" into the Windows search bar. Then, click “Open” in the left-side menu and browse for your file. Once your image is open, click on the “Canvas” tab in the top toolbar. Remove the check mark from “Resize image with canvas” and drag the canvas edges so that the image fits inside.

Now, you can use the “Transparent selection” tool to ignore the white background when copying and pasting images. To do this, click on “Select” in the top toolbar and select “Transparent selection” from the drop-down menu. Then, use the “Rectangular selection” tool to draw a box around the subject you want to keep. Everything within your selection that doesn't match the background color will be preserved.

You can also use the Paintbrush tool to paint over any white edges that remain around the object you pasted. Zoom in and try not to color within the image. If the background is not a solid color, you may need to use the eyedropper tool to select the correct color.

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