# How do I remove the lightsaber? (MS Paint question) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045 "2006-03-19T21:27:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/1 "2006-03-19T21:27:22Z")
So, i’m partway through trying to make an icon for Snakes on a Plane. [Here’s where i’m at at the moment](http://photobucket.com/albums/d90/shadeedge/th_SoaPIcon.jpg) . Any ideas as to how I could remove the top of the lightsaber? I’ve already tried flipping the background from the left of the picture horizontally, but I can’t get it to match up colourwise - there’s still an obvious line. I don’t have Photoshop or any kind of graphics progam, so any solution would have to be done in Paint. Ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/2 "2006-03-19T21:32:18Z")
I have Paintshop Pro. Assuming that image is a full-res version, I’ll take a whack at it and email the result. You’re just NOT going to get good results with the very limited tools in Paint, unless you have the extraordinary patience to work on it pixel by pixel. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/3 "2006-03-19T21:33:40Z")
Also, by “top” do you mean the purple “blade” or the top of the haft? Or what? ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/4 "2006-03-19T21:37:26Z")
The blade, yes. While i’m sure the snakes will have a tough time against Mr. Jackson, giving them head-mounted lightsaber blades is probably overkill in compensation. 😉 And thanks, btw. If no-one had suggested anything, I was planning on going at it pixel-by-pixel, which would have taken…a while, to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/5 "2006-03-19T21:41:30Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > I don’t have Photoshop or any kind of graphics progam, so any solution would have to be done in Paint. > > Ideas? You could go get such a program. 🙂 The [GIMP](http://www.gimp.org/) (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is free to download, and there’s [a Windows version](http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/). ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/6 "2006-03-19T21:58:01Z")
Was that thing deliberately designed to be so phallic, or is it a happy concidence? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/7 "2006-03-19T23:31:34Z")
What do you plan on using it for? I liked this [Snakes on a plane](http://www.notd.net/?p=267) picture and t-shirt idea. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/8 "2006-03-19T23:34:36Z")
Oh, and I second GIMP also. It has a cloning tool, and a smoother, which should get the job done. [Here](http://gimp-win.sourceforge.net/) is the windows version. (Remember to install GTK2+!) ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/9 "2006-03-19T23:41:00Z")
you could also check out [Paint.NET](http://Paint.NET) (free beefed up version of paint) ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-remove-the-lightsaber-ms-paint-question/349045/10 "2006-03-19T23:44:36Z")
Thanks for the advice, everyone. Q.E.D. made a kickass version for me (thanks again!), but i’ll check out the Gimp for future reference. **panache45** - honestly didn’t notice that until you pointed it out. So happy coincedence. 😛