MS Paint Text Tool

The Text tool in MS Paint adds written words, sentences, labels, and headings directly onto the drawing canvas. Adding text to images is a common task — whether labelling a diagram, creating a greeting card message, or annotating a screenshot. The MS Paint Text tool handles all these needs with simple controls.

Where to Find the Text Tool

The Text tool is located in the Tools group on the Home tab of the ribbon. It is represented by the letter A icon. Click it once to activate the tool.

How to Add Text in MS Paint

1. Click on the Home tab
2. Click the Text tool (the letter A icon) in the Tools group
3. Move the mouse to the canvas
4. Click and drag to draw a text box on the canvas
5. Release the mouse — a blinking cursor appears inside the text box
6. Start typing on the keyboard
7. Click anywhere outside the text box to place the text permanently on the canvas

Important: Once text is placed on the canvas (by clicking outside the text box), it merges with the drawing permanently. It cannot be edited as text anymore. To make changes, press Ctrl + Z immediately to undo and retype.

The Text Toolbar

When the Text tool is active and a text box is drawn on the canvas, a special Text tab appears in the ribbon. This tab contains all text formatting options.

Font Selection

The Font dropdown shows the name of the current font. Click the dropdown arrow and scroll through the list to choose a different font. Common fonts available include Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Comic Sans MS, and many others installed on the computer.

Font Size

The Font Size box shows a number representing the text size in points. Common sizes for labels are 12pt to 18pt. For headings or large titles, use 24pt, 36pt, or 48pt. Type a number directly into the size box or click the arrows to increase or decrease the size.

Bold, Italic, Underline, and Strikethrough

• Bold (B) – makes the text thicker and heavier
• Italic (I) – tilts the text slightly to the right
• Underline (U) – adds a line below the text
• Strikethrough (S) – adds a line through the middle of the text

Select text inside the text box and click these buttons to apply the formatting, or click them before typing to start formatted text.

Text Color

The Text tool uses Color 1 as the text colour. To change the text colour:

1. Before or during text entry, left-click a colour swatch in the Colors group
2. The text immediately changes to that colour

Example: To write a red heading, left-click the red colour swatch, draw a text box, and start typing. The text appears in red.

Transparent vs Opaque Background for Text

MS Paint gives two choices for the text box background:

Transparent Background

The text appears directly on top of the drawing with no background box. The image or drawing behind the text remains visible. This is the most commonly used option for adding labels to images.

Opaque Background

The text appears inside a solid-coloured box. The box uses Color 2 as its background colour. This option blocks whatever is behind the text box, making the text easier to read over a busy background.

To switch between these options, look for the two small background icons in the Text tab of the ribbon. Click the transparent icon (shows text over a dotted background) or the opaque icon (shows text over a solid block).

Resizing the Text Box

After drawing the text box but before clicking outside, the text box size can be adjusted by dragging its edges or corners. Make the text box wider to fit longer sentences. Make it taller to allow multiple lines of text.

The text automatically wraps to the next line when it reaches the right edge of the text box. If the text box is too small for the text, some characters may be cut off — make the box larger to show all text.

Moving the Text Box

Before clicking outside the text box, hover the mouse over the border of the text box (not inside it). The cursor changes to a four-sided arrow. Click and drag to move the entire text box to a different position on the canvas.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Practical Exercise

1. Open MS Paint with a blank canvas
2. Select the Text tool and draw a large text box near the top of the canvas
3. Set the font to Arial, size to 36, and make it Bold
4. Set Color 1 to dark blue
5. Type the word Welcome
6. Click outside the text box to place the text
7. Draw another text box below it with a smaller font (size 16) and type a short sentence in black
8. Try both Transparent and Opaque backgrounds to see the difference

Adding text accurately to images is a skill used in countless real-world tasks.