Thanks to everyone who helped out with the extensive alpha and beta releases with all the bug reports, crash log submissions, and feedback. It has all been a huge help in creating the best Paint.NET release ever.
As usual, there are two ways to get the new version:
- Preferred: Use the built-in updater from within Paint.NET. If you are using version v3.36, simply go to the Help menu and click on “Check for Updates.” For v3.5 alpha/beta, go to the Utilities menu instead of the Help menu. Or, just wait for the update prompt to come up automatically within the next week or so.
- Download directly from the website: http://www.getpaint.net/ . There is no need to uninstall the old version; that will be taken care of automatically.
Changes since version 3.36:
- New: Refreshed user interface with new icons and visual styling. On Windows 7 and Vista, it is enhanced for Aero and “glass”.
- New effect: Blurs -> Surface Blur, by Ed Harvey
- New effect: Distort -> Dents, by Ed Harvey
- New effect: Distort -> Crystalize, by Ed Harvey
- New: Russian translation.
- Performance and memory usage have been extensively optimized throughout the entire program.
- .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is now required, which has many built-in performance improvements.
- Disk space usage has been reduced by about 12MB by using NTFS compression on installation files related to staging (.MSI) and diagnostics (.PDB).
- Compression for .PDN images has been improved.
- Effect dialog responsiveness has been improved.
- Images open much faster, especially on single CPU systems.
- Startup performance on most systems will be better by about 20%.
- Memory usage has been reduced when more than one image is open.
- Rendering quality has been greatly improved when zoomed in.
- The selection outline is no longer animated. Instead of “dancing ants”, a context-sensitive “XOR” stipple pattern is drawn. This has allowed for improved performance and lowered CPU consumption (and longer battery life).
- The font manager for the Text tool has been completely rewritten, which fixes many problems seen with crashes and missing fonts.
- On Windows XP, the Text tool has improved reliability and font selection (it uses GDI instead of GDI+).
- On Windows 7, the Text tool will use DirectWrite (instead of GDI) which gives better performance and greatly improved quality. On Windows Vista, you may install the Platform Update for Windows Vista to enable this feature; otherwise GDI will be used.
- The toolbar font list has improved usability, rendering quality, and significantly improved performance.
- The toolbar font list no longer requires an application restart to recognize newly installed fonts.
- When many fonts are installed, both memory usage and startup performance have been greatly improved.
- It is now drastically easier to move a very small selection.
- All installation prerequisites are now installed automatically, such as .NET and Windows Installer.
- Updates are now downloaded in the background, and installed after you exit the application. In previous versions, this was a foreground task and you could not use Paint.NET while the update was downloaded.
- Added a “Utilities” menu. Updates, Languages, and Plugin Errors have been moved there.
- Added a “Manage Fonts” command to the Utilities menu. This will launch the built-in Windows font control panel.
- Clicking the middle mouse button on an image thumbnail will now close the image.
- Improved the Unfocus effect.
- The DirectDraw Surface (.DDS) file type now allows you to select the resampling algorithm for auto-generated mip-maps.
- A processor that supports SSE is now required (almost all CPUs purchased this decade satisfy this).
- Fixed an issue with Gaussian Blur and its treatment of alpha values.
- Fixed a crash with the “Units” selector in the toolbar.
- Fixed a crash due to an overflow that prevented very large images from working (64-bit only).
- Fixed many other miscellaneous glitches and crashes.
- The Korean translation has been removed. Sadly, we were unable to find the resources to complete this.
Enjoy! 🙂
paint.net blog 
Great work thanks! It just keeps getting better and better…
Hi Rick,
Is there any way to reach you besides using this post system? I’m currently doing a scholarly essay on why teachers pick open source over paid, closed-source and vice versa. Paint.net is a neat alternative as it’s free, but closed source. I’m looking for information about schools that use Paint.net. I look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Jose
Hooray! The betas sure kept us waiting for the final build, but it was totally worth it!
Great job, Mr. R. Brewster!
Thank you for this great release! Another one of my favorite programs to start using Aero glass, and I’m still stuck with XP… oh well.
I was wondering, how do you make use of SSE from within C#? Do you have custom .NET assemblies written in C++/assembly?
3.5 version is simply amazing! The new look is great.
How the hell did you managed to create Paint.NET looking so wonderfull ? Can you waive confidentiality hem ?
Nice!
Is there an explanation for how Surface Blur works somewhere?
Wow! It’s great! Congratulations! 🙂
Jose, Maybe you noticed the “Contact” section of the website … ? But, I don’t have any information that would be of use for you. I haven’t talked with schools about how they use or don’t use Paint.NET.
George Slavov, SSE is used by the C++ / “Native” DLL. It helps a *lot* with Squish, a library used for *.DDS handling. The other libraries in the native DLL benefit as well, such as GPC.
Anders Elfgren, I’m sure you can do a web search for it. It’s been in other photo applications too.
Thanks for a wonderful job. Love the way it now starts like – boof! No reason to associate any other app with the formats I open most.
Congrats Rick for this awesome release!
Oh cool. Installing now. I can’t wait to see the new version. 🙂
Love the new release. Has a nice look to it
I love how you implimented Aero, especially around the menu bar, in this release.
Well done.
Thank you very much for your hard work! It works really well and it looks awesome in Windows 7.
You ROCK 😉
It fixes all of the bugs!! I love PDN 3.5! TY
Where are all the features? I don’t get it, this program used to work much like photoshop now it doesn’t!
I’d love to check the source code to learn how the magnifique glass effect has been done with buttons drawn on it. It’s really a pity that it’s closed-source…
I’m still not sure how one gets to be as awesome as you guys are, but I hope to learn one day.
Thanks and lots of love for an awesome piece of programming.
looking forward to next release. 3.5 is great use it since first alpha
“I’d love to check the source code to learn how the magnifique glass effect has been done with buttons drawn on it. It’s really a pity that it’s closed-source…
By Anonymous on Nov 9, 2009”
Try setting UseCompatibleTextRendering to true for the buttons.
—
Forum down again. 😦
Sweet release! Thanks!
Thank you for your effort! I am wondering if it is available also a portable version of Paint.NET I would like to use it at work, but we are not allowed to install additional SW on PCs
Like the new icons, I feel a little not sure what I’m pressing at the moment though ;]
This is one of the few programs keeping me on Windows. Bill Gates should consider making a donation for this project. 😉
“Thank you for your effort! I am wondering if it is available also a portable version of Paint.NET I would like to use it at work, but we are not allowed to install additional SW on PCs
By n1ght on Nov 10, 2009”
If you install it at home, you can copy the installation files to a USB key and run it from work.
I got this auto-update, and it’s awesome. However, I have one problem- it won’t accept my tablet pressure any more. Even the brush tool is the same size, like in GIMP. Is there any way to fix this, or to get the old one back?
Congratulations for another amazing work.
Bell, tablet pressure support was removed. If you search for “tablet pressure removed” (or similar) on http://searchpaint.net you’ll find many posts on the forum about it, along with an explanation why.
Rick,
Kudos on the fantastic release!
I still hope to see Paint.NET eventually included in the Windows Vista/Windows 7 “Default Programs” listing with an option to enforce all default file type associations… 3.5.1, perhaps? 😉
I guess I understand why you had to take pressure sensitivity out, but it has always worked for me. Is there anywhere I can re-download a previous version that still includes that feature?
This post is for José NOV 7, 2009. I have installed paint.net in my school(primary school). I have 11 computers in the computer lab and I have been using it for the last three years. I have also installed several plugins effects and the kids love to experiment with them.
Rick, thank you for all the work you have put in this project, I am not a programmer just an end user.
I like the new look of paint.net… I primarily use it to edit TGA and DDS files… For some reason now the new patch has been downloaded i can no longer save DDS files… when i save as DDS i get the final ajustments page and get the “…Encountered a problem and needs to close Send error report/don’t send” *Sad face*
For jose also: My high school has paint.net installed. We have a big server thingy…
Hi,
Great work! I know that Paint.NET was originally intended to be a replacement for MS Paint. Why didn’t that work out? I think MS should’ve licensed out Paint.NET for Win 7..
Krishna, Paint.NET was never intended to be a replacement for mspaint.
I have been using program for over 2 years. It was great program before and even better now.
What I like most is how it remains easy to use for simple projects but has the power to do complex jobs.
Just want to say thanks.
I’ve gotta chime in about the tablet pressure too. Couldn’t you have made it opt-in if it was causing problems for some people, so we could keep the feature? I’m sorry, but this renders it almost useless for my artwork. 😦 I have to go reinstall 3.36 now so I can keep working.
Aurrin, unfortunately having it as an option would have *increased* the complexity of the code. It would not have improved the situation.
Please be patient though. Hopefully it’ll make a comeback.
I really like the startup time being greatly improved. Also it works like a charm on W7! Great program!
I love this Applikation. The best and faster Programm for my. =)
hi rick, I just found this and can’t wait to use it. Do you make anything for windows mobile? -bruce
Bruce, nope. Nor do I have any plans to.