Font size to page

[risingmoon]

I just downloaded paint and am giving it a whirl at my company. We're trying to move away from old programs we still somehow use. My question is if I have a piece of line artwork that's 7x 8.5, the standard font size we use is 12. Yet when I type it into the artwork, it looks like it's size 6 comparatively. Is there a way to correct this? Thanks

[pdnnoob]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the number for font size is based on pixels and not inches. My guess is that, if you zoom to 100%, the image will be about twice the size it really is (likely because of the dpi). Don't worry, though; you're not doing anything wrong. There are a couple things you could do to solve the issue, but what you do ultimately depends on what you will be using the image file for.

Solution 1: You want highest possible resolution

If you have text on the image already, adjust the new font size until it matches the size of the text.

Solution 2: You are posting the image to the web

Save a copy of the original (just in case), then resize the image to 7x8.5 at 96 dpi. Set the font size to 12 and type away!

[midora]

Font size is given in point. A point is 1/72 inch.

So the dpi setting of the image has impact to the pixel size of the text (during the time you are adding the text).

[pdnnoob]

Thanks for the clarification.

In that case, I guess paint.net doesn't work the right way.

On the left, I typed 12pt Arial font on a 96 dpi canvas, and it turned out ok. However, on the right, at 300 dpi with the same font and font size, the text seemed to be based on pixels and not inches. If it worked the way it should (as you explained), the text would end up being the same size in both images.

That said, my previous explanation was wrong, but the solutions are still the same. Hope this helped you, because it certainly helped me!

Edited March 13, 2012 by pdnnoob

[Rick Brewster]

Font sizes in Paint.NET follow the pixels and don't take your image's DPI (aka resolution) into consideration. They're locked in at 96 DPI, in other words (actually it might be based on your Windows DPI setting, I honestly don't remember). So if you want "12pt @ 300dpi" then take 12 x (300/96) = 37.5, and just type that font size in.

Paint.NET does allow non-integer font sizes. Size 8.0 is measurably different than 8.5 or even 8.1, for instance. (NOTE: This may not apply to Windows XP, since it uses GDI for text rendering, which only supports integer font sizes. For Vista you would need to have Platform Update installed, which you should by now. Then it'll use DirectWrite, just like on Windows 7. More info: http://forums.getpai...pport-on-vista/ )

What you should keep in mind is that Paint.NET is not primarily designed for print/publishing work. It's focused on working with still images that will be displayed on computer monitors, and in that domain it is pixels that run the show. You can still use it for print/publishing projects, but the way certain things work won't be geared for maximum intuitiveness.

Also, this post is fantastic for learning more about DPI: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/17049-dpi-and-you-understanding-resolution-for-print-and-web/

[midora]

Font sizes in Paint.NET follow the pixels and don't take your image's DPI (aka resolution) into consideration. They're locked in at 96 DPI, in other words (actually it might be based on your Windows DPI setting, I honestly don't remember). So if you want "12pt @ 300dpi" then take 12 x (300/96) = 37.5, and just type that font size in.

Rick, please consider to change this.

To force the user to have this calculation in mind is not so intuitive (from my perspective). Especially if the user has to check the current screen resolution maybe depending an the monitor. 1 point should be 1/72 inch in the image.