Help a beginner - where to start with layers?

[sinbadthebad]

I have just downloaded Paint.net and it does look to be a brilliant program but.......

Where do I start ?

How do I use it ?

What are layers and how do I use them ?

Etc Etc Etc

Can anyone please provide a link which will help, rather than confuse me

Edited September 11, 2014 by Ego Eram Reputo
Added descriptive title.

[Trax rInfo]

Paint.net is a program where you can make images looks awesome.

 

1. Do whatever you want! edit a picture, make a virtual painting, etc.

2. Pretty much like any other painting/image programs. get a tool and start drawing something, or maybe open up an image to edit it.

3. Layers are... well, layers. they don't mess up things you do.

 

here are the features : http://www.getpaint.net/features.html

i swore there was a site about the tools in paint.net

[sinbadthebad]

Thank you so much for that

Edited August 25, 2014 by sinbadthebad

[Pixey]

Hi there @sinbadthe bad.   'Ouch' - that was a bit harsh, don't you think on @Trax who was only trying to help.

 

The best way to start using Paint.net is by doing the tutorials.  A good start would be to see how it works visually.

 

Here is a tutorial by our own @Yellowman who has quite a few helpful videos on Youtube.

 

Here is a link to what-is-what in the Tools in Paint.net.

 

Happy PDNing.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Pixey

[sinbadthebad]

Thank you Pixie

It was a tad harsh I agree but it was born out of sheer frustration.

I just want know how to get started

I need to know just how each tool works and how to work 'em.....with a lot of patience and hard work I will be able to figure out the rest I suppose.

Thanks again for your links.

[sinbadthebad]

Checked-out utube as per your suggestion Pixey.

Complete waste of time....I learned nothing !

[Red ochre]

1. Open Paint.Net
2. Press the F1 key, it will take you to the online documentation.(This is slightly outdated since the release of Pdn4 but is still relevant ... and being updated).
3. You may be frustrated but 'biting' other users will not help you learn.

[sinbadthebad]

Yes thanks.

I really am sorry but I just thought he was trying to intimidate me and be a smart arse to a beginner.

When I say 'beginner' I really do mean beginner !

[sinbadthebad]

My sincere apologies to you Trax.

I realise now you were trying to help me....please forgive me, I am truly sorry !

 

Paint.net is a program where you can make images looks awesome.

 

1. Do whatever you want! edit a picture, make a virtual painting, etc.

2. Pretty much like any other painting/image programs. get a tool and start drawing something, or maybe open up an image to edit it.

3. Layers are... well, layers. they don't mess up things you do.

 

here are the features : http://www.getpaint.net/features.html

i swore there was a site about the tools in paint.net

[Pixey]

I too was a 'beginner' seven years ago and did not have a clue what I was doing.  I once lost all the tool windows, was too scared to come on the forum to ask where they had gone, then proceeded to remove the programme and re-download it - just to get my windows back!

 

I can still recall all the times I got frustrated as well ...... I was so keen to make things and couldn't learn fast enough.

 

There is also a book, which was written by one of the mods on here, @EER, for the earlier versions, but will still be relevant for most things.  You can find it here.

 

Just open PDN and play with the layers and try out all the tools.  Then there is the Beginner Tutorial section which have pictures to help you along.

 

Good luck

[Red ochre]

It's easy to misunderstand people on the internet - I've done it myself!

Once you work out the basics:

how to create and move selections,
copying and pasting,
creating and moving layers and the idea of 'transparency',

You should find it much easier.

 

As Pixey says - simply playing with the tools for a while will help. There are also hints in the bottom left corner for some tools.
 

[sinbadthebad]

Thanks all of you

I have just viewed a youtube vid about layers and am now much wiser.

I will keep at it and persevere.....and try to keep calm.

[sinbadthebad]

Thanks all of you [especially Pixey] for your patience and help.

I am now relatively proficient with the program after practising the techniques and pushing all the buttons.

The one thing that is not made clear, however, in any of the online 'tutorials' and it is the most fundamental aspect of understanding the principal of working with layers is that...... the layer you wish to work with should be 'selected' (highlighted) not just ticked or unticked in the box. I know this should be obvious and axiomatic to any proficient user, but at first it was the 'stumbling block' for me which was preventing my progression.

Thank you again for your help.

Edited September 11, 2014 by sinbadthebad

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'm part of a team who are rewriting the online documentation right now. I've drawn attention to this...

[MikeRobe]

I'll quote myself on a crash course I did for someone else about layers

 

 

Layers in Paint.NET work a lot like a stack of paper, as you'd expect.

 

As you've said though, you want to know how to use them. So to begin with, make sure your layer window is open. You'll see a little square with a + on the bottom bar of that window. Click it and hooray, you've got a new layer. Now you can click between them using the window, and whatever changes you make on that layer will only affect that layer. Suppose you want to overlay a picture of a plate onto a table. Create a new canvas, make a new layer. Go to your first layer (the bottom one) and then paste in your image of the tabletop. Go to the top layer and paste in your plate image. You can move this plate around however much you want and it won't affect the table. If it has a background on it, you could use the magic wand tool to remove it. Note that in the layers window there is an image of a nametag and pencil where you can change the opacity and blend mode of the layer to the layer/s below.

Also, the checkbox shows and hides the entire layer, so if you want to not see a particular layer, just untick the checkbox and it'll disappear. Click it again to make it show up.

Edited September 11, 2014 by MikeRobe

[Pixey]

Yay @Sinbadthebad - I'm so pleased you have gotten this far and I see you now have a signature .  Well done!

 

It's funny you mention the 'layers' being selected.  It's something that, even many years into the program, I have to keep an eye on all times as, when you swicth back and forth between doing things, the layer you were last working on gets lost in the shuffle.  I've torn out many a hair in my head, from painting for an hour on the wrong layer, only to have to undo it all.  But, at least you've realised this at the beginning and will now know to keep checking

[sinbadthebad]

Thanks Pixey you are very kind

If you get chance please have a look at my forum http://murgatroyds.net it's a small forum with some nice folks

and I think you make like it !

[DuraMater]

Hello everyone.  I actually have been using PDN for a long time now, but I have not made much use of tutorials in the past. I sort of played around with things, and blundered through, slowly learning about the different tools. However the time has come where I really need to start making use of the tutorials. My question is about how to post images in different layers. In spite of everything that I have read here, and on the PDN tools pages, I still cannot seem to manage it.

 

What happens is that I open an image, which shows as "background". I then add a new layer, which shows as "Layer 2". It is checked off.  When I try to open a new image onto this new layer, I can't seem to make it work. Automatically, a new Layers window opens and shows it as background. No other layers are shown.

 

I am not sure if I am making sense here. I can post screenshots, if that will help, and if I am allowed to do that here.  I thank you all in advance for any help that you can give.

[Pratyush]

Hi DuraMater, 
 
Welcome to forum. I hope that you will have nice time here.

I'm not clear with what exactly you trying to say but I think that you trying to get different images together in a single PDN File. 
 
Well, if this is the thing that you trying then this may help.

If you're opening a new images from Open in File Menu( :Open:) then PDN will open every file in new tab. They will never be together in same file (by means of layer).
 
To get many image for one file that's how I do.
 
Step 1: Open one image as background by usual Open in File Menu ( :Open:).
 
Step 2: Go to "Layers" Menu.
 
Step 3: Select "Import From File..." icon  :ImportFromFile:
 
Step 4: Select as many as file you want. You can also select multilayered PDN file. 
 
Now you will get your images in their respective layers. In case of PDN file, every layer of PDN will be imported in separate layers.

There are other folks here. They will also help you. 

[sinbadthebad]

Hi DuraMater

What I think you need to do is this.....when you have the layer you wish to add the image to.........open the image file, then click 'select all' then 'copy' then open the layer and click 'paste' then adjust the size and placement to suit.

The folks on this forum are very helpful, but it is a long time since they were 'beginners' like you and me

[barbieq25]

Either way will work DuraMater.

 

Pratyush's system or sinbadthebad's. I tend to do it sinbadthebad's way simply because that is how I first did it & it works for me.

 

It may have been a long time since some of us were beginners but that does not mean that we don't wish to help others (see the many tutes written for beginners, as that is how most of us got started, including me). We purposefully try to help out others so that they can achieve their PDN goals. 

[DuraMater]

I want to thank all of you for your patience, and your help.  The reason I had asked about doing this, is because I had previously been reading the Beginner Image Merging tutorial, and one of the first steps is to put both images on different layers, in one PDN file.  The screenshot provided shows one image as a background, and the other as Layer 2, in one PDN file. You can find the thread here: http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/19517-beginner-image-merging-image-heavy/?hl=%2Bhow+%2Bmerge+%2Bimages

 

In both of the methods suggested by Pratyush and sinbadthebad, the image imported or copied does not show as Layer 2.  Using Pratyush's method, the imported image does show in the Layers list, but it shows as a background. Using sinbadthebad's method, the copied image shows as a separate background layer. Neither will work with the gradient to merge the images as I want.

 

I hope this made a bit more sense this time. Thanks again everyone!

[DuraMater]

P.S. - Nevermind folks, I think I got it! If I have any further problems, I will let you know.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

The names of the layers is irrelevant. Once the images are loaded into individual layers you can proceed with the tutorial. It looks like you figured that out

[barbieq25]

DuraMater & anyone else who may come upon this thread...You can change the name of the layers to suit yourself & as default the first layer is automatically named "Background" To change the name of the layer you an either double click the layer to get the layer properties dialog box or press F4 on your keyboard.

 

Glad you got it worked out DuraMater.