Maximizing canvas workspace?

[Hot Soup]

Hello, new to Paint.NET and this forum.

So, I have a general question/concern about maximizing my workspace on my tiny laptop. I'm currently using a Fujitsu Lifebook P1510, which is a fantastic laptop/tablet hybrid. However, my screen is only 1024x600. So in order to get the most usage out of Paint.NET, I'd like to find ways to get the largest drawing surface possible.

Right now if I turn off all the tool windows (or let them do their transparent thing, that's cool too), I can get the drawing area to 1024x445. But the icon toolbars up top are taking up a lot of realestate, and I can't seem to move or truncate them. Another trick I can do on my side is turn the tablet 90 degrees (putting the toolbars to the 'top'), making it 869x600.

I guess my refined question is: are there ways to expand the art canvas to the full screen (like a 'hide' function for the UI), or perhaps remove the toolbars? I don't mind relying on the dropdown menus if it means giving me 1024x100 pixels extra.

Lastly, can I change the default canvas size for a new file? I haven't really played with that, so I don't know if it'll just remember when I create 'new'. Pardon my asking before trying.

fandom: Paint.NET is the best program for this laptop. It's bloat-free and runs smooth as glass, and has no problems with the stylus interface. I tried both Photoshop, Gimp, and GimpShop on this before settling with Paint.NET. I'll be using this program regardless. I'm just looking to get the most out of the experience.

[Rick Brewster]

Sorry, there's no "fullscreen" mode, nor can you turn off the toolbars or set the default canvas size. We've really designed this app for 1024x768 and larger screen sizes. But if you could describe in detail how you're using Paint.NET, and what you're using it for (for example, aatwo, another forum member, draws cartoons), that feedback will be useful for us going forward.

[Hot Soup]

I'm a comic artist and a graphic designer. My current intention is to use Paint.NET for sketching out logos and designs which I can then transform into vector art using Adobe Streamline for printing. However, the concern for canvas size is mostly for freehand drawing (cartooning, comic artwork), replacing the pencil and ink stages of my comic drawing.

I understand that my situation is pretty unique, so I don't expect much in the way of being catered, I just wanted to know if I was missing preferences or tricks to give me a little more tablet space. Paint.NET is already the best there is so far for space conservation (especially with the transparency options).

I'll probably never work on full-sized print comic pages on my laptop due to their size and complexity, but I may use the laptop to draw individual panels in black and white (effectively a pencil and ink b/w before scanning).

I don't have my artistic process outlined, but some of my comic work is here.