jasperofzeal NP2626 I don't know why it is in todays day and age, when someone asks about a specific item, people will always make a suggestion that they are using something far superior to what the original person was asking about. We do tend to be so willing to one-up, everyone, instead of simply answering the O.P.'s question. The above is an observation from someone who appearently doesn't do anything the way others would do it. It's funny that I can be so wrong and be happy about it! Here's a thought. Maybe these forums are here for everyone to get something out of it and not just you. Sure you posted the question about finding the paint program (a google search would have been better) and aside from helping you, others informed you of other options that are out there. That information is useful, not only to you, but anyone else that has interest in imaging software. So you want to stay with what you know, fine, but I'm one of the folks that benefited from the info and am now learning more about GIMP and inkscape. All information posted on the forum is not only for the OP who may have started the thread, but for anyone that may find it useful. So no need to get all crabby about getting more information than what you were looking for, just take what you need and let others benefit from other information that may present itself.
NP2626 I don't know why it is in todays day and age, when someone asks about a specific item, people will always make a suggestion that they are using something far superior to what the original person was asking about. We do tend to be so willing to one-up, everyone, instead of simply answering the O.P.'s question. The above is an observation from someone who appearently doesn't do anything the way others would do it. It's funny that I can be so wrong and be happy about it!
I don't know why it is in todays day and age, when someone asks about a specific item, people will always make a suggestion that they are using something far superior to what the original person was asking about. We do tend to be so willing to one-up, everyone, instead of simply answering the O.P.'s question.
The above is an observation from someone who appearently doesn't do anything the way others would do it. It's funny that I can be so wrong and be happy about it!
Here's a thought. Maybe these forums are here for everyone to get something out of it and not just you. Sure you posted the question about finding the paint program (a google search would have been better) and aside from helping you, others informed you of other options that are out there. That information is useful, not only to you, but anyone else that has interest in imaging software. So you want to stay with what you know, fine, but I'm one of the folks that benefited from the info and am now learning more about GIMP and inkscape. All information posted on the forum is not only for the OP who may have started the thread, but for anyone that may find it useful. So no need to get all crabby about getting more information than what you were looking for, just take what you need and let others benefit from other information that may present itself.
It goes without saying that nobody ever suggests that old technology should be discarded and the new technology be totally embraced as being so much better, right? Glad to have been of service!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
TONY
"If we never take the time, how can we ever have the time." - Merovingian (Matrix Reloaded)
NP2626I don't know why it is in todays day and age, when someone asks about a specific item, people will always make a suggestion that they are using something far superior to what the original person was asking about. We do tend to be so willing to one-up, everyone, instead of simply answering the O.P.'s question.
You asked; we answered. The simple fact is that MS Paint is a very basic program that isn't capable of doing much. There are much better programs for making signs and decals, hence all the suggestions.
As an example, a lot of old-timey signs and logos had lettering done in the style below. You can't alter the fonts in Paint, but with Inkscape you can reshape ordinary fonts into any shape you want.
Another advantage to Inkscape is that it allows you to control Stroke and Fill, which refers to the outline and fill colors of the font, something that's very desirable for making signs. MS Paint gives you no control over those.
ETA: And still another advantage to Inkscape is that you can wrap text around a circle, which is common in signs and logos. You can't do that in Paint. In the pic below, I did a logo for a fictitious Rocky Mountain Railway.
Steve S
I've only fooled around with Auto-CAD. Now your talking about a whole nother ball of wax. There is no comparison between a true CAD program and what I need for drawing signs and other simple items. The truth is there is always a better mousetrap with computer software. What's a good program for one person is to another, a piece of junk. It's like everything else in this hobby, we use what we like.
I have just tried out the Libre CAD pack and think I'll stick to the Libre Office Presentation program for doing stuff like numberboards... but may be I will change my mind later if someone could offer a tutorial on CAD programs perhaps?
Cheers from Oz
Trevor
I have been using Open Office/Libre Office using the "presentation" program for simple drawings including funnily enough number boards. As I write, I have found also there is a Libre Office CAD program on http://librecad.org/cms/home.html and I am currently downloading it.
Both these programs are absolutely free and I think better than any MS product anyway. If you would like an individual tutorial on making a number board, let me know or PM me ... sorry I am not sure about uploading pictures
Regards from Australia
I'm not techno oriented and I'm tired of constantly having to relearn how to do simple things, because the software companies feel I must. Paint works wonderfully for my simple needs. If at some point I feel I need more, I may look into better stuff. Until then, I am happy that people were able to point me in the direction I wanted to go!
You may want to give GIMP and Inkscape a try. I use both for photo editing, special effects, and some CGI that I do. Both are very powerful paint tools and are free online.
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
Paint is a "Raster" program. It creates .bmp files. That is a dot by dot rendering of the image as printed on your screen. If you add something, there it is, and while it can be deleted, it cannot be moved or resized. The can of course be exported to any finished format.
Other programs are "Vector" based. They use mathmatical formulations to present objects. These can be resized, moved, turned, flipped. They can be applied in layers, can change colors, and do alot of other cool things. They can save work in any of dozens of formats, and the files take up far less space on your hard drives.
The intersting thing is, that when presented on your screen (or printer for that matter) they are unpacked and shown as a .bmp file, taking up the same active memory that a .bmp file would use. Think about it. A monitor is a raster device, it paints the image (about 60 to 80 times per second for a CRT and updates an LCD image just as quickly) dot by dot.
Anyway, Try a vector program, you may never look at paint again.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Inkscape is a free program that is great for decals. It's more involved than Paint, but it's a lot more powerful. There are lots of tutorials on Youtube.
https://inkscape.org/en/
NP2626 Thank you to everyone, I have paint back on my desk top!
Thank you to everyone, I have paint back on my desk top!
And I have paint under my fingernails!
... doing a little weathering today!
Ed
To ad to what Ed just said, which is the fastest method of finding stuff btw.... you can also right click on 'Paint' once it is in your start menu. Select one of the two options "Pin to start menu" or "Pin to task bar".
Selecting either or both of these will place a shortcut in the specified places so 'paint' will always be easily found. You can do this with any programs listed in your start menu. Never lose anything again!
You can select the amount of 'how many' are dispayed in your start menu, in the start button properties menu.
Douglas
In addition to the hints pointed out by Douglas, you can right click the paint icon once you have found it in accessories and click on Send To> create desktop icon if you want to make it easy to find on the desktop.
NP2626 - In Win7, click the start button and as soon as the start menu appears... at the bottom is a text Box with "search programs and files" in it. Type "Paint" in it and the start menu changes to list anything and everything with "paint" in its title or content.
By the time you get the letters "P - a" typed, MS Paint will be at the top of the list. You can stop typing and just select it. This way you dont have to go fishing through the menus to find programs, or files. Just enter what your looking for in this box. Deliminators can be used. For instance "File.*" will return anything that has "File" as a filename, and ANY exstention that is represented by the "*". You could get File.Bat, File.Com, File.whocares, File.MRingIsFun, as the response.
Here is a link also to an outstanding thread concerning signs. More signs than you could read in a lifetime!
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/162879.aspx
Also, if you right click on the start button, and go into the 'Properties' settings FOR the start button, you can select an option that displays "Recent Items" on your start menu. It places it on the menu so it can be found everytime until you deselect it. The "Recent Items" folder keeps track of items you have recently used. Another way of sacing you the time and hassle of having to find something. Use it once, and in the recent items folder it goes.
There are alot of things hidden in Win7, let it be your friend. By default, so the user is not over whelmed by ALL the bells and whistles Win7 has, alot are turned off.... or hidden.
I just clicked, "Start" then typed paint into the search line and there it was.
OR
Open Paint by clicking the Start button , clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, and then clicking Paint.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/using-paint#1TC=windows-7
A few programs like picture and fax viewer I had to download from Microsoft but Paint was included in my version of Win7.
Good Luck, Ed
I found this on Google.
http://en.softonic.com/s/microsoft-paint-windows-7
The Windows 7 version is about the 7th or 8th listing down.
- Mark
Probably you are right. I originally bought Windows 8.1. Found I hated windows 8.1 and back dated it to Windows 7 which for some reason does not have Paint.
Windows 7 should have Paint. I find it under All Programs => Accessories. I seem to remember it being in a different place when I went form XP to 7.
Does anyone have; or, can you recommend some simple drawing software for making signs, decals, whatever? When I upgraded to new Windows 7, I lost my "Winows Paint" program that I just loved for doing this kind of stuff. If I can get Windows Paint Back, that would be great!