# Microsoft Paint. How to do this?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 9, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813 "2011-04-09T23:40:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/1 "2011-04-09T23:40:31Z")
I am trying to cut a section of an image out, then paste the section back into Paint, so there is no background, just the section as a new image.
How do I do this?
I keep getting a white background, larger than the image!
---
### Author:  [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/2 "2011-04-09T23:59:39Z")
How about… select the area, edit-copy, then edit-copy to. That creates a new file with no background.
---
### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/3 "2011-04-10T00:01:50Z")
If I understand what you are trying to do, I just answered this question in GQ a couple days ago:
Under the selection tool, there’s a drop-down menu that says “select.” Click on it, and then click on “Transparent Selection.” That’s for Windows 7.
In the old version, there should be a little box at the bottom of the toolbar with pictures of shapes. One will be selected. Select the other one.
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/4 "2011-04-10T01:02:21Z")
> [@K364](#):
>
> How about… select the area, edit-copy, then edit-copy to. That creates a new file with no background.
Good, so far.
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/5 "2011-04-10T01:05:20Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#):
>
> If I understand what you are trying to do, I just answered this question in GQ a couple days ago:
>
> Under the selection tool, there’s a drop-down menu that says “select.” Click on it, and then click on “Transparent Selection.” That’s for Windows 7.
>
> In the old version, there should be a little box at the bottom of the toolbar with pictures of shapes. One will be selected. Select the other one.
Neither one gets rid of the background.:smack:
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint-how-to-do-this/577813/6 "2011-04-10T01:20:23Z")
Solved it!
I’m amazed! The “Help” tab on a mocrosoft program was, for the first time in my life, _actually helpful!_