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How To

Get to Know Paint Tool SAI

Get to Know Paint Tool SAI
Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

  • Updated:

Paint Tool SAI is one of the most affordable, yet effective, graphic design tools available; however, if you’ve never used a graphic design tool before, you may feel a little bit overwhelmed by Paint Tool SAI at first. To get you used to its interface, here’s a handy guide to some of its main features:

The Canvas

The Canvas in Paint Tool SAI is where your main composition is created. In this area of the screen, you can use the various drawing and painting tools that are found in the Tool List. When working with the Canvas, you can zoom in and out to create finer details using the Zoom Tools located at the top of the screen. In addition, you can rotate the Canvas if you prefer to work on a specific section of your creation in a different way.

Layer List

One of the best parts about working in Paint Tool SAI is that you can create layers for your work. Layers sit on top of one another and their order can be changed in the Layer List. You can use layers to create effects, such as shadows, but you can also use them to blend objects. The Layer List also offers you the ability to mute layers or make them solo, giving you the ability to see what each layer looks like separately or what your creation looks like without certain layers.

Layers

Drawing Tools

The Drawing Tools are the main way you create in Paint Tool SAI. You can use things like the Pen Tool, the Airbrush Tool, and the Sketch Tool to draw out your ideas on the Canvas, but you can also use tools like the Blur Tool and the Pixel Tool to create effects. You can customize each tool by changing various options in the Drawing Tools section, adjusting for size, density, texture, and other variables.

Paints Effect

In the Paints Effect section, you can select various effects that change the way your layers look on the Canvas. For example, if you apply the Multiply effect, the affected layer will mix the colors of the layers that it sits on top of. If you select the Overlay effect, the affected layer will create a screen effect and mix the colors of the layers underneath. If you want to go back to the layers simply sitting in the order that they were at first, you can simply choose the Normal option and no mixing will occur.Effects

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Softonic Editorial Team

Softonic Editorial Team

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