Learn LightPaintPS

Start with your first image

Learn the editor's essential tools through short, practical steps—from opening a file to organizing layers and applying adjustments.

Getting started

Import and export images

Open a local image and export the finished work in a common format.

Basics

Understand layers

Organize content independently and control order and visibility.

Basics

Crop and resize

Reframe an image and prepare it for a specific output size.

Typography

Add text

Create a text layer and adjust its size, color, and position.

Technique

Selections and local edits

Limit movement, deletion, or adjustments to a chosen area.

Advanced

Filters and adjustments

Improve an image with brightness, color, sharpen, and blur tools.

Import and export images

  1. Open the File menu and choose the option to open an image, or drag an image into the editor.
  2. After editing, return to the File menu and choose a save or export option.
  3. Choose PNG when transparency matters; JPEG is often suitable for photographs.

Understand layers

  1. Select the layer you want to change in the Layers panel before editing.
  2. Reorder layers to change which content appears in front, and use visibility controls to hide content temporarily.
  3. Add text, brush work, and shapes on separate layers to keep edits easier to revise.

Crop and resize

  1. Select the Crop tool and drag over the part of the image you want to keep.
  2. Adjust the crop boundary and confirm it when the composition looks right.
  3. For an exact pixel size, use the resize command in the Image menu.

Add text

  1. Select the Text tool, click the canvas, and enter your copy.
  2. Adjust the font, size, color, and alignment in the tool options.
  3. Switch to the Move tool to position the text precisely.

Selections and local edits

  1. Choose the rectangular selection tool and mark an area on the target layer.
  2. While a selection is active, movement, deletion, and supported adjustments affect only that area.
  3. Deselect when finished so later edits are not unintentionally constrained.

Filters and adjustments

  1. Duplicate the layer first so you retain an untouched original.
  2. Choose brightness, color, sharpen, blur, or another command from the Filters menu.
  3. Start with small values and compare the result to avoid over-processing.