Tux Paint
version 0.9.36
## A simple drawing program for children ##
Copyright © 2002-2025 by various contributors; see AUTHORS.txt.
https://tuxpaint.org/
May 26, 2025
+-------------------------------------------------+
| Table of Contents |
|-------------------------------------------------|
| I. About Tux Paint |
| II. Using Tux Paint |
| A. Launching Tux Paint |
| B. Title Screen |
| C. Main Screen |
| D. Available Tools |
| 1. Drawing Tools |
| a. "Paint" Tool (Brush) |
| b. "Stamp" Tool (Rubber Stamps) |
| c. "Lines" Tool |
| d. "Shapes" Tool |
| e. "Text" and "Label" Tools |
| f. "Fill" Tool |
| g. "Magic" Tool (Special Effects) |
| h. "Eraser" Tool |
| 2. Other Controls |
| a. "Undo" and "Redo" Commands |
| b. "New" Command |
| c. "Open" Command |
| d. "Save" Command |
| e. "Print" Command |
| f. "Slides" Command (under "Open") |
| g. "Quit" Command |
| h. Sound Muting |
| E. Controlling Tux Paint |
| III. Loading Other Pictures into Tux Paint |
| IV. Further Reading |
| V. How to Get Help |
| VI. How to Participate |
+-------------------------------------------------+
I. About Tux Paint
### A. What Is "Tux Paint"? ###
Tux Paint is a free drawing program designed for young children (kids ages 3
and up). It has a simple, easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an
encouraging cartoon mascot who helps guide children as they use the program. It
provides a blank canvas and a variety of drawing tools to help your child be
creative.
### B. Objectives ###
→ Easy and Fun ←
Tux Paint is meant to be a simple drawing program for young children. It is
not meant as a general-purpose drawing tool. It is meant to be fun and easy
to use. Sound effects and a cartoon character help let the user know what's
going on, and keeps them entertained. There are also extra-large
cartoon-style mouse pointer shapes.
→ Extensibility ←
Tux Paint is extensible. Brushes and 'rubber stamp' shapes can be dropped
in and pulled out. For example, a teacher can drop in a collection of
animal shapes and ask their students to draw an ecosystem. Each shape can
have a sound which is played, and textual facts which are displayed, when
the child selects the shape.
→ Portability ←
Tux Paint is portable among various computer platforms: Windows, Macintosh,
Linux, etc. The interface looks the same among them all. Tux Paint runs
suitably well on older systems, and can be built to run better on slow
systems.
→ Simplicity ←
There is no direct access to the computer's underlying intricacies. The
current image is kept when the program quits, and reappears when it is
restarted. Saving images requires no need to create filenames or use the
keyboard. Opening an image is done by selecting it from a collection of
thumbnails. Access to other files on the computer is restricted.
→ Accessibility ←
Tux Paint offers a number of accessibility options, including increasing
the size of control buttons, changing the UI font, options to control the
cursor (mouse pointer) using the keyboard or other input devices (joystick,
gamepad, etc.), an on-screen keyboard, and "stick" mouse clicks.
### C. License ###
Tux Paint is an Open Source project, Free Software released under the GNU
General Public License (GPL). It is free, and the 'source code' behind the
program is available. (This allows others to add features, fix bugs, and use
parts of the program in their own GPL'd software.)
See COPYING.txt for the full text of the GPL license.
### D. What's New in Tux Paint version 0.9.36? ###
→ ←
See CHANGES.txt for the complete list of changes.
II. Using Tux Paint
### A. Launching Tux Paint ###
## 1. Linux/Unix Users ##
Tux Paint should have placed a launcher icon in your KDE and/or GNOME menus,
under 'Graphics.'
Alternatively, you can run the following command at a shell prompt (e.g., "$"):
$ tuxpaint
If any errors occur, they will be displayed on the terminal (to STDERR).
## 2. Windows Users ##
[Tux Paint Icon]
Tux Paint
If you installed Tux Paint on your computer using the 'Tux Paint Installer,' it
will have asked you whether you wanted a 'Start' menu short-cut, and/or a
desktop shortcut. If you agreed, you can simply run Tux Paint from the 'Tux
Paint' section of your 'Start' menu (e.g., under 'All Programs'), or by
double-clicking the 'Tux Paint' icon on your desktop, if you had the installer
place one there.
If you're using the 'portable' (ZIP-file) version of Tux Paint, or if you used
the 'Tux Paint Installer,' but chose not to have shortcuts installed, you'll
need to double-click the "tuxpaint.exe" icon in the "Tux Paint" folder on your
computer.
By default, the 'Tux Paint Installer' will put Tux Paint's folder in
"C:\Program Files\TuxPaint\", though you may have changed this when you ran the
installer.
If you used the 'ZIP-file' download, Tux Paint's folder will be wherever you
extracted the contents of the ZIP file.
## 3. macOS Users ##
Simply double-click the "Tux Paint" icon.
[Title screen]
### B. Title Screen ###
When Tux Paint first loads, a title/credits screen will appear.
Once loading is complete, press a key or click or tap in the Tux Paint window
to continue. (Or, after about 5 seconds, the title screen will go away
automatically.)
### C. Main Screen ###
The main screen is divided into the following sections:
[Tools: Paint, Stamp, Lines, Shapes, Text, Magic, Label, Undo, Redo, Eraser,
New, Open, Save, Print, Quit]
→ Left Side: Toolbar ←
The toolbar contains the drawing and editing controls.
[Canvas]
→ Middle: Drawing Canvas ←
The largest part of the screen, in the center, is the drawing canvas. This
is, obviously, where you draw!
💡 Note: The size of the drawing canvas depends on the size of Tux Paint.
You can change the size of Tux Paint using the Tux Paint Config.
configuration tool, or by other means. See the Options documentation for
more details.
[Selectors - Brushes, Letters, Shapes, Stamps]
→ Right Side: Selector ←
Depending on the current tool, the selector shows different things. e.g.,
when the Paint Brush or Line tool is selected, it shows the various brushes
available. When the Rubber Stamp tool is selected, it shows the different
shapes you can use. When the Text or Label tool is selected, it shows
various fonts.
[Colors - Black, White, Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple,
Brown, Grey]
→ Lower: Colors ←
When the active tool supports colors, a palette of colors choices will be
shown near the bottom of the screen. Click one to choose a color, and it
will be used by the active tool. (For example, the "Paint" tool will use it
as the color to draw with the chosen brush, and the "Fill" tool will use it
as the color to use when flood-filling an area of the picture.)
On the far right are three special color options:
o Color Picker
The "color picker" (which has an outline of an eye-dropper) allows you
to pick a color found within your drawing.
(A shortcut key is available to access this feature quickly; see
below.)
o Rainbow Palette
The rainbow palette allows you to pick any color by choosing the hue,
saturation, and value of the color you want. A box on the left displays
hundreds of hues — from red at the top through to violet at the bottom
— at hundreds of saturation/intensity levels — from pale & washed-out
on the left through to pure on the right. A grey vertical bar provides
access to hundreds of value levels — from lighest at the top through to
darkest at the bottom.
Click the green checkbox button to select the color, or the "Back"
button to dismiss the pop-up without picking a new color.
You may also set this tool's color to that of other color choices:
# Whichever built-in color is selected, if any
# The Color Picker's current color
# The Color Mixer's current color
o Color Mixer
The "color mixer" (which has silhouette of a paint palette) allows you
to create colors by blending primary additive colors — red, yellow, and
blue — along with white (to "tint"), grey (to "tone"), and black (to
"shade").
You may click any button multiple times (for example, red + red +
yellow results in a red-orange color). The ratios of colors added are
shown at the bottom.
You can start over (reset to no colors in your picture) by clicking the
"Clear" button. You can also undo or redo multiple steps of mixing, in
case you made a mistake (without having to start over).
Click the green checkbox button to select the color, or the "Back"
button to dismiss the pop-up without picking a new color.
⌨ When the active tool supports colors, a shortcut may be used for quick
access to the "color picker" option. Hold the [Control] key while clicking,
and the color under the mouse cursor will be shown at the bottom. You may
drag around to canvas to find the color you want. When you release the
mouse button, the color under the cursor will be selected. If you release
the mouse outside of the canvas (e.g., over the "Tools" area), the color
selection will be left unchanged. (This is similar to clicking the "Back"
button that's available when bringing up the "color picker" option via its
button the color palette.)
⚙ Note: You can define your own colors for Tux Paint. See the "Options"
documentation.
(Example tip: 'Pick a shape. Click to pick the center, drag, then let go when
it is the size you want. Move around to rotate it, and click to draw it.')
→ Bottom: Help Area ←
At the very bottom of the screen, Tux, the Linux Penguin, provides tips and
other information while you use Tux Paint.
### D. Available Tools ###
## 1. Drawing Tools ##
a. "Paint" Tool (Brush) ←
The Paint Brush tool lets you draw freehand, using various brushes (chosen
in the Selector on the right) and colors (chosen in the Color palette
towards the bottom).
If you hold the mouse button down, and move the mouse, it will draw as you
move.
Some brushes are animated — they change their shape as you draw them. A
good example of this is the vines brush that ships with Tux Paint. These
brushes will have a small "filmstrip" icon drawn on their Selector buttons.
Other brushes are directional — they will draw a different shape depending
on what direction you are painting with them. An example of this is the
arrow brush that ships with Tux Paint. These brushes have a small 8-way
arrow icon drawn on their Selector buttons.
Finally, some brushes can be both direction and animated. Examples of this
are the cat and squirrel brushes that ship with Tux Paint. These brushes
will have both the "filmstrip" and 8-way arrow icons.
As you draw, a sound is played. The bigger the brush, the lower the pitch.
Brush Spacing
The space between each position where a brush is applied to the canvas
can vary. Some brushes (such as the footprints and flower) are spaced,
by default, far enough apart that they don't overlap. Other brushes
(such as the basic circular ones) are spaced closely, so they make a
continuous stroke.
The default spacing of brushes may be overridden using by clicking
within the triangular-shaped series of bars at the bottom right; the
larger the bar, the wider the spacing. Brush spacing affects both tools
that use the brushes: the "Paint" tool and the "Lines" tool.
⚙ Note: If the "nobrushspacing" option is set, Tux Paint won't display
the brush spacing controls. See the "Options" documentation.
b."Stamp" Tool (Rubber Stamps) ←
The Stamp tool is like a set of rubber stamps or stickers. It lets you
paste pre-drawn or photographic images (like a picture of a horse, or a
tree, or the moon) in your picture.
As you move the mouse around the canvas, an outline follows the mouse,
showing where the stamp will be placed, and how big it will be. Click on
the canvas where you wish to place the stamp.
→ Stamp Categories ←
There can be numerous categories of stamps (e.g., animals, plants,
outer space, vehicles, people, etc.). Use the Left and Right arrows
near the bottom of the Selector to cycle through the collections.
→ Stamp Rotation ←
Using the rotation toggle button near the bottom right, you can enable
a rotation step when placing stamps. Once you've placed the stamp,
choose the angle to rotate it by moving the mouse around the canvas.
Click the mouse button again and the stamp will be added to the
drawing.
⚙ Note: If "stamp rotation" option is disabled, the stamp will be drawn
on the canvas when you let go of the mouse button. (There's no rotation
step.) See the "Options" documentation to learn about the "stamp
rotation" ("stamprotation") option.
📜 Note: The stamp rotation feature was added to Tux Paint in version
0.9.29.
→ Stamp Controls ←
Prior to 'stamping' an image onto your drawing, various effects can
sometimes be applied (depending on the stamp):
@ Some stamps can be colored or tinted. If the color palette below
the canvas is activated, you can click the colors to change the
tint or color of the stamp before placing it in the picture.
@ Stamps can be shrunk and expanded, by clicking within the
triangular-shaped series of bars at the bottom right; the larger
the bar, the larger the stamp will appear in your picture.
@ Many stamps may be flipped vertically, or displayed as a
mirror-image, using the control buttons at the bottom right.
⚙ Note: If the "nostampcontrols" option is set, Tux Paint won't display
the Rotation, Mirror, Flip, or sizing controls for stamps. See the "
Options" documentation.
→ Stamp Sounds ←
Different stamps can have different sound effects and/or descriptive
(spoken) sounds. Buttons in the Help Area at the lower left (near Tux,
the Linux penguin) allow you to re-play the sound effects and
descriptive sounds for the currently-selected stamp.
c."Lines" Tool ←
This tool lets you draw straight lines using the various brushes and colors
you normally use with the Paint Brush.
Click the mouse and hold it to choose the starting point of the line. As
you move the mouse around, a thin 'rubber-band' line will show where the
line will be drawn. At the bottom, you'll see the angle of your line, in
degrees. A line going straight to the right is 0°, a line going straight up
is 90°, a line going straight left is 180°, a line going straight down is
270°, and so on.
Let go of the mouse to complete the line. A "sproing!" sound will play.
Some brushes are animated, and will show a pattern of shapes along the
line. Others are directional, and will show a different shape depending on
the angle of the brush. And finally some are both animated and directional.
See "Paint", above, to learn more.
Different brushes have different spacing, leaving either a series of
individual shapes, or a continuous stroke of the brush shape. Brush spacing
may be adjusted. See the brush spacing section of the "Paint" tool, above,
to learn more.
d."Shapes" Tool ←
This tool lets you draw some simple filled, and un-filled shapes.
Select a shape from the selector on the right (circle, square, oval, etc.).
Use the options at the bottom right to choose the shape tool's behavior:
→ Shapes from center ←
The shape will expand from where you initially clicked, and will be
centered around that position.
📜 This was Tux Paint's only behavior through version 0.9.24.)
→ Shapes from corner ←
The shape will extend with one corner starting from where you initially
clicked. This is the default method of most other traditional drawing
software.
📜 This option was added starting with Tux Paint version 0.9.25.
⚙ Note: If shape controls are disabled (e.g., with the "noshapecontrols"
option), the controls will not be presented, and the "shapes from center"
method will be used.
In the canvas, click the mouse and hold it to stretch the shape out from
where you clicked. Some shapes can change proportion (e.g., rectangle and
oval may be wider than tall, or taller than wide), others cannot (e.g.,
square and circle).
For shapes that can change proportion, the aspect ratio of the shape will
be shown at the bottom. For example: "1:1" will be shown if it is "square"
(as tall as it is wide); "2:1" if it is either twice as wide as it is tall,
or twice as tall as it is wide; and so on.
Let go of the mouse when you're done stretching.
→ Normal Shapes Mode ←
Now you can move the mouse around the canvas to rotate the shape. The
angle your shape is rotated will be shown at the bottom, in degrees
(similar to the "Lines" tool, described above).
Click the mouse button again and the shape will be drawn in the current
color.
→ Simple Shapes Mode ←
If the "simple shapes" option is enabled, the shape will be drawn on
the canvas when you let go of the mouse button. (There's no rotation
step.)
⚙ See the "Options" documentation to learn about the "simple shapes"
("simpleshapes") option.
e."Text" and "Label" Tools ←
Choose a font (from the 'Letters' available on the right) and a color (from
the color palette near the bottom). You may also apply a bold, and/or an
italic styling effect to the text. Click on the screen and a cursor will
appear. Type text and it will show up on the screen. (You can change the
font, color, and styling while entering the text, before it is applied to
the canvas.)
Press [Enter] or [Return] and the text will be drawn onto the picture and
the cursor will move down one line.
Alternatively, press [Tab] and the text will be drawn onto the picture, but
the cursor will move to the right of the text, rather than down a line, and
to the left. (This can be useful to create a line of text with mixed
colors, fonts, styles and sizes.)
Text from the clipboard (copy/paste buffer) can be inserted with the "Text"
and "Label" tools by pressing the [Control] + [V] key combination on a
physical keyboard, or clicking the "Paste" button in Tux Paint's on-screen
keyboard. If the text would exceed the right edge of the canvas, it will
wrap to a new line of text (going back to the previous space or dash ('-')
if possible). If the text hits the bottom of the canvas, the pasting will
abort, truncating the text.
Clicking elsewhere in the picture while the text entry is still active
causes the current line of text to move to that location (where you can
continue editing it).
→ "Text" versus "Label" ←
The Text tool is the original text-entry tool in Tux Paint. Text
entered using this tool can't be modified or moved later, since it
becomes part of the drawing. However, because the text becomes part of
the picture, it can be drawn over or modified using Magic tool effects
(e.g., smudged, tinted, embossed, etc.)
When using the Label tool (which was added to Tux Paint in version
0.9.22), the text 'floats' over the image, and the details of the label
(the text, the position of the label, the font choice and the color)
get stored separately. This allows the label to be repositioned or
edited later.
To edit a label, click the label selection button. All labels in the
drawing will appear highlighted. Click one — or use the [Tab] key to
cycle through all the labels, and the [Enter] or [Return] key to select
one — and you may then edit the label. (Use they [Backspace] key to
erase characters, and other keys to add text to the label; click in the
canvas to reposition the label; click in the palette to change the
color of the text in the label; etc.)
You may "apply" a label to the canvas, painting the text into the
picture as if it had been added using the Text tool, by clicking the
label application button. (This feature was added in Tux Paint version
0.9.28.) All labels in the drawing will appear highlighted, and you
select one just as you do when selecting a label to edit. The chosen
label will be removed, and the text will be added directly to the
canvas.
⚙ The Label tool can be disabled (e.g., by selecting "Disable 'Label'
Tool" in Tux Paint Config. or running Tux Paint with the "nolabel"
option).
📜 The ability to paste text from the clipboard was added in Tux Paint
0.9.35
→ International Character Input ←
Tux Paint allows inputting characters in different languages. Most
Latin characters (A-Z, ñ, è, etc.) can by entered directly. Some
languages require that Tux Paint be switched into an alternate input
mode before entering, and some characters must be composed using
numerous keypresses.
When Tux Paint's locale is set to one of the languages that provide
alternate input modes, a key is used to cycle through normal (Latin
character) and locale-specific mode or modes.
Currently supported locales, the input methods available, and the key
to toggle or cycle modes, are listed below.
@ Japanese — Romanized Hiragana and Romanized Katakana — right [Alt]
key or left [Alt] key
@ Korean — Hangul 2-Bul — right [Alt] key or left [Alt] key
@ Traditional Chinese — right [Alt] key or left [Alt] key
@ Thai — right [Alt] key
💡 Note: Many fonts do not include all characters for all languages, so
sometimes you'll need to change fonts to see the characters you're
trying to type.
→ On-screen Keyboard ←
An optional on-screen keyboard is available for the Text and Label
tools, which can provide a variety of layouts and character composition
(e.g., composing "a" and "e" into "æ"). Run Tux Paint with the
"--onscreen-keyboard" option, or enable that setting in Tux Paint's
configuration file, to enable it. Multiple layouts are offered
(currently "QWERTY" and "ABC"), which the user can switch between.
Additional configuration options allow specifying a default layout, as
well as preventing the layout from being changed.
The on-screen keyboard appears at the bottom or top of the Tux Paint
window, obscuring part of the canvas, depending on where the text
insertion cursor is placed. Along with alphabetic, numeric, and some
punctuation keys, the keyboard provides:
@ A "Backspace" key (⇐) to remove the previous character
@ A "Carriage Return" ("Return"/"Enter") key (⏎) to end the current
input and begin a new one on the following line (below and to the
left)
@ A "Tab" key (⇔) to end the current input and begin a new one at the
current cursor position
@ A "Shift" key (⇑) to shift alphabetic keys from lowercase to
uppercase, access more punctuation, etc.
@ A "Caps Lock" key (⤒) to toggle permanent shifting of alphabetic
keys from lowercase to uppercase (click it again to disable caps
lock)
@ A "Compose" key ("Cmp"), to initiate character composition (e.g.,
click "Cmp", "a", "e" to produce an "æ" character)
@ An "Alternate Graphics" key ("AltGr") to access additional
characters (e.g., "¿", "ß", etc.)
@ An "Alternate" key ("Alt")
@ A "Paste" key to paste the current clipboard's text into the Text
or Label tool
@ Left and right arrows (← & →) to access different on-screen
keyboard layouts
⚙ See the "Options" and "Extending Tux Paint" documentation for more
information.
f."Fill" Tool ←
The 'Fill' tool 'flood-fills' a contiguous area of your drawing with a
color of your choice. Three fill options are offered:
o Solid — click once to fill an area with a solid color.
o Brush — click and drag to fill an area with a solid color using
freehand painting.
o Linear — click and then drag to fill the area with color that fades
away (a gradient) towards where you drag the mouse.
o Radial — click once to fill an area with a color that fades away (a
gradient) radially, centered on where you clicked.
o Shaped — click once to fill an area with a color that fades away (a
gradient), following the contours of the shape you're filling.
o Eraser — click once to erase an area, exposing the solid color
background, or starter or template background image, upon which the
drawing was based. (See Available Tools > Drawing Tools > "Eraser" Tool
and Other Controls > 'Starter' & Template Images.)
📜 Note: Prior to Tux Paint 0.9.24, "Fill" was a Magic tool (see below).
Prior to Tux Paint 0.9.26, the "Fill" tool only offered the 'Solid' method
of filling. 'Shaped' fill was introduced in Tux Paint 0.9.29.
g."Magic" Tool (Special Effects) ←
The Magic tool is actually a set of special tools. Select one of the
'magic' effects from the selector on the right. Then, depending on the
tool, you can either click and drag around the picture, and/or simply click
the picture once, to apply the effect.
The Magic Tools
See the instructions for each Magic tool (in the 'magic-docs' folder).
Magic Controls
If the tool can be used by clicking and dragging, a 'painting' button
will be available on the left, below the list of Magic tools on the
right side of the screen. If the tool can affect the entire picture at
once, an 'entire picture' button will be available on the right.
⚙ Note: If the "nomagiccontrols" option is set, Tux Paint won't display
the painting or entire picture controls. See the "Options"
documentation.
💡 If the magic controls are disabled, the Magic plugin may make
separate tools available, one for painting and one that affects the
entire pictre.
Magic Sizing
Some tools offer different sizing options. If so, a slider will appear
at the bottom right side of the screen. This may affect the radius of a
special effect (e.g., Darken) or painted object (e.g., Patterns), or
other attributes (e.g., large versus small Brick shapes).
⚙ Note: If the "nomagicsizes" option is set, Tux Paint won't display
the sizing controls. See the "Options" documentation.
💡 If the sizing option is disabled, the Magic plugin may simply offer a
default size (e.g., Patterns), or it may make separate tools available
with different pre-set sizes (e.g., Bricks and Googly Eyes).
📜 This option was added starting with Tux Paint version 0.9.30.
⚙ Note: If the "ungroupmagictools" option is set, Tux Paint won't split
Magic tools into groups of related tools, and instead present them all as
one large list. See the "Options" documentation.
h."Eraser" Tool ←
This tool works similarly to the Paint Brush. Wherever you click (or click
and drag), things you've added to your drawing will be erased, exposing the
background that you chose when you started the drawing, be it a solid
color, the background of a 'Starter' image, or a 'Template' image. (See
Available Tools > Other Controls > "New" Command.)
A number of eraser types are available, each offering multiple sizes are
available:
o Square — Square-shaped erasers that completely remove parts of your
drawing.
o Circle (solid) — Circle-shaped erasers that completely remove parts of
your drawing.
o Fuzzy-edged Circle — Circle-shaped erasers with soft edges that blend
with the background.
o Transparent Circle — Circle-shaped erasers that blend your drawing with
the background. Release and click again to expose more and more of the
background.
As you move the mouse around, an outline follows the pointer, showing what
part of the picture will be erased.
As you erase, a 'squeaky clean' eraser wiping sound is played.
⌨ Hold the [X] key while clicking for quick access to a small sharp round
eraser (not available when the Text or Label tools are selected, when
you're in the process of rotating a stamp or shape, or when using an
interactive magic tool). Release the mouse to return to your
currently-selected tool.
## 2. Other Controls ##
a."Undo" and "Redo" Commands ←
Clicking the "Undo" button will undo (revert) the last drawing action. You
can even undo more than once!
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [Z] on the keyboard to Undo.
Clicking the "Redo" button will redo the drawing action you just un-did via
the "Undo" command.
As long as you don't draw again, you can redo as many times as you had
undone!
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [R] on the keyboard to Redo.
b."New" Command ←
Clicking the 'New' button will start a new drawing. A dialog will appear
where you may choose to start a new picture using a solid background color,
or using a 'Starter' or 'Template' image (see below). You will first be
asked whether you really want to do this.
When you use the 'Eraser' tool things you've added to your drawing will be
removed, exposing the background you chose when starting a new drawing.
(See Available Tools > Drawing Tools > "Eraser" Tool.)
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [N] on the keyboard to start a
new drawing.
→ Special Solid Background Color Choices ←
Along with the preset solid colors, you can also choose colors using a
rainbow palette or a "color mixer". These operate identically to the
options found in the color palette shown below the canvas when drawing
a picture. See Main Screen > Lower: Colors > Special color options for
details.
'Starter' & Template Images ←
@ 'Starters' can behave like a page from a coloring book — a
black-and-white outline of a picture, which you can then color in,
and the black outline remains intact — or like a 3D photograph,
where you draw in between a foreground and background layer.
@ 'Templates' are similar, but simply provide a background drawing to
work off of. Unlike 'Starters', there is no layer that remains in
the foreground of anything you draw in the picture.
When using the 'Eraser' tool or the 'Eraser' mode of the 'Fill' tool,
the original image from the 'Starter' or 'Template' will reappear. (See
Available Tools > Drawing Tools > "Eraser" Tool and "Fill" Tool.)
The 'Flip' and 'Mirror' Magic tools affect the orientation of the
'Starter' or 'Template', as well. (See Available Tools > "Magic" Tool
(Special Effects) > Flip and Mirror.)
When you load a 'Starter' or 'Template', draw on it, and then click
'Save,' it creates a new picture file — it doesn't overwrite the
original, so you can use it again later (by accessing it from the 'New'
dialog).
⚙ You can create your own 'Starter' and Template images. See the
Extending Tux Paint documentation's sections on 'Starters' and
Templates.
💡 You can also convert your saved drawings into Templates directly
within Tux Paint, from the 'Open' dialog. See "Open", below.
→ Erasing Exported Template Images ←
If you've selected a Template in your personal templates folder, and it
was created from within Tux Paint (using the "Template" button in the
"Open" dialog), you may remove it from within Tux Paint, too. An
'Erase' (trash can) button will appear at the lower right of the list.
Click it to erase the selected template. (You will be asked to
confirm.)
💡 Note: On Linux, Windows, and macOS, the picture will be placed in
your desktop's trash can / recycle bin (where you may recover and
restore it, if you change your mind).
⚙ Note: The 'Erase' button may be disabled, via the "noerase" option.
⚙ Note: The solid colors can be placed at the end of the 'New' dialog
(below the Starters and Templates), via the "newcolorslast" option.
c."Open" Command ←
This shows you a list of all of the pictures you've saved. If there are
more than can fit on the screen, use the up and down arrows at the top and
bottom of the list to scroll through the list of pictures.
Click a picture to select it, and then...
o Click the green 'Open' button at the lower left of the list to load the
selected picture. You will then be able to edit it.
(Alternatively, you can double-click a picture's icon to load it.)
💡 If choose to open a picture, and your current drawing hasn't been
saved, you will be prompted as to whether you want to save it or not.
(See "Save," below.)
o Click the brown 'Erase' (trash can) button at the lower right of the
list to erase the selected picture. (You will be asked to confirm.)
📜 Note: On Linux (as of version 0.9.22), Windows (as of version
0.9.27), and macOS (as of version 0.9.29), the picture will be placed
in your desktop's trash can / recycle bin (where you may recover and
restore it, if you change your mind).
⚙ Note: The 'Erase' button may be disabled, via the "noerase" option.
o Click the 'Export' button near the lower right to export the selected
picture to your export folder. (e.g., "~/Pictures/TuxPaint/")
From the "Open" screen you can also:
o Click the blue 'Slides' (slide projector) button at the lower left to
go to slideshow mode. See "Slides", below, for details.
o Click the blue 'Template' button at the lower left to go to convert the
selected picture into a new template, which can be used as the basis
for new drawings.
📜 Note: The Template creation feature was added to Tux Paint in version
0.9.31. To learn how to create Templates outside of Tux Paint, see
Extending Tux Paint
⚙ The Template creation feature can be disabled (e.g., by selecting
"Disable 'Make Template'" in Tux Paint Config. or running Tux Paint
with the "notemplateexport" option).
o Click the red 'Back' arrow button at the lower right of the list to
cancel and return to the picture you were drawing.
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [O] on the keyboard to bring up
the 'Open' dialog.
d."Save" Command ←
This saves your current picture.
If you haven't saved it before, it will create a new entry in the list of
saved images. (i.e., it will create a new file)
💡 Note: It won't ask you anything (e.g., for a filename). It will simply
save the picture, and play a "camera shutter" sound effect.
If you have saved the picture before, or this is a picture you just loaded
using the "Open" command, you will first be asked whether you want to save
over the old version, or create a new entry (a new file).
⚙ Note: If either the "saveover" or "saveovernew" options are set, it won't
ask before saving over. See the "Options" documentation.
⌨ Note: You can also press [Control / ⌘] + [S] on the keyboard to save.
e."Print" Command ←
Click this button and your picture will be printed!
On most platforms, you can also hold the [Alt] key (called [Option] on
Macs) while clicking the 'Print' button to get a printer dialog. Note that
this may not work if you're running Tux Paint in fullscreen mode. See
below.
→ Disabling Printing ←
The "noprint" option can be set, which will disable Tux Paint's 'Print'
button.
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
→ Restricting Printing ←
The "printdelay" option can be set, which will only allow occasional
printing — once every so many seconds, as configured by you.
For example, with "printdelay=60" in Tux Paint's configuration file,
printing can only occur once per minute (60 seconds).
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
→ Printing Commands ←
(Linux and Unix only)
Tux Paint prints by generating a PostScript representation of the
drawing and sending it to an external program. By default, the program
is:
lpr
This command can be changed by setting a "printcommand" option in Tux
Paint's configuration file.
An alternative print command can be invoked by holding the "[Alt]" key
on the keyboard while clicking clicking the 'Print' button, as long as
you're not in fullscreen mode, an alternative program is run. By
default, the program is KDE's graphical print dialog:
kprinter
This command can be changed by setting a "altprintcommand" option in
Tux Paint's configuration file.
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
→ Printer Settings ←
(Windows and macOS)
By default, Tux Paint simply prints to the default printer with default
settings when the 'Print' button is pushed.
However, if you hold the [Alt] (or [Option]) key on the keyboard while
clicking the 'Print' button, as long as you're not in fullscreen mode,
your operating system's printer dialog will appear, where you can
change the settings.
You can have the printer configuration changes stored between Tux Paint
sessions by setting the "printcfg" option.
If the "printcfg" option is used, printer settings will be loaded from
the file "printcfg.cfg" in your personal folder (see below). Any
changes will be saved there as well.
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
→ Printer Dialog Options ←
By default, Tux Paint only shows the printer dialog (or, on Linux/Unix,
runs the "altprintcommand"; e.g., "kprinter" instead of "lpr") if the
[Alt] (or [Option]) key is held while clicking the 'Print' button.
However, this behavior can be changed. You can have the printer dialog
always appear by using "--altprintalways" on the command-line, or
"altprint=always" in Tux Paint's configuration file. Conversely, you
can prevent the [Alt]/[Option] key from having any effect by using
"--altprintnever", or "altprint=never".
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
f."Slides" Command (under "Open") ←
The 'Slides' button is available in the 'Open' dialog. It can be used to
play a simple animation within Tux Paint, or a slideshow of pictures. It
can also export an animated GIF based on the chosen images.
→ Chosing pictures ←
When you enter the 'Slides' section of Tux Paint, it displays a list of
your saved files, just like the 'Open' dialog.
Click each of the images you wish to display in a slideshow-style
presentation, one by one. A digit will appear over each image, letting
you know in which order they will be displayed.
You can click a selected image to unselect it (take it out of your
slideshow). Click it again if you wish to add it to the end of the
list.
→ Set playback speed ←
A sliding scale at the lower left of the screen (next to the 'Play'
button) can be used to adjust the speed of the slideshow or animated
GIF, from slowest to fastest. Choose the leftmost setting to disable
automatic advancement during playback within Tux Paint — you will need
to press a key or click to go to the next slide (see below).
💡 Note: The slowest setting does not automatically advance through the
slides. Use it for when you want to step through them manually. (This
does not apply to an exported animated GIF.)
→ Playback in Tux Paint ←
To play a slideshow within Tux Paint, click the 'Play' button.
💡 Note: If you hadn't selected any images, then all of your saved
images will be played in the slideshow!
During the slideshow, press [Space], [Enter] or [Return], or the [Right
arrow] — or click the 'Next' button at the lower left — to manually
advance to the next slide. Press [Left arrow] to go back to the
previous slide.
Press [Escape], or click the 'Back' button at the lower right, to exit
the slideshow and return to the slideshow image selection screen.
→ Exporting an animated GIF ←
Click the 'GIF Export' button near the lower right to have Tux Paint
generate an animated GIF file based on the selected images.
💡 Note: At least two images must be selected. (To export a single
image, use the 'Export' option from the main 'Open' dialog.) If no
images are selected, Tux Paint will not attempt to generate a GIF based
on all saved images.
Pressing [Escape] during the export process will abort the process, and
return you to the 'Slideshow' dialog.
Click 'Back' in the slideshow image selection screen to return to the
'Open' dialog.
g."Quit" Command ←
Clicking the 'Quit' button, closing the Tux Paint window, or pushing the
[Escape] key will quit Tux Paint.
You will first be prompted as to whether you really want to quit.
If you choose to quit, and you haven't saved the current picture, you will
first be asked if wish to save it. If it's not a new image, you will then
be asked if you want to save over the old version, or create a new entry.
(See "Save" above.)
⚙ Note: If the image is saved, it will be reloaded automatically the next
time you run Tux Paint -- unless the "startblank" option is set.
⚙ Note: The 'Quit' button within Tux Paint, and quitting via the [Escape]
key, may be disabled, via the "noquit" option.
In that case, the "window close" button on Tux Paint's title bar (if not in
fullscreen mode) or the [Alt] + [F4] key sequence may be used to quit.
If neither of those are possible, the key sequence of [Shift] + [Control /
⌘] + [Escape] may be used to quit.
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
h.Sound Muting ←
There is no on-screen control button at this time, but by using the [Alt] +
[S] keyboard sequence, sound effects can be disabled and re-enabled (muted
and unmuted) while the program is running.
Note that if sounds are completely disabled via the "nosound" option, the
[Alt] + [S] key combination has no effect. (i.e., it cannot be used to turn
on sounds when the parent/teacher wants them disabled.)
⚙ See the "Options" documentation.
### E. Controlling Tux Paint ###
## 1. Using a Mouse or Trackball ##
Tux Paint's main mode of operation is via any device that appears to your
operating system as a mouse, including standard mice, trackballs, and
trackpads, as well as drawing tablets (usually operated with a stylus) and
touch screens (operated with a finger and/or a stylus) (see "Using a Tablet or
Touchscreen" below for more information).
For drawing and controlling Tux Paint, only a single mouse button is used —
typically, on multi-button mice, this will the left mouse button, but this can
usually be configured at the operating system level. By default, Tux Paint will
ignore input from the other button(s). If a user attempts to use the other
button(s), a pop-up dialog will eventually appear reminding them that only one
button is recognized Tux Paint. However, you may configure Tux Paint to accept
any button as input (see the Options documentation).
# a. Scrolling #
Many input devices offer a way to quickly scroll within applications — many
mice have a scroll wheel, trackballs have scroll rings, and trackpads recognize
certain "scroll" gestures (e.g., two-finger vertical motion, or vertical motion
on the edge of the trackpad). Tux Paint supports scrolling input to allow quick
scrolling through certain lists (e.g., Stamps, Magic tools, and the New and
Open dialogs).
Tux Paint will also automatically scroll if you click and hold the mouse down
on an scroll button — the "up" and "down" arrow buttons that appear above and
below scrolling lists.
# b. Mouse Accessibility #
Other devices that appear as a mouse can be used to control Tux Paint. For
example:
* Head pointing/tracking devices
* Eye gaze trackers
* Foot mice
Tux Paint offers a "sticky mouse click" accessibility setting, where a single
click begins a click-and-drag operation, and a subsequent click ends it. (See
the Options documentation.)
## 2. Using a Tablet or Touchscreen ##
As noted above, Tux Paint recognizes any device that appears as a mouse. This
means drawing tablets and touchscreens may be used. However, these devices
often support other features beyond X/Y motion, button clicks, and scroll-wheel
motion. Currently, those additional features are not supported by Tux Paint.
Some examples:
* Pressure and angle
* Eraser tip
* Multi-touch gestures
## 3. Using a Joystick-like Device ##
Tux Paint may be configured to recognize input from any game controller that
appears to your operating system as a joystick. That even includes modern game
console controllers connected via USB or Bluetooth (e.g., Nintendo Switch or
Microsoft Xbox game pads)!
Numerous configuration options are available to best suit the device being
used, and the user's needs. Analog input will be used for coarse movement, and
digital "hat" input for fine movement. Buttons on the controller can be mapped
to different Tux Paint controls (e.g., acting as the [Escape] key, switching to
the Paint tool, invoking Undo and Redo operations, etc.). See the Options
documentation for more details.
## 4. Using the Keyboard ##
Tux Paint offers an option to allow the keyboard to be used to control the
mouse pointer. This includes motion and clicking, as well as shortcuts to
navigate between and within certain parts of the interface. See the Options
documentation for more details.
III. Loading Other Pictures into Tux Paint
### A. Overview ###
Tux Paint's 'Open' dialog only displays pictures you created with Tux Paint. So
what do you do if you want to load some other drawinng or even a photograph
into Tux Paint, so you can edit or draw on it?
You can simply convert the picture to the format Tux Paint uses — PNG (Portable
Network Graphic) — and place it in Tux Paint's "saved" directory/folder. Here
is where to find it (by default):
→ Windows Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 ←
In the user's "AppData" folder:
e.g., "C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\TuxPaint\saved\"
(Note: The "AppData" folder is hidden (not visible) by default. You can
enter the path manually in the location bar of your file browser (e.g.,
File Explorer).)
You can use the %APPDATA% variable as a shorthand, i.e.
"%APPDATA%\Tuxpaint\Saved".
You can use the [⊞ (Windows)] + [R] key combination to bring up the Run
command window, and then type the path and hit [Enter / Return].
→ macOS ←
In the user's "Application Support" folder:
e.g., "/Users/username/Library/Application Support/TuxPaint/saved/"
→ Linux / Unix ←
In the user's "home directory" folder:
e.g., "/home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/"
(Note: The ".tuxpaint" folder is hidden (not visible) by default. You can
enter the path manually in the location bar of your file browser (e.g.,
GNOME Files or Dolphin).)
You can use the $HOME variable as a shorthand, i.e. "$HOME/.tuxpaint/saved"
.
→ Haiku ←
In the user's "settings" folder:
e.g., "/boot/home/config/settings/TuxPaint/saved/"
💡 Note: It is also from this folder that you can copy or open pictures drawn in
Tux Paint using other applications, though the 'Export' option from Tux Paint's
'Open' dialog can be used to copy them to a location that's easier and safer to
access.
### B. Using the import script, "tuxpaint-import" ###
Linux and Unix users can use the "tuxpaint-import" shell script which gets
installed when you install Tux Paint. It uses some NetPBM tools to convert the
image ("anytopnm"), resize it so that it will fit in Tux Paint's canvas
("pnmscale"), and convert it to a PNG ("pnmtopng").
It also uses the "date" command to get the current time and date, which is the
file-naming convention Tux Paint uses for saved files. (Remember, you are never
asked for a 'filename' when you go to save or open pictures!)
To use this script, simply run it from a command-line prompt, and provide it
the name(s) of the file(s) you wish to convert.
They will be converted and placed in your Tux Paint "saved" directory.
💡 Note: If you're doing this for a different user (e.g., your child) you'll
need to make sure to run the command under their account.)
Example:
$ tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg
grandma.jpg -> /home/username/.tuxpaint/saved/20211231012359.png
jpegtopnm: WRITING A PPM FILE
The first line ("tuxpaint-import grandma.jpg") is the command to run. The
following two lines are output from the program while it's working.
Now you can load Tux Paint, and a version of that original picture will be
available under the 'Open' dialog. Just double-click its icon!
### C. Importing Pictures Manually ###
Windows, macOS, and Haiku users who wish to import arbitrary images into Tux
Paint must do so via a manual process.
Load a graphics program that is capable of both loading your picture and saving
a PNG format file. (See the documentation file "PNG.html" for a list of
suggested software, and other references.)
When Tux Paint loads an image that's not the same size as its drawing canvas,
it scales (and sometimes smears the edges of) the image so that it fits within
the canvas.
To avoid having the image stretched or smeared, you can resize it to Tux
Paint's canvas size. This size depends on the size of the Tux Paint window, or
resolution at which Tux Paint is run, if in fullscreen. (Note: The default
resolution is 800x600.) See "Calculating Image Dimensions", below.
## 1. Naming the File ##
Save the picture in PNG format. It is highly recommended that you name the
filename using the current date and time, since that's the convention Tux Paint
uses:
YYYYMMDDhhmmss.png
* YYYY = Year
* MM = Month (two digits, "01"-"12")
* DD = Day of month (two digits, "01"-"31")
* HH = Hour (two digits, in 24-hour format, "00"-"23")
* mm = Minute (two digits, "00"-"59")
* ss = Seconds (two digits, "00"-"59")
Example: "20210731110500.png", for July 31, 2021 at 11:05am.
Place this PNG file in your Tux Paint "saved" directory/folder. (See above.)
## 2. Calculating Image Dimensions ##
This part of the documentation needs to be rewritten, since the new
"buttonsize" option was added. For now, try drawing and saving an image within
Tux Paint, then determine what size (pixel width and height) it came out to,
and try to match that when scaling the picture(s) you're importing into Tux
Paint.
IV.Further Reading
Other documentation included with Tux Paint (found in the "docs" folder/
directory) includes:
→ Using Tux Paint: ←
o OPTIONS.html
Detailed instructions on command-line and configuration-file options,
for those who don't want to use the Tux Paint Config. tool to manage
Tux Paint's configuration.
o 'Magic' Tool Documentation ("magic-docs")
Documentation for each of the currently-installed 'Magic' tools.
o Frequently Asked Questions ("FAQs") about Tux Paint
Answers to, and solutions for, some common questions about, and
problems with, using Tux Paint.
→ How to extend Tux Paint: ←
o EXTENDING.html
Detailed instructions on extending Tux Paint: creating brushes, stamps,
starters, and templates; adding fonts; and creating new on-screen
keyboard layouts and input methods.
o PNG.html
Notes on creating PNG format bitmapped (raster) images for use in Tux
Paint.
o SVG.html
Notes on creating SVG format vector images for use in Tux Paint.
→ Technical information: ←
o INSTALL.html
Instructions for compiling and installing Tux Paint, when applicable.
o SIGNALS.html
Information about the POSIX signals that Tux Paint responds to.
o MAGIC-API.html
Creating new Magic tools using Tux Paint's plugin API.
→ Development history and license: ←
o AUTHORS.txt
List of authors and contributors.
o CHANGES.txt
Summary of what has changed between releases of Tux Paint.
o COPYING.txt
Tux Paint's software license, the GNU General Public License (GPL)
V.How to Get Help
If you need help, there are numerous ways to interact with Tux Paint developers
and other users:
* Report bugs or request new features via the project's bug-tracking system
* Participate in the various project mailing lists
* Contact the developers directly
To learn more, visit the "Contact" page of the official Tux Paint website:
https://tuxpaint.org/contact/
VI.How to Participate
Tux Paint is a volunteer-driven project, and we're happy to accept your help in
a variety of ways:
* Translate Tux Paint to another language
* Improve existing translations
* Create artwork (stamps, starters, templates, brushes)
* Add or improve features or magic tools
* Create classroom curriculum
* Promote or help support others using Tux Paint
To learn more, visit the "Help Us" page of the official Tux Paint website:
https://tuxpaint.org/help/
VII.Follow the Tux Paint project on social media
Tux Paint maintains a presence on a variety of social media networks, where we
post updates and artwork.
* Follow @tuxpaint.bsky.social on Bluesky
* Join the Tux Paint page on Facebook
* Follow @TuxPaintDevs on Instagram
* Follow @tuxpaint@floss.social on Mastodon
* Follow u/TuxPaintDevs on Reddit
* Follow @TuxPaintDevs on Threads
* Follow @TuxPaintDevs on TikTok
* Follow Tux Paint on Tumblr
* Subscribe to @TuxPaintOfficial on YouTube
VIII. Trademark notices
* "Linux" is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
* "Microsoft" and "Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
* "Apple" and "macOS" are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
* "Haiku" is a registered trademark of Haiku, Inc.
* "Facebook", "Instagram", and "Threads" are registered trademarks of Meta
Platforms, Inc.
* "Mastodon" is a registered trademark of Mastodon gGmbH.
* "Reddit" is a registered trademark of Reddit, Inc.
* "TIK TOK" is a trademark of Bytedance Ltd.
* "Tumblr" is a registered trademark of Tumblr, Inc.
* "YouTube" is a registered trademark of Alphabet, Inc.
