Make a Drop Shadow in Paint.Net
This article explains how to create a drop shadow in Paint.NET, a free software product that originally doesn't support drop shadows. This article is for Windows users.
Steps
- Open Paint.NET. If you don't have it, you can download it from http://www.getpaint.net/
- Click File and select Open.
- Select the image you want.
- Pick up the Magic Wand from the tools window select the background area of the picture. Now Press Ctrl +A and hit Delete. This will remove the background.
- Go to Effects, choose Photo and click Glow.
- In the Glow window, set the values you want. You can adjust the radius, brightness and contrast.
- Select the entire picture and copy it. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + A, then Ctrl + C.
- Go to File, and click New.
- Click OK.
- Go to Layers, and choose Add New Layer.
- Go to Edit and select Paste. Now you have an image with a drop shadow.
Tips
- Don't overflow on fancy effects. Simple is almost always good. Nobody likes cluttered images.
- A drop shadow effect plug-in is available for Paint.NET.
- For minor text, try using a pixel font, such as "Visitor".
- Ensure you have a transparency layer for the shadow to work. You may have to use the Magic Wand Tool to delete unused areas of JPEGs for example.
- For cool effects, change the color of the bottom layer.
Things You'll Need
- A Windows computer
- Paint.NET
