Reptillian

Artistic effect or compatibility with very old games/softwares. Some older games have limited palette, and to reduce banding, dithering is used. If you are modding say Ultimate Ride Disney Coaster, you'd note that dithering is the only way to reduce banding in menu images. Some games are reduced to 256 colors, and dithering helps the issue of banding. For artistic effect, amiga images achieves have some very nice images of how low color and dithering can give a oil feel that is somewhat rough. But, I do agree that for modern softwares purpose, for all intents and purposes, dithering isn't very useful, and there's no point to it unless you have a taste for it or you specialize in pixel art. Indexing still have use in separating colors for generating effects though. Threshold filter has some very useful niche usage for example.

Pictures can be in layered form, and arguably in vector forms. TIFF can store layers, and support high depth along with color space like CMYK or LAB. But, I get what Joshua means.

Paint.NET does not have unbounded layers, so you're always going to have to expand canvas size.

Increase PPI in output or use a vector software.

It eliminates the blacks within the flower. I'm actually trying to find out a solution without that issue.

I keep some of the old features via having to download apps I mentioned here. I never really use the new features that much. Bluetooth is a fine addition though. Helps keep away from having to use USB. I would actually be interested into seeing actually useful feature like the ability to copy and paste folder into multiple folders via GUI. And, I don't remember having link folder, and that is something I use. Link folder are just folders which are linked to another folder, and every time you drop to that folder, you are manipulating that folder. I downloaded something for that.

It requires significantly more force on the pinky finger (if you're on a thick keyboard), but feels more natural than having to use 2 finger for cntrl+shift. To be honest, besides autohotkey, there isn't a real solution on my end.

For softwares that have this features, I assign the shortcut Shift+V to duplicate from visible. It's a little easier on my hand. I do find it a little uncomfortable to hold cntrl+shift, and move the finger from c to v (this is the part that makes it uncomfortable while holding down). Comfort is another reason for this idea.

It's easy, but if you're working with 100+ layers requiring duplicates of visible data, it'd be less fatiguing to have a one shortcut that does that in comparison with two. I sometimes have worked with 500+ layers on other programs, and small improvement to improve that sort of workflow is always appreciate-able. Plus, not everybody have functional motor skills meaning it would be a lot harder for them to use to do that, but that's another topic for another day.

It would work for those who use Paint.NET as their main software, but that's not my case. Some find it a little bothersome to have to download a software for that one task.

As I was trying to use Paint.NET for glitch art, there's a small idea that would improve the functionality of Paint.NET. Instead of having to use keyboard shortcut, or having to use multiple click, I would suggest implementing a one-click approach as it would improve Paint.NET. Right now, 3-step isn't much, but it can really stack up when it comes to having to use 50+ layers for example. New Layer from visible is basically 1-step version of copy merged and paste into new layer.

I don't get these messages. I changed the start menu with classic start menu and I use Free Launch Bar. To me, it is easier because of the small things such as task view on taskbar, ribbon bar, quick access toolbar, and so on. I know Windows 10 is badly designed in some way like the start menu (which is an abomination). Plus, Windows 10 offers better hardware support for more modern computers. There's also better of things support under Windows 10. There's just no reason for me to switch back to Win 7. If it were up to me, I'd use Linux really, but the main issue that stops me from using it is the lack of applications. At least Paint.NET can be ran under Linux, but it's not quite easy. As a matter of fact, I remember the author of G'MIC tool actually used Paint.NET with plugins under Linux to try to mimic effects for his G'MIC tool.

Secure is controversial as it is the most targeted OS for malware because of usage level, but it is definitely stable and well developed. I'm not a fan of Microsoft, but it is what it is. But, that being said, Windows 10 is recommended over Windows 7 now. Development has prioritized for Windows 10, and by all means, it is better than Windows 7 in terms of usability.

These are usually done with vector softwares as it's easier to cut out shapes with vector softwares, but if you insist on using raster softwares, you could use Shape Maker plugin, and follow some of Joshua's advice. You aren't going to get the flexibility of vector graphic softwares. It's also possible to combine vector graphic software with raster graphic software.

Trail absolutely worked perfect for this sort of task.

That is not the same thing, if you look at example, and the picture I provided. They work completely differently. One can be used for healing picture,, or aid in healing in picture, and this one cannot be used for this. The picture shows a straight pixel stretch using the pixels found near at the edge with an arbitrary shape, and stretch all the way to the end. It isn't a straight selection from one end to another, and then transform to stretch pixel.

If you look closely, the pixel stretch are following the shape all the way through except for horizontal line. This is not a straight-cut based pixel stretch. This is arbitrary pixel stretch. It doesn't seem that it's possible to do it on Paint.NET unless you want to go in and do it by hand.

That why Paint.NET stop being open sourced. Why have I not seen a case like this other than Paint.NET? Are those ripoffs a fork of Paint.NET? I can't see anything wrong with people forking open source codes provided they attempt to establish their own program. Now, forking it and claiming it's the main Paint.NET is wrong though. It's like calling GIMP-Painter the main GIMP or Ponyscape the main Inkscape.

Ooh, my niche use (Copy and Paste with few edits) with GIMP and Paint.NET can be fulfilled here. I will download this.

I appreciate your indepth explanation, and now I know a little bit more of how Paint.NET works. On the part of layer mask, I guess either terminologies works (transparency mask, and layer mask). Transparency mask works better in case of programs with more than just transparency mask just that users of those program don't get confused between layer mask, and other mask types.

No. Paint.NET is using the approach of offering paid version of application as a form of donation for development.

We both use Paint.NET and Krita very differently, and we both have different opinions about the two software, and I'll leave it there. I'll say that they're both useful for different things although I don't use Krita similar to most other Krita users. Some people like one software, other people hate other software. Just how life goes. And now, I think I know why overwrite blending mode isn't supported on layers. Something to do with colors. When alpha is at 0, is there any color in there? It wouldn't make sense. Something like Krita Destination In, and GIMP layer mask would be great for this software. I use GIMP 2.8 for niche usage, and layer mask in Paint.NET would make switch from GIMP 2.8 to Paint.NET for niche use. To clarify, I never once saved as .xcf format or .pdn this year, but I use these softwares to copy and paste and export with very limited amount of editing which has to do with clipboard.

Photoshop, and Krita have something similar to how overwrite behaves. In Krita 4.0.0 Pre-Alpha for example, it would be destination in. But, of course, to emulate the behavior exactly in Krita, you would have to apply filter mask and put Alpha Value to 1 on every pixel in the layer below the destination in layer. In Photoshop, it would be clipping mask going up or something (never tried it, but I know similar behavior to Krita destination in is there). I'm not really sure why you would say that overwrite blending mode does not have any meaning when dealing with entire layers, unless there is some issues to do with codes. So, why are the other blending modes are available for both?

Judging from the screenshot, overwrite layer blending mode may be coming soon, right? Looks like overwrite is missing on just layer.

I don't see overwrite below Xor. That is what I'm seeing, even after reinstalling to latest. Oh never mind, I found it. I thought it was suppose to be available on layer blending mode now.