How to run paint.net on a Mac This tutorial will explain how to run paint.net on a Mac using VirtualBox. This approach can also be used to run paint.net on Linux or an older version of Windows. Other programs such as Parallels may be faster and easier to use, but are more expensive. A Paint-esque app does exist on your Mac — and here’s how to find it By Justin Pot January 23, 2021 Since the dawn of time (aka 1985), Windows has always shipped with. Paint.NET Discussion and Questions; Mac Mac. October 4, 2016 in Paint.NET Discussion and Questions. Share Followers 0. Paint.NET only runs under Windows.
How to run paint.net on a Mac
This tutorial will explain how to run paint.net on a Mac using VirtualBox. This approach can also be used to run paint.net on Linux or an older version of Windows. Other programs such as Parallels may be faster and easier to use, but are more expensive. Another option is to run Windows separately using Bootcamp, but this would prevent you from running paint.net at the same time as Mac applications.
Alternatively, you may wish to look at alternatives to paint.net.
First you will need a copy of Windows 7/8/8.1, which can be found on Amazon. I suggest buying the latest version possible, as earlier versions may be unsupported in some future version of paint.net.
1. Install VirtualBox. Go to the download page and click the link next to “VirtualBox for OS X hosts.” Once the disk image has downloaded open it and run the installer. Once the installer has finished, open Launchpad and click on the VirtualBox icon.
Once in VirtualBox, click “new” to create a new VM. Enter a name and select the version of Windows you are using.
Go through the rest of the wizard. All of the defaults should be fine. Windows should be installed on a new virtual hard disk.
2. Select the VM you have created and click “settings.” In general -> advanced, set both “shared clipboard” and “drag n’ drop” to “bidirectional.” This will allow you to copy and paste between paint.net and other programs.
Go to the “shared folders” tab and click the green add folder icon. Select your pictures directory for the folder path. Uncheck read-only and check auto-mount. This will allow you to open and save images in your pictures folder from paint.net.
3. Close the settings, insert the Windows DVD and click “start.” VirtualBox should ask you to select a virtual optical drive. Make sure “host drive” is selected and click “start.”
One the installer has loaded, select your language/country and click “next” and then “install now.”
You will be asked a series of questions, depending on which version of Windows you are installing. Roughly, you should accept the license terms and click “custom (advanced)” to install a new copy of Windows. Windows will ask you where to install it, you should only have the option of “disk 0 unallocated space.” Select it and click next, then wait for the installation to complete. Virtual Windows will restart several times during the process.
Once the installation has finished, enter a username when asked (you should probably leave the password blank). Select “use recommended settings”/express installation.
If asked, make sure the time zone is correct and select “public network” for the network type.
4. Once you reach the desktop, click the start button and search for “windows update.” You should install all the important updates. Some of these are required by paint.net.
5. You should also install the guest additions. To do this click devices -> insert guest additions cd image. If the installer doesn’t start automatically, start it manually by clicking start -> computer -> cd drive -> VBoxWindowsAdditions. When asked if you want to install drivers, select “always trust software from Oracle” and click “install.” Once the installer has finished, virtual Windows will be rebooted.
6. Now install paint.net. The .NET framework may be installed at the same time.
Launch paint.net. Click View -> Switch to Seamless Mode to make paint.net a regular window. You will need to do this each time you start the virtual machine.
Your pictures directory will appear as a new drive in “computer.” You can also copy/paste and drag-and-drop between paint.net and other applications.
Paint Net For Mac Downloads
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.This update introduces overscroll, which is the ability to scroll the canvas past the bounds of the image. This has been a highly requested feature for several years now, and it’s finally here 🙂
Also included is a big serving of miscellaneous bug fixes and small improvements.
Paint.net For Mac 2016 Download
As usual, you can download the update directly from the website, or you can use the built-in updater via Settings –> Updates –> Check Now.
Change log:
Paint.net For Mac 2016 Free
- New: The canvas may now be scrolled past the edge of the image
- New: When holding the spacebar, you may scroll using the keyboard arrow keys (in addition to click-and-drag panning). Holding Ctrl will scroll at 10x the rate.
- New: You can now hold Ctrl+Shift while clicking on the floating window icons in order to reset their location and docking. Ctrl+Shift along with the appropriate hotkey (F5, F6, F7, F8) also does the trick.
- Improved: The rate of auto-scrolling, which triggers when the mouse is at the canvas edge and a button is being held down, has been improved and is based on time instead of frames
- Improved: Fixed Size selection drawing now defaults to 400×300 pixels instead of 4×3 inches
- Improved: Tooltips for Custom Shapes now include their file system location
- Improved: Edit->Invert Selection should perform much faster when used with unmodified selections from the Magic Wand tool
- Improved: When running within VMWare, 'Hardware accelerated rendering' is disabled by default (Microsoft’s WARP is faster than VMWare’s D3D emulation)
- Fixed: Erratic brush/pencil drawing when running within VMWare (this is caused by a bug in Win32’s GetMouseMovePointEx API, and is not actually limited to VMWare)
- Fixed: Color Picker tool could crash if used at the bottom of the image, as reported at http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/109248-paintnet-crashes-when-color-picker-off-screen-update/
- Fixed: There was a glitch in the Gradient tool’s rendering when dx was equal to dy, as reported at http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/107380-gradient-bugs-in-direction-and-length/
- Fixed: The Layers window would sometimes auto-scroll the active layer to the bottom when performing certain operations, as reported at http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/32527-layers-auto-scrolling-when-adding-or-duplicating/
- Fixed some mouse cursor glitches when using panning using the spacebar
- Fixed many glitches and a few crashes in the image size dialogs (File->New, Image->Resize, Image->Canvas Size)
- Fixed a problem with inconsinstently skipped input when using the arrow keys to move tool handles, as reported at http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?/topic/108932-selected-area-moving-with-direction-keys-bug/
- Fixed: Custom Shapes did not always have the correct bounding box, and would have weird behavior as a result
- Fixed: Line/Curve handles were unusable for up to 500ms after adjusting properties in the toolbar
- Fixed some crashes and soft hangs in the Save Configuration dialog
- Fixed a blemish at the top of the main window when Windows is set to 200% DPI
- Fixed: There were some precision bugs with IndirectUI sliders that would cause them to get 'stuck' at certain values (mostly affects effect plugins)
- Improved: IndirectUI’s Angle Chooser control now supports the DecimalPlaces property (for plugins)
- Improved: IndirectUI’s Slider controls now support all-negative ranges (e.g. [-200, -20])
Paint.net Mac
Enjoy!