Paint.net started out as a Microsoft Paint replacement written on the .NET framework, and it has since become a comprehensive, powerful graphics editor. Now, it’s reaching its next chapter with version 5.0.

The first alpha testing release of Paint.NET 5.0 is now available, and it comes with several improvements and additions that make the program more powerful than before. Some additions include pressure sensitivity, helping you draw natural-looking strokes if you have a compatible drawing tablet or device, and most adjustments and effects inside the program are now GPU-accelerated, resulting in improved performance.

Other additions include new effects, new adjustments, and new effects, including a new bokeh effect. Of course, this is the very first alpha release, so we’ll probably see a lot of new additions and improvements as the update nears a stable stage. Even this preliminary list of changes and improvements is pretty large, though, so make sure you read the whole original post if you’re interested in trying this out.

If you want to give this alpha version a spin, make sure you’re using 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows 11 — version 5.0 is removing support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, as well as support for 32-bit Windows entirely.

Source: Paint.net