Multiple problems - cropping - font layers - multi layers

[bambinou]

Hi,

I have used Photoshop for a while and right now I am trying Paint.net, there are a few things that I really do not understand, please help, no idea if this is because I am doing something wrong or not.

1)When I create a font layer and wish to come back to it later on by modifying the font size or font type, I have to delete the layer and then redo type it again which I find totally useless, any idea what I am doing wrong please? When you make a menu for a restaurant for example, the last thing you want is to delete the layers and replace them each time. If Paint.net works this way then I cannot see how it is possible to use it on a daily basis.

2)When I wish to crop something, it is impossible to select certain area of the cropping that have been selected by the magic wand. How to remove already selected portions of the magic wand? Sometime it may choose a tiny portion of the picture that you do not want to crop at all.

3)Choosing a layer on click.

This is a huge problem, we have on the right side of the screen a multiple layer dock, in photoshop for example, when you click on the graphical work, the layer is auto selected, in Paint.net I cannot find this "must have" function. Please help.

4)Creating a rounded picture without the need to cut the corners to get to a final rounded banner or whatever we are trying to achieve.

How can you create a rounder banner in jpeg for example(no background). At the moment I can only crop a picture from a square canvas and save it as png(foo background transparency), but how to create the same picture in jpeg? The canvas is always square.

Thanks all,

Ben

[mountnman]

1) http://forums.getpai...ext-v10-stable/ - text editing plug-in ... needed to modify text after initial creation

2) a) ctrl-d will deselect all selction... changing the SELECTION MODE from "replace" to " subtract": and palying with the tollerance might be what you need..

3) the LAYERS WINDOW will let you select which layer to work on, as well as to move that layer in relation to other layers, moddify layer properties, add layers etc.. if you cant find the layers window go to Windows/Reset Windows Location... it should then be on lower right of PDN screen

4)Jpg doesnt support transparency.. in other words, you cant do that..PNG will support the outside transparency, will a giff will support an area of "inside transparency" but will have the square outer shape

Edited September 24, 2012 by mountnman

[pdnnoob]

mountnman got all the answers, but there's still a few things I'd like to say...

1. If whether or not a program is usable on a daily basis is dependent on a single feature, I probably wouldn't use my computer on a daily basis. There is no such thing as a perfect program that fits every need of every user.

2. Never say something is "impossible" what you are asking how to do it.

3. This may surprise you, but I actually prefer selecting layers using the layer window. Selecting them by clicking on their contents is always so annoying to me. Whether the option is a "must have" or not is really a matter of opinion. And this isn't a huge problem--a workaround exists. Name your layers so you don't have to click through them to find the one you want.

4. Image canvases are always square no matter what program you use. Also, I would try to avoid using .jpg if at all possible because it is a lossy image format. If file size isn't a huge issue, I would recommend you use .png instead

[bambinou]

Thank you both for your reply.

to pdn noonb: I have never said that there are perfect programs out there, no idea where you got this one from. Also if a program does not have a single feature that attracts you then there is no point in starting the program altogether, I do not understand your point on this one. For example today I downloaded 4 android applications that only have a few features each, I only needed 1 features for 1 job from each applications, this is why I downloaded them. If I understand your point above I shouldn't even have turned on my mobile phone?Is it why you mean?

The reason I ask the questions above is to see if I can move from 1 technology to the other, but it seems that I should keep photoshop because there are some features that Paint.net doesn't have(as basic feature like choosing the layer on click), my colleague also cannot live without this feature, especially when you have over 100 layers.

I am not critisizing the software, it is just that for my job, it will not work well.

Well done to the programmers of this little free application and good luck.

Thank you,

Ben

[Rick Brewster]

Paint.NET is in no way meant to be a replacement for or competitor to Photoshop. If you've got Photoshop then by all means I would recommend using that.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

there are some features that Paint.net doesn't have(as basic feature like choosing the layer on click)

Click on the layer name in the Layers Window to activate it. Easy.

[bambinou]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes you are right, after playing with it all night, I can say that photoshop is far better but then again, it is a premiun product. I also downloaded gimp and found it also far superior to paint.net.

You are right, I will stick to photoshop ....

Thanks,

Ben

[Rick Brewster]

Wow ok no need to smug about it. You'll find GIMP is far better at crashing, that's for sure.

I'm closing this thread.