How to Switch Colors in Paint.NET

Switching between your primary and secondary colors in Paint.NET allows you to streamline your digital painting, photo editing, and graphic design workflows. This guide covers the quickest ways to alternate your active colors using keyboard shortcuts, the user interface, and mouse actions.

1. Use the Keyboard Shortcut

The fastest way to toggle between primary and secondary colors is with the keyboard:

  • Press the X key on your keyboard.

Pressing X instantly swaps the active primary and secondary color slots without interrupting your workflow.

2. Use the Colors Window

You can manually swap the colors using the on-screen palette interface:

  1. Ensure the Colors window is visible. If it is hidden, press F8 or click the color palette icon in the top-right corner of the menu bar.
  2. Locate the two overlapping color squares at the top of the Colors window representing your Primary and Secondary colors.
  3. Click the small double-headed curved arrow icon located directly next to the color squares to swap them.

3. Alternate Colors Using Mouse Buttons

Many drawing tools in Paint.NET allow you to use both colors simultaneously without manually switching them:

  • Left Mouse Button: Draws or fills using the Primary color.
  • Right Mouse Button: Draws or fills using the Secondary color.

This technique works with the Paintbrush, Pencil, Paint Bucket, Shapes, and Gradient tools.