MS Paint Tricks

Even though Paint is one of the simplest image editing programs out there, there are still some tricks that make it more appealing than some other programs.

1. Grid
The grid can be accessed by zooming in x6 or x8, and then pressing ctrl+G or choosing view menu > zoom > show grid. This makes pixel work much more bearable.

2. Changing Palette Colors
By double-clicking any color on the palette, you can replace it with another ready-mixed color from the screen which pops up, or mix your own by clicking Define Custom Colors >>.

3. Foreground and Background Colors
To the left of the color palette, there are two layered blocks. These are the foreground and background colors. The change the colors of each, left-click and right-click the palette; to use them, left-click or right-click on the drawing.

4. Coordinates
Have you paid attention to the coordinates that show on the bottom lately? These are helpful in centering, sizing, and position. Specifically:
Sizing. When drawing a shape with the line, circle, rectangle, or rounded rectangle tools, the coordinates which the shape was started on are locked in place, and next to them more appear to tell you how big the shape that you're making is.
Centering. This extra set of coordinates is also handy when centering something in the image, such as text. You can drag the line tool for the end of the object you are centering to the edge of the image, write it down, and do so to the other side, then copy and paste to adjust it.

5. Caligraphy
For those of you who are handy with the mouse and/or have a tablet, there are optional brushes in the brush tool menu which are slanted for on-screen caligraphy.

6. Tool Size
Believe it or not, MS Paint's tools do not have a set tool size. By first making sure num lock is on (activating the numeral keypad), holding down ctrl and plus will make the brush/line larger/thicker, and holding down ctrl and minus will make it smaller.
This works with the eraser tool, the line tool, the pencil, the brush (all shapes), the spraycan, the curved line tool, and on the shape tools (but only on the options with borders).

7. Color Replacer
Also a little-known fact about MS Paint, the color replacer is located in the eraser tool. To use it, set the foreground color for the color you wish to replace (the only color you want the new color to show up on), and the background color to the color you want it to be replaced with. Then, right-click and it will only draw on the color you want it to.
To try this, draw a few black squiggles on the white drawing area first, then set the foreground (left-click) to white and the background (right-click) to red. Right-click and draw around and on the squiggles. They should have remained black, but the white behind them [wherever you drew] became red.
See #6 to make the color replacer tool bigger or smaller.