I assume it’s to do with running this site but I am often asked what graphics program I use or what do I think is the best graphics software for crafters. Now when people ask that, if there is no contrary evidence I assume they mean a general graphics program which will help them with their designing etc. For 99% of the people who ask the answer is simple. Paint.net. The other 1% either don’t use a windows machine therefore Paint.net wont work, or the are very experienced with graphics in which case they want an Advanced graphics program. For advanced work I recommend Photoshop although this no only seems available as an online program you “rent” or GIMP which is a great free program.
So why Paint.net. Well for one thing I now use it for about 80% of the work I do on Craftville.com… that not only includes all craft images but also all the images used when building the website. You may (or may not) also be surprised to hear that it is free… completely free, no signing up, no unwanted ads no viruses.
Bad Things About Paint.net
Paint.net isn’t perfect. I haven’t come across any graphics software which is. It’s best to go into these things with your eyes open so here are a could of issues I have found.
1. It’s only available for Windows 7 SP1 or newer (including Windows 8, 8.1, and 8.1 Update 1). So if you are running Windows XP or any operating system other than windows then I’m afraid you are out of luck.
2. Initially Paint.net is good. Install it and you can use it for doing lots of different things. However it only become really good when you start adding “plugins” to it. This can be a bit time consuming. Finding a plugin which will do what you want or going through the list and adding ones you think you may need in the future. I will, in the not too distant future, publish a list of my favourite plugins. Hopefully that will get people started. Installing the plugins can be a little complicated but once you’ve done it a couple of times it will seem simple.
3. It has some issues with image resolutions and sizes. When you copy from one image and paste it as a new image the new image will revert to the default 96 DPI. It’s not a huge issue but it is something you need to remember and change to the DPI you are worrking in. Hopefully they will sort this at some stage in the future.
So those are the not so good things about Paint.net. What about the good.
Good Things about Paint.net: Best Graphics Software for Crafters.
1. A powerful yet simple piece of software.
2. Everything looks and behaves as it should. If you’ve used any sort of graphics software before then you will immediately recognise the paint brush, the selection tool, the fill tool etc.
3. You can work in layers which is a very useful ability. This is normally only found on on more advanced (and costly) pieces of software.
4. There are 100s of plugins which add new features and abilities.
5. It can open and save in a wide number of formats. Extras ones can also be added.
6. Suitable for everyone, from a beginner to someone who is experienced with other software.
To be honest I could good on about the good point of this software for quite some time and I think I’m beginning to sound like a shopping telly presenter. The great think about it is it’s free so you have nothing to loose by downloading it and giving it a bash.
[content_box title=”WARNING” backgroundcolor=”#efbff2″ icon=”” iconcolor=”#f20091″ circlecolor=”” circlebordercolor=”” iconflip=”” iconrotate=”” iconspin=”no” image=”” image_width=”35″ image_height=”35″ link=”” linktarget=”_self” linktext=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″] As I’ve said I think this is the best graphics software for crafters, in fact it’s the best graphics software for many people. Unfortunately the scammer know this. They have downloaded the program, written there own instillation exe and will try and get you to download their version. Obviously their version, as well as installing an older version of Paint.net gives you lots of additions… spyware, pop up ads etc….. exactly the same thing applies to the plugins. Only ever download it from the getpaint.net website. Even then ensure you use their download link and don’t acidently click on an advert on their site. Unbelieable some of the ads on their site will take you to the “bad” copies.
When downloading Paint.net from the getpaint.net website you should end up on the page shown on the right. The url of this page is actually http://www.dotpdn.com/downloads/pdn.html . On that page you should click on the link as shown. That is the correct way to download a safe version of Paint.net.
The Plugins should only be downloaded via the paint.net forum. There is a great list of plugins here: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/15260-plugin-index/
Well I hope you decided to take a look at Paint.net and agree that it is the Best Graphics Software for Crafters. You will find more information on it and other great free graphics softwase at www.4um8.com .
