# Microsoft Paint

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 16, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438 "2011-12-16T18:58:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zombiemommy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@zombiemommy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombiemommy)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/1 "2011-12-16T18:58:48Z")

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I am cutting and pasting a face onto another photo in Microsoft Paint. I use the Free Form Text to cut the face, but when I go to paste the face, a rectangle appears around the face, and there is a white background. Does anyone know how to get rid of the rectangle and white background so just the face appears?

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/2 "2011-12-16T19:23:28Z")

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[del]I don’t think MS Paint supports transparent backgrounds.[/del]

[I could be wrong though.](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Paint-tools)

[del]If you need a free image editor that does[/del] Either way, [the GIMP](http://www.gimp.org/) would be my suggestion.

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**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/3 "2011-12-16T19:32:26Z")

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Use [Aviary](http://www.aviary.com/tools/image-editor).

Far as I know, Paint does not support layers - and you need a transparent layer to do what you want to do.

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**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/4 "2011-12-16T20:25:16Z")

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> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> [del]I don’t think MS Paint supports transparent backgrounds.[/del]
> 
> [I could be wrong though.](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Paint-tools)
> 
> [del]If you need a free image editor that does[/del] Either way, [the GIMP](http://www.gimp.org/) would be my suggestion.

I think the GIMP would be overkill for a situation like this. May I suggest that [Paint.NET](http://www.getpaint.net/) would be much easier to use? Supports layers and transparency.

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**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/5 "2011-12-16T22:59:47Z")

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Easy in Paint. Under “Select” check “Transparent selection,” then paste.

I do second [Paint.NET](http://Paint.NET) though.

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**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\
**Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/6 "2011-12-16T23:56:57Z")

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There are also a number of [Paint.NET](http://Paint.NET) plug-ins available in the [forum](http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/forum/7-plugins-publishing-only/?).

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2011, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-paint/606438/7 "2011-12-17T21:35:51Z")

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> [@thelurkinghorror](#):
>
> Easy in Paint. Under “Select” check “Transparent selection,” then paste.
> 
> I do second [Paint.NET](http://Paint.NET) though.

Well, assuming the background color is solid and is already properly set.

Actually removing the background from any image is something that’s still being tackled by doctorate theses. (Quite a lot of them seem to work until someone else tries to use them. People just don’t realize how much they are handling on their own.)