There are few programs that can honestly be described as ‘must have’ tools, but for anyone who works with images, this is something that can be said of Paint.NET. What started off as a development of Windows’ own Paint tool has quickly become a highly respected image editor that is a serious alternative to expensive tools such as Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro.

The update to version 3.5.9 is a relatively minor number increment, but the changes and additions that have been made are important ones. Previous versions of the program had problems with the DirectDraw Surface configuration screen as well as DirectDraw Surface themselves, but these issues have now been addressed.

Keyboard shortcuts for zooming in and out of images have been improved so it is now easier and faster than ever to navigate the files you are working on. When it comes to saving files, you will notice that the bit-depth detection for PNG, BMP and TGA files has been improved so you can better determine which setting to use for the best image quality and which to use for the smallest file size.

If you have not yet tried out this image editor, it is well worth downloading. You may not find all of the features and tools you would find in Photoshop, but you will find all of the essentials and much, much more.  If you have been put off free image editors in the past because you have found them to be underpowered, or find The GIMP to be inaccessible, Paint.NET may just change your mind.

You can find out more and download your free copy of the app by paying a visit to the Paint.NET review page.