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Paint 3D is discontinued. Microsoft deprecated it in August 2024 and removed it from the Microsoft Store on November 4, 2024. If Paint 3D is already installed on your Windows computer, Microsoft says it may continue to work; however, there is no longer a normal official Store download path. The instructions below are therefore for existing installations, especially older Windows 10 systems.
If you do not have Paint 3D, avoid unofficial installers and see the alternatives near the end of this guide.
Is Paint 3D still available?
Paint 3D is no longer a current, supported Windows app. Microsoft lists it as deprecated and says it was removed from the Microsoft Store on November 4, 2024. It was not preinstalled on Windows 11 devices.
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An existing installation may still launch, but continued operation is not guaranteed after Windows updates or other system changes. If you uninstalled Paint 3D, do not assume that you can reinstall it through Microsoft. Random EXE, AppX, or archive downloads advertised as “official Paint 3D” may be modified, unsafe, improperly licensed, or incompatible.
Microsoft’s current notices are available in its removed-features list and deprecated-features guidance.
What Paint 3D can do
Paint 3D was designed for quick, beginner-friendly compositions rather than professional 3D production. An existing installation can typically be used to:
- Draw and annotate in 2D
- Add lines, curves, geometric shapes, and freeform shapes
- Place simple 3D objects and 3D doodles
- Rotate, resize, reposition, group, and decorate objects
- Apply stickers or personal images as decals
- Add flat or spatial 3D text
- Use Magic Select for basic subject extraction from photos
- Change backgrounds, lighting, and visual effects
- Save an editable project and export a rendered image or available 3D format
It is not a replacement for Blender or another professional package. It does not provide the same depth of mesh editing, sculpting, UV unwrapping, rigging, animation, or production-pipeline control.
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Start a Paint 3D project
- Open Paint 3D from the Start menu, or open an existing file from inside the application.
- Choose New for a blank project or Open to load an existing image or model.
- Set the canvas size and orientation if the project needs specific dimensions.
- Decide whether the canvas should remain visible and whether transparency is needed.
- Add your drawings, objects, text, and effects.
- Save an editable copy before exporting.
Use the equivalent command in your build if the wording differs. Paint 3D’s interface and menus can vary between Windows versions.
Save before you export
An editable Paint 3D project preserves more of the scene structure than a PNG or JPEG. A 2D export is a rendered image, so independent objects may no longer be selectable or editable. Keep the source project under a new filename, then create a separate copy for sharing.
Understand the Paint 3D interface
The main tools are arranged across the top of the application. Names or positions may differ slightly in an older Windows build.
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- Menu: New, Open, Save, Save as, Insert, and export-related commands.
- Brushes: Pens, pencils, markers, crayons, spray tools, colors, thickness, opacity, eraser, and fill tools.
- 2D Shapes: Lines, curves, geometric shapes, and freeform shapes.
- 3D Shapes: Ready-made objects and 3D doodles.
- Stickers: Built-in decals and personal images that can be placed on objects.
- Text: Flat 2D text and spatial 3D text.
- Effects: Lighting and scene effects.
- Canvas: Size, orientation, transparency, perspective, and background presentation.
When an object is selected, its controls let you move, resize, rotate, change depth, duplicate, group, or delete it. The rotation controls act on different axes; other controls move an object through the scene or change its apparent depth.
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- Select Brushes.
- Choose a brush type such as a pen, pencil, marker, or spray tool.
- Set the color, thickness, and opacity.
- Draw with a mouse, touchscreen, or stylus.
- Use Eraser or Undo to correct mistakes.
- Use Fill where an enclosed area can be filled cleanly.
- Add geometric shapes or text from their respective tools.
- Save the project, then export a separate image if needed.
Paint 3D works well for annotations, simple illustrations, screenshots, thumbnails, classroom projects, and quick mockups. It is not intended to replace advanced photo-retouching or professional illustration software.
Create a simple 3D scene
The following workflow shows how to build a basic composition from separate objects.
- Choose 3D Shapes.
- Select a primitive, such as a sphere, cube, cylinder, or another available object. You can also choose a 3D doodle.
- Drag on the canvas to place it.
- Use the on-object controls to rotate it around the available axes.
- Drag the object to reposition it, and use the depth control to move it nearer or farther within the scene.
- Drag the white handles to enlarge, shrink, or stretch the object.
- Choose a color, material, or finish if your build provides those options.
- Add a second object and repeat the process.
- Check the arrangement from different views before finalizing it.
Paint 3D’s “3D” workflow is primarily about placing, shaping, decorating, and composing objects. It is not the same as editing a professional mesh.
Use the legacy 3D Library
In installations where the feature still works, the documented workflow is:
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- Choose Open 3D library.
- Enter a search term and press Enter.
- Select a model to add it to the canvas.
- Resize, rotate, and position the model.
The 3D Library was an online service associated with the older application. Because Paint 3D is discontinued, the Library may fail to load, return incomplete results, or no longer behave as older tutorials describe. Do not make it the foundation of a project.
For an offline fallback, use a model already saved on your computer and insert or open it through the commands available in your Paint 3D build. If that workflow does not accept the file, use a current 3D application instead. Do not assume that every format supported by 3D Viewer, Office, or another program is supported by Paint 3D.
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Group multiple objects
- Add and position each object separately.
- Rotate and resize the components until they align.
- Use Select all when you need to work with the objects together.
- Choose Group to keep the parts together while moving or resizing them.
- Use Ungroup if you need to edit individual components again.
Grouping is not necessarily the same as permanently merging or remeshing the objects into one professional 3D asset.
Apply stickers and textures
- Select the 3D object.
- Choose Stickers.
- Select a built-in sticker or choose a personal image if that option is available.
- Place the sticker on the model.
- Move and resize it until it is positioned correctly.
A sticker is a quick decal or surface treatment, not a full UV-mapping and texturing workflow. Images can stretch or distort on curved surfaces, and small source images may look blurry.
Add 2D or 3D text
Use the Text tool and choose between:
- 2D text: A flat element placed on the canvas.
- 3D text: A spatial object that can be rotated, resized, colored, and positioned.
Finish the wording before doing extensive positioning. Keep text separate until the layout is approved, and use large, high-contrast lettering for thumbnails or screenshots. Decide whether the text belongs in a flat image export, a 3D model export, or both.
Add a background and lighting
Some legacy instructions use a model or background from the 3D Library. If that service still works in your installation, add the background, resize it toward the canvas edges, then open Effects. Moving the sun around the lighting wheel changes how the scene is illuminated.
Online background availability is not guaranteed. A background that looks like an independent scene element may instead become part of a rendered image. Lighting changes the presentation of the scene; it does not necessarily alter the underlying model.
Remove a photo background with Magic Select
- Open the image in Paint 3D.
- Select Magic Select.
- Adjust the selection box so it surrounds the subject you want to keep.
- Let Paint 3D identify the foreground.
- Use the refinement controls to add missing areas or remove unwanted areas.
- Select Done.
- Choose whether to delete the original background, move the extracted subject, or copy it.
- Add a replacement background if required.
- Save an editable copy before exporting the result.
The exact controls and results depend on the legacy build. Hair, transparent objects, fine branches, and low-contrast edges may require manual cleanup. Microsoft’s current background-removal documentation for Paint describes a separate modern application, not Paint 3D.
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Save, export, and share your work
| Goal | Use | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Continue editing in Paint 3D | Save the editable project | Keep the original source file and avoid overwriting it during experiments. |
| Share a finished picture | Export a 2D image such as PNG or JPEG when offered | Independent objects become part of the rendered image. |
| Use the model elsewhere | Choose the 3D-model option offered by your build | Available formats and material handling can differ between installations. |
| Preserve the original | Keep the editable project plus an exported copy | Open the export in its intended destination application to check it. |
Export a 3D model
- Finish the scene and save an editable copy.
- Open Save as or the export command.
- Select the 3D-model option provided by your installation.
- Choose one of the formats actually shown in that menu.
- Save the file.
- Open it in a compatible viewer or 3D application to verify the result.
Some legacy guides describe GLB export, including a Paint 3D quick-start guide. Treat that as a historical reference rather than a guarantee that every installation exposes the same format.
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Check canvas visibility before a 3D export
If the canvas is visible during a 3D export, its background or surface may be included in the result. If you want a standalone model, inspect canvas visibility, transparency, and perspective settings first. If your goal is a finished illustration with a background, leave the canvas visible and export a 2D image instead. Exact behavior can vary by build, so inspect the exported file rather than assuming the preview and output are identical.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Legacy keyboard shortcuts
Microsoft’s application-shortcut documentation lists the following Paint 3D shortcuts. Because the page is legacy documentation, verify them in your installation.
| Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
Ctrl+N |
New file or image |
Ctrl+O |
Open |
Ctrl+S |
Save |
Ctrl+Shift+S |
Save as |
Ctrl+P |
Print in 2D |
Ctrl+A |
Select all 3D elements; repeating may change the selection context |
Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V |
Copy / paste |
Ctrl+G / Ctrl+Shift+G |
Group / ungroup |
Ctrl+E |
Show canvas properties |
Ctrl+Shift+E |
Show or hide 3D perspective |
Ctrl+3 |
Switch views |
Ctrl+0 or numeric keypad 0 |
Reset zoom |
I |
Activate the eyedropper |
See Microsoft’s legacy application-shortcut reference for the documented list.
Paint 3D troubleshooting
Paint 3D is missing
Check whether it is already installed by searching the Start menu and reviewing your installed apps. If it is absent, Microsoft no longer provides the ordinary Store installation route. Do not download an alleged replacement installer from a random file-sharing or download site.
The app no longer launches
Preserve any source files you can access. Because the application is discontinued, there is no reliable promise that a repair, reset, or future compatibility fix will restore it. If the project is important, move the work to a current application while retaining the original files.
The 3D Library does not load
This may reflect the retirement or failure of a legacy online service rather than a problem with your drawing. Use locally saved assets, or switch to a current 3D editor or viewer.
A file will not open from Windows Explorer
Open Paint 3D first and use its Open command. File associations and the old right-click integration may be missing even when the application itself still runs.
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The exported model looks different
Other applications may handle materials, textures, lighting, camera position, text, or grouped components differently. Reopen the export in its intended destination and check whether the model format carries the information you expected.
The background appears unexpectedly
Inspect canvas visibility and transparency before exporting. A visible canvas may be rendered into an image or included in a 3D result depending on the build and export path.
Paint 3D alternatives
| Your goal | Better direction | What it does not replace |
|---|---|---|
| Crop, annotate, draw, remove backgrounds, or use layers | Current Microsoft Paint | It does not reproduce Paint 3D’s 3D-object scene workflow. |
| View 3D content in a browser | Babylon.js Sandbox | It is primarily a viewer, not a complete beginner modeling and painting application. |
| Build or edit advanced 3D assets | Blender | Its capabilities and learning curve are far greater than Paint 3D’s. |
| Prepare a model for printing | A current slicer or printer-vendor workflow | Image-composition features from Paint 3D are not the same as print preparation. |
There is no perfect one-for-one replacement. Paint 3D’s distinctive appeal was the simple combination of 2D drawing and lightweight 3D composition. Choose based on the output you need: a current 2D editor for images, a browser-based tool for simple 3D work, or Blender and similar software for serious modeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install Paint 3D on Windows 11?
Paint 3D was not preinstalled on Windows 11, and Microsoft removed it from the Store on November 4, 2024. An existing installation may continue to work, but Microsoft no longer offers a normal official installation path.
Can I still use the Paint 3D 3D Library?
Only if the legacy online feature still works in your installation. It is not dependable now that Paint 3D has been discontinued, so locally saved models are a safer fallback.
Can Paint 3D create real 3D models?
It can compose and decorate simple 3D objects, but it is not a professional modeling tool. It lacks the precision mesh editing, sculpting, UV, rigging, and animation workflows found in dedicated 3D software.
What is the difference between Paint and Paint 3D?
Current Paint is a separate 2D application with features such as drawing, image editing, background removal, and layers. Paint 3D added simple 3D objects, stickers, spatial text, and scene composition; it has since been discontinued.
Is Paint 3D safe to download from a third-party website?
Avoid random third-party installers, AppX packages, and archives. Their authenticity, malware status, licensing, and compatibility may be uncertain, and Microsoft’s official Store distribution has ended.
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