Tux Paint 0.9.33 Quickstart Guide

Tools (Drawing)

🖌Paint

  * Choose a brush on the right.
  * Some brushes are animated 🎞, some are directional ✲, some are both.
  * Change brush spacing with the bars 📶 at the bottom right.
  * Choose a color (see "Colors").
  * Click/tap and drag in the canvas to paint.

⌧Stamps

  * Change categories with the arrow buttons ⇦⇨ near the bottom right.
  * Choose a stamp on the right.
  * Some stamps may be mirrored 🪞, and/or flipped ↕, using controls near the
    bottom right.
  * Some stamps allow you to choose their color (see "Colors").
  * Change stamp size with the bars 📶 at the bottom right.
  * Rotation ⟳ may be enabled, if desired.
  * Click/tap in the canvas to place a stamp.
      + If rotation is enabled, drag to rotate it, and click/tap again to add
        it to the drawing.
  * Some stamps play sound effects; press the speaker 🕪 button to hear it
    again.
  * Some stamps play descriptive sounds; press the headphones 🎧 button to hear
    it again.

⚟Lines

  * (See Paint)
  * Click/tap and drag to draw a line.

⭓Shapes

  * Choose a shape on the right.
  * Select whether you want to extend the shape from the center ⧈, or a corner
    ◰, using controls at the bottom right.
  * Click/tap to position, and drag to set the size of the shape.
  * Drag to rotate it, and click/tap again to add it to the drawing.

🄰Text

  * Choose a font on the right.
  * Select whether you want the text bold 𝗔 and/or italic 𝘈, using controls
    near the bottom right.
  * Change text size using the up 🡁 and down 🡃 arrow buttons at the bottom
    right.
  * Choose a color (see "Colors").
  * Click/tap the canvas to position an insertion cursor.
  * Enter text via your keyboard or the on-screen keyboard.
  * Click/tap the canvas again if you wish to reposition the text.
  * Press [Enter]/[Return] or click/tap ⮨ to add the text to the drawing and
    begin entering more text one line down.
  * Or, press [Tab] or click/tap or ⟷ to add the text to the drawing and
    continue entering more text immediately to the right.
  * Using the on-screen keyboard:
      + "Cmp" can be used to compose characters, e.g. Cmp ' a results in á.
      + "AltGr" can be used to quickly access more characters.
      + Left/Right arrows switches keyboard layouts (e.g., "QWERTY" vs. "ABC")

🅰Label

  * (See Text)
  * Labels float 'above' the drawing; you cannot paint or stamp over them,
    apply Magic effects, etc.
  * Labels may be edited, repositioned, and styled after they've been added to
    the drawing.
  * Click/tap the ☝ button near the lower right to choose a label. Click/tap
    the label you wish to modify, then click/tap somewhere else in the canvas
    to reposition, or change the font/style, change color, and/or type to edit
    the text.
  * Or, use the 🖑 button near the lower right to "flatten" a label, applying it
    to the canvas; it may no longer be edited with the Label tool.

🪣Fill

  * Choose a fill mode on the right.
  * Choose a color (see "Colors").
  * Click/tap (and drag, with Brush and Linear modes) to fill an area of the
    picture with a color.
      + Solid - Flood-fills an area with a solid color
      + Brush - Paints with a solid color, without drawing outside the chosen
        area
      + Linear - Fills the area with a linear gradient (drag to choose angle
        and gradient)
      + Radial - Fills the area with a radial gradient, centered where you
        clicked/tapped
      + Shaped - Fills the area with a gradient that follows the contours of
        the area being filled

🪄Magic

  * Choose a magic tool on the right.
  * Change categories with the arrow buttons ⇦⇨ near the bottom right.
  * Some magic tools draw or apply effects via click/tap and drag 〰🪄, some
    affect the entire drawing 🖻🪄, and some offer both options; use the controls
    at the bottom right.
  * Some magic tools offer various sizes; change it with the bars 📶 at the
    bottom right.
  * Some magic tools allow you to choose their color.

🖓Undo

  * Use to undo the most recent changes (multiple undo available).
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[Z]

🖒Redo

  * Use to redo the most recent undone change (multiple redo available).
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[R]

◪Eraser

  * Choose the size and shape of the eraser on the right.
  * Click/tap and drag to erase parts of the picture (solid color, or starter
    or template image).
  * Shortcut: [X] and click/tap in the drawing (not always available)

Tools (Controls)

🗏New

  * Choose a solid color, starter, or template image to start with.
      + Starters allow drawing "under" a picture (e.g., a coloring book
        outline), sometimes with a background layer, too.
      + Templates are pictures to start with (background only).
      + Eraser tool ◪ reveals the solid color, or starter/template background.
  * Click/tap "🕮⮫Open" to begin a new drawing.
  * Click/tap "⤺Back" to abort and return to your current drawing.
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[N]

🕮⮫Open

  * Choose a previously-saved drawing to open (or export or erase).
  * Click/tap "🕮⮫Open" to open the saved drawing and continue editing it.
  * Click/tap "🗏⮫Export" to save the drawing to your system's "Pictures"
    folder.
  * Click/tap "🗑Erase" to move the drawing to your system's Trash/Recycle Bin.
  * Click/tap "⤺Back" to abort and return to your current drawing.
  * Click/tap "📽Slides" to switch to slideshow mode:
      + Click/tap two or more of your previously-saved drawings, in the order
        you want them shown. Numbers will appear on them.
      + Choose the playback speed using the bars 📶 near the lower left.
      + Click/tap "⯈Play" to watch the slideshow/animation.
      + Or, click/tap "🎞GIF Export" to save an animated GIF of the animation to
        your system's "Pictures" folder.
      + Click/tap "⤺Back" to return to the Open dialog.
  * Click/tap "🖻⮫🗏Template" to turn the drawing into a new template.
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[O]

🕮⮪Save

  * Click/tap to save your drawing.
  * If you've saved previously, you'll be prompted whether to overwrite the
    previously-saved drawing (a la "File→Save") or create a new saved drawing
    (a la "File→Save As...")
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[S]

🖶Print

  * Click/tap to print your drawing.
  * Hold [Alt] or [Option] while clicking/tapping to bring up printer dialog,
    if available.
  * Shortcut: [Control]+[P]

🗙Quit

  * Click/tap to quit Tux Paint.
  * Shortcut: [Escape]

Colors

  * Click/tap to choose a color to use with the Paint, Lines, and Shapes tools,
    and Stamps and Magic tools that support colors.
  * Use the pipette / color picker 💉 button to choose a color from a pixel in
    your current drawing.
      + Shortcut: When colors are available, press [Control] and click/tap in
        your drawing, to quickly pick a color from your drawing.
  * Click/tap the rainbow 🌈 button to choose a arbitrary color.
      + Click/tap in the rainbow square to pick a color (hue and saturation).
      + Click/tap in the grey gradient bar to adjust brightness (value).
      + Click/tap the green checkbox ✓ to accept.
      + Click/tap "⤺Back" to abort and dismiss the palette.
      + You may grab the currently-chosen built-in color (if any), the color in
        the pipette / color picker, or the color in the color mixer, by
        clicking one of the colored arrow ⇫ buttons.
  * Click/tap the paint palette 🎨 button to create a color by mixing primary
    colors: red, yellow, and blue, and white (tint), grey (tone), and black
    (shade).
      + Click/tap the green checkbox ✓ to accept.
      + Color mixing offers its own 🖓Undo and 🖒Redo options.
      + Click/tap "🗑Clear" to start over with no mixed colors.
      + Click/tap "⤺Back" to abort and dismiss the color mixer.

Shortcuts while drawing:

  * [Control]+Click/tap - Quick pipette / color picker 💉 access
  * [X]+Click/tap - Quick eraser ◪ access
  * [Control]+[Z] - 🖓Undo
  * [Control]+[R] - 🖒Redo
  * [Control]+[N] - 🗏New
  * [Control]+[O] - 🕮⮫Open
  * [Control]+[S] - 🕮⮪Save
  * [Control]+[P] - 🖶Print
  * [Alt]+[S] - Toggle sound effects on/off
  * [Escape] - ⤺Back or 🗙Quit

Last updated: July 6, 2024

