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Revision Date: 5 December 2023

Image Menu

This menu contains commands that affect all layers in the current image.  This contrasts with the Layers Menu commands, which only affect the active layer.

Image Menu
Image Menu

Image Crop to Selection icon Crop to Selection

This menu item is only available if a selection is active.  Clicking this menu item will cause the current image to be cropped and replaced by the area that was selected.

If the selection is not rectangular or square, the bounding rectangle minimally surrounding the selection will be used.  Pixels outside the selection will be made transparent.

Example - Crop to Selection

Lasso Select

Here a selection has been made around the car using the Lasso tool

Crop to Selection

Following Crop To Selection the image has been resized to minimally encompass the previously selected area.  Pixels lying outside the selection have the checkerboard pattern which denotes transparency.

Note

The checkerboard pattern is used to indicate areas of the image that are transparent.  This pattern not a part of the image and will not be seen outside of paint.net's editing environment.

Image Resize icon Resize

This command changes the size of the image. The image can be either enlarged or reduced to the size specified.  Clicking the menu item opens the following dialog.

Resize
Resize Dialog

Tip

The Resize dialog can be opened by pressing Ctrl + R

Note

The New size shown at the top of the Resize dialog is the size of the uncompressed image.  This is how much memory (RAM) it will require to edit the image in paint.net.
When the image is saved, a compression algorithm will reduce the image to a much smaller file size.

Two resize modes are By percentage and By absolute size.  These offer the option of changing the size by a percentage or specifying a new Height and/or Width.

If the "Maintain aspect ratio" option is checked, typing a new Width value will maintain a proportional Height value, and vice versa.

The print size is calculated based on the resolution (DPI).

Pixel Size / DPI = Print Size

This formula can be rewritten Print Size x DPI = Pixel Size

For example, if an image is specified to be printed at two inches wide, and the resolution is set to 96 pixels/inch, then the image will be resized to a width of 96 x 2 or 192 pixels.  This is how many pixels will be required to make the image two inches wide when printed at a density of 96 dots-per-inch.

"Resampling" is the process of computing how new pixels appear based on the existing pixels. There are eight types of resampling that can be chosen.  Some algorithms produce better looking results, but take longer to complete.

Resize Resampling Modes
Resize Resampling Modes

If you're unsure about which resampling mode to use, go for the default Bicubic.

The Gamma Correction checkbox determines if the resize operation will maintain the luminosity of the image.

Example - Resizing an Image

Enlarged
Enlarged using Resize command.
Shrunk
Shrunk using Resize command.

Depending on the type of image that is being resized, using the Effects → Photo → Sharpen effect can enhance details softened by the Resize command.

Image Canvas Size icon Canvas Size

This command enlarges or shrinks the canvas without affecting the size of the image on it.

Canvas Size
Canvas Size Dialog

Canvas Size works similarly to the Resize dialog, but adds an Anchor selector and removes the Resampling options. The anchor determines the point the canvas will be enlarged/reduced from.

If the canvas is enlarged, the new area will be filled with pixels the same color as the Secondary color.  If the canvas is reduced, the edges of the existing image outside of the new canvas area will be cropped.

Example - Resizing the Canvas

Canvas Enlarged
After enlarging the canvas using the center anchor point
Canvas Shrunk
After shrinking the canvas with a center anchor point

Image Flip Horizontal icon Flip Horizontal
Image Flip Vertical icon Flip Vertical

These menu items allow the image to be flipped horizontally or vertically. Remember - ALL layers will undergo this transformation.

Example - Flipping an Image

Flipped Horizontally
Flipping the image horizontally

Image Rotate 90 Degrees icon Rotate 90 ° Clockwise
Image Rotate 90 Degrees Counter-clockwise icon Rotate 90 ° Counter-Clockwise
Image Rotate 180 Degrees icon Rotate 180 °

The next three menu items rotate the image by 90° (in either clockwise or counter-clockwise directions) or by 180 degrees.

Example - Rotation

Rotated 90 degrees
Rotation by 90° clockwise

Tip

To rotate an image by angles other than 90° or 180° see the Move Tool section.

Apply Embedded Color Profile icon Apply Embedded Color Profile

Clicking this menu item will apply an embedded color profile if there is one attached to the image. All layers will be converted. If the image has no embedded color profile, the menu item will be disabled.
This feature is especially useful to convert images to their 'true' color profile.

Example - Apply Embedded Color Profile

Applying Embedded Color Profile
Before and after applying an embedded color profile
image of the "Pillars of Creation" produced by NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Image Flatten icon Flatten

This action takes an image with multiple layers and combines them into a single layer.

The action becomes available only when an image has more than one layer.