How to Use Paint 3D: The Interface and Every Guide

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Quick answer

Paint 3D has one bar of tabs across the top, a second bar with selection tools under it, and a panel on the right that changes with each tab. Pick a tab, choose a tool in the right panel, and work on the canvas in the middle. Scroll to zoom, hold Alt and drag to move around. Every task has its own guide below.

This page shows how to use Paint 3D from the first screen onward. It explains what each part of the window does, how to move around, and then lists every guide on this site by the job you want to do.

When it opens

Paint 3D starts on a welcome screen with three big buttons: New for a blank canvas, Open for a file or a saved project, and Paste for whatever you last copied.

Paint 3D welcome screen with New, Open and Paste buttons

You can turn this screen off later in Menu, Settings, with Show welcome screen.

The screen, part by part

The top bar holds the main tabs: Menu, Brushes, 2D shapes, 3D shapes, Stickers, Text, Effects, Canvas and 3D library. On the right end sit Paste, Undo, History and Redo.

The second bar holds Select, Crop and Magic select on the left. On the right are 3D view, the zoom slider, the zoom percentage and a three-dots menu.

The right panel changes with the tab you pick. Click Brushes and it shows brushes. Click Canvas and it shows canvas settings.

Paint 3D 2D shapes panel with lines, curves and shapes

The canvas in the middle is your picture. The gray area around it is the workspace.

Paint 3D window with the Brushes tab open and a 3D model on the canvas

Short on space? The small arrow at the far top right hides the text labels under the top bar icons. Click it again to bring them back.

Moving around the canvas

These controls come straight from the app's own help card.

With a mouse:

Zoom: scroll the wheel up or down.
Pan: hold Alt, then click and drag. Or drag with the middle mouse button.

With the keyboard:

Zoom: Page Up to zoom in, Page Down to zoom out.
Pan: hold Alt and press the arrow keys.
Orbit around a 3D model: hold Ctrl and press the arrow keys.

To see the card yourself, open the three-dots menu and choose Show interaction controls. It has tabs for Mouse, Touch, Pen and Keyboard.

Paint 3D interaction controls card showing mouse shortcuts to pan and zoom

Other keys worth knowing

Select several 3D objects: hold Ctrl while you click them.
Stamp several stickers: hold Ctrl while you place them.
Finish typing 2D text: press Shift + Enter. Press Esc to throw it away.

At the right end of the second bar, the three dots open a short menu: Undo, Redo, Paste, Canvas options, Show interaction controls, Reset view and Take a screenshot. Reset view is the quick way back if you get lost while zooming or turning a model.

Paint 3D more options menu with Canvas options, Show interaction controls, Reset view and Take a screenshot

Menu, at the far left, holds the file commands: New, Open, Insert, Save, Save as, Print and Share. At the bottom are Settings and Learn and Feedback.

Settings has four options: Use compact view for a slimmer side panel, Show perspective for a sense of depth in 3D, Show welcome screen, and Adjust display quality. Keep display quality on Normal unless you need the smooth texture option, which needs High or Ultra.

Getting started

Paint 3D download: the final build, with the checksum to verify it.
How to install Paint 3D: the two-click way, the PowerShell way and every error code.
System requirements: which Windows versions and PCs it runs on.

Editing pictures

Remove a background: cut out a person or object with Magic select.
Transparent background: make and save a see-through PNG.
Crop: trim a picture, set a ratio or crop around a selection.
Resize an image: change the pixel size without the usual mix-up.
Rotate and flip: turn and mirror pictures and 3D objects.
Blur: why there is no blur tool, and what to use instead.
Invert colors: the quick route through Paint.
Layers: what stays separate in Paint 3D, and what merges.

Text, drawing and decoration

Curve text: the honest answer and the workaround.
Add fonts: where Paint 3D gets its fonts and how to add more.
Stickers and textures: place, stamp and make your own.

Working in 3D

3D shapes: 3D objects, 3D models and the three 3D doodle tools.
3D library: ready-made models, and what still loads.
Animation: turn a 3D scene into an MP4 or GIF.

Files and projects

Save and export: every format, and what it cannot save.
Where files are stored: the exact project folder.
Recover projects: get back missing or unsaved work.

When something goes wrong

Paint 3D not working: fixes in the safe order, and every error message.
Uninstall Paint 3D: three ways, and the command to avoid.

The bigger picture

What happened to Paint 3D: the full story, in order.
Paint vs Paint 3D: which app to use for which job today.
Paint 3D alternatives: free apps, picked by job.
Paint 3D online: browsers, Chromebooks and iPads.
Paint 3D for Mac: what Mac users can do.

Spotted something that does not match your screen? Email [email protected].

How to Use Paint 3D: A Tour and Every Guide