Windows Basics:
Application Help

Step-by-Step: Paint Help

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What you will learn:

to open an application from the Start menu to open Help for an application to work in an application with Help open to practice drawing with Paint's tools

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Start with: Taskbar showing

Open Application from Start Menu

1. Open the Start menu, click on All Programs or Programs to expand the menu , then click on Accessories. Finally, click on Paint.

    Start > All Programs >Accessories > Paint

   Windows Vista & Win7 do not cascade the menu. The upper part of the Start menu changes to a folder tree layout with the folders at the bottom. Note how the Accessories folder expands inside the same area.  There is a Back link at the bottom to return to the previous display..

   

   WinXP - cascade; Windows Vista & Win7 - changes in place: Start > All Programs > Accessories > Paint

   When Paint opens, the size of the window and the size of the drawing area (the canvas) are what they were the last time Paint was used.

   
   Paint in early versions; Paint in Win7 (now using the ribbon toolbar)

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Open Paint Help

1. Click on Help > Help Topics in the menu or on  the Help button on the ribbon.
    A Help window opens.
    
   WinXP uses two-panes for Help for Paint. Some programs may use this style, even when installed on a Vista or Win7 computer.
   Windows Vista & Win7 use a browser window for Help for Paint.
       
   

2. For WinXP, click on Paint to open the list and then on Create Pictures.

   For Windows Vista, the Help window opens to a long page about tools to use in Paint.
   

   In Win7, the Help window is a browser window with diagrams and links.

    

3. For WinXP, click on Draw a straight line and read the article in the right pane.

   

   Help for Paint: Win98, WinXP

   For Windows Vista, Right click on the page and choose Find on page.
   Type straight line and click Next.
   Read the description of the Straight line tool.
   

   For Win7, click on the link Drawing lines at the upper right of the article.
   
   The article scrolls to display this section of the page.
   Read this section.

   Click on the link Line tool to show the hidden text. Read how to draw a straight line.

   Read the rest of the hidden text in this section.
    

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Work with Help Open

1. Switch back to the Paint window and draw some straight lines of different colors in the Paint window.

    Remember- to move a window, drag the window by its title bar.

   Line colors: You select the color for a line by clicking on a color tile on the Color Bar. Left mouse button uses the foreground color/Color 1. The right mouse button draws with the background color/Color 2.

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Paint Tools

1. Read about Paint's tools:
   

   In WinXP read the topics that start "Draw a..."
   
   In Windows Vista & Win7, read about the other tools described on the page.
    

2. Practice using the tools they describe. It's OK to have fun for a bit!

   The line width you choose remains in place for the outline of shapes also. To change line width you will have to go back to a line tool to choose the width.