MS Paint shortcut keys handle the jobs people open Paint for. Ctrl + W opens Resize and Skew, where you can shrink a photo by percentage or pixels; Ctrl + Shift + X crops the image to your selection; and Ctrl + E sets the exact canvas size.
Viewing keys help with detail work: Ctrl + Page Up zooms in, Ctrl + Page Down zooms out, Ctrl + G shows gridlines and Ctrl + R shows rulers. The usual file keys work too, with F12 for Save As.
Quick facts
Resize
Ctrl + WCrop
Ctrl + Shift + XCanvas size
Ctrl + EZoom in
Ctrl + Page UpGridlines
Ctrl + GSave As
F12
MS Paint shortcut keys for editing images
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + W | Resize and skew |
| Ctrl + Shift + X | Crop to selection |
| Ctrl + E | Image properties (canvas size) |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Delete | Delete the selection |
| Ctrl + I | Invert colours (Windows 10 Paint) |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
For a passport photo or a form upload that needs a smaller file, open Resize with Ctrl + W, tick Maintain aspect ratio, and enter a width such as 600 pixels. Saving as JPEG then keeps the file small. Rotate and flip options are on the Image menu.
File and view keys
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + N | New picture |
| Ctrl + O | Open |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| F12 | Save As |
| Ctrl + P | |
| Ctrl + Page Up | Zoom in |
| Ctrl + Page Down | Zoom out |
| Ctrl + R | Rulers |
| Ctrl + G | Gridlines |
| F11 | Full screen view |
Paint shortcut keys while drawing
Hold Shift while drawing a line to keep it perfectly straight, horizontal, vertical or at 45 degrees. With the rectangle or ellipse tool, Shift makes a perfect square or circle. When text is selected inside a text box, Ctrl + B, Ctrl + I and Ctrl + U apply bold, italic and underline. To make the brush or eraser thicker, press Ctrl + Num Plus (the plus key on the number pad), and Ctrl + Num Minus to make it thinner. The current size shows in the Size menu on the toolbar, which can also be clicked when the number pad is missing.
Screenshots into Paint
- Capture the screen with PrtSc or a part of it with Win + Shift + S.
- Open Paint and press Ctrl + V to paste the capture.
- Crop to the important part with the selection tool and Ctrl + Shift + X.
- Add arrows or text, then save with Ctrl + S as PNG for sharp text.
Capturing options are covered in screenshot shortcut key and snipping tool shortcut.
When Paint keys do not work
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + Shift + X does nothing | Make a selection first |
| Brush size keys ignored | Use the number pad plus and minus keys |
| Pasted image is cut off | Enlarge the canvas with Ctrl + E, then paste again |
| Picture blurry after resize | Resizing up adds blur; resize down instead |
Frequently asked questions
What are the main MS Paint shortcut keys?
Ctrl + W resize, Ctrl + Shift + X crop and Ctrl + E canvas size.
How do I resize an image in Paint?
How do I crop in Paint?
Select the area and press Ctrl + Shift + X.
How do I zoom in Paint?
How do I draw a straight line in Paint?
Hold Shift while drawing.