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mtPaint is a free raster painting program best suited to pixel art, icons and palette-based images, with basic tools for editing digital photos. Its indexed-color palette and pixel-focused tools are its clearest strengths; for unrestricted photo work, the handbook recommends a 24-bit RGB canvas.
What is mtPaint used for?
mtPaint is a compact raster editor for GNU/Linux and Windows. The project describes it as “a simple GTK+1/2/3 painting program designed for creating icons and pixel based artwork.” Its documented tools include painting, palette editing, layers, channels, effects, brushes, gradients, scripting and image adjustments. These are project-listed capabilities, not a claim that mtPaint offers the breadth of a modern, full-featured photo suite.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Its focus reflects the handbook author Mark Tyler’s stated motivation: “Although these were great for editing photos, I became frustrated with their poor support for palette based images and pixel art.” That focus still helps explain why mtPaint is especially relevant to users working with small, deliberately limited images.
#1 Best Overall
- Word-first 16K Pressure Levels: The upgraded stylus features 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity and supports up to 60 degrees of tilt, delivering smoother lines and shading for a natural drawing experience. With no battery or charging needed, it operates like a real pen, making it easy for beginners to create effortlessly. This functionality helps novice artists develop their skills and explore their creativity without the intimidation of complex tools
- Designed for Beginners: This drawing pad desinged with 8 customizable shortcuts for both right and left-hand users, express keys create a highly ergonomic and convenient work platform
- Perfectly Adapted for Android: The XPPen Deco 01 V3 art tablet supports connections with Android devices running version 10.0 and above. It is recommended to download the XPPen Tools Android application, which adapts to your smartphone's screen aspect ratio, ensuring accurate mapping. It also supports mapping on Android screens with different aspect ratios in portrait mode
- Large Drawing Space, Bigger Bold Inspiration: This expansive drawing pad has10 x 6.25-inch helps you break through the limit between shortcut keys and drawing area
- Easy Connectivity for Beginners: The Deco 01 V3 offers USB-C to USB-C connectivity, plus adapters for USB C. This ensures easy connection to various devices, allowing beginner artists to set up quickly and focus on their creativity without compatibility concerns. Whether using a laptop, tablet, or desktop, the Deco 01 V3 provides a seamless experience, making it an ideal choice for those just starting their digital art journey
Is mtPaint good for pixel art?
Pixel art is the handbook’s stated main task. Zoom and pixel-grid tools, keyboard shortcuts, palette manipulation and support for indexed-color canvases make it practical for icons and other artwork built from a controlled set of colors. The project also documents up to 1,000 undo steps.
Choose indexed color for a limited palette
An indexed-color image uses a palette you set, with between 2 and 256 colors. This is useful when you want to choose and maintain a fixed palette rather than paint with unrestricted colors. It suits deliberately constrained pixel art, but is not the handbook’s recommended canvas type for digital photos.
Rank #2
- Please note: Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) Pen Display is not a standalone product, this device must be connected to a computer/laptop to work.
- All-new Canvas Glass 2.0: HUION Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) drawing tablet for pc features a fully laminated 13.3-inch screen and brand new anti-sparkle canvas glass 2.0 for reduced glare and improved accuracy. It is perfect for designers, artists, and illustrators to unleash their creativity.
- Advanced PenTech 4.0 Technology: The 16384 levels of pressure sensitivity and 2g IAF ensure a fluid and natural drawing experience, while the 3 customized pen side buttons improve your workflow.
- Improved Color Accuracy: With enhanced color accuracy to Avg. ΔE<1.5, 16.7 million display colors, 99% sRGB coverage, and Rec.709 standard color gamuts, HUION Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) digital art tablet delivers stunning visuals.
- Rigorous Color Calibration: HUION Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) drawing monitor includes a factory calibration report for added assurance of color consistency.
Choose RGB for unrestricted color
The handbook describes 24-bit RGB as supporting many millions of colors and recommends it for digital-photo work. Use RGB when a fixed palette would constrain the image or when you need the broader color range.
Can mtPaint edit photos?
Yes. mtPaint documents image-adjustment and effect tools, and it can work with digital photos on a 24-bit RGB canvas. Its photo-editing role is best understood as a secondary use: the project’s stated emphasis is pixel-based artwork, and the available sources do not establish that it is a replacement for a full-featured photo workflow.
Rank #3
- Customize Your Workflow: The 6 customizable press keys on Huion H640P drawing tablet for pc let you assign your most-used commands—like undo, zoom, brush switch, or save—so you can keep your hands on the tablet and your mind on the art. Whether you're a digital painter switching brushes, or a comic artist zooming in and out, these keys keep your workflow smooth and uninterrupted. Plus, the Huion driver lets you save different shortcut profiles for different apps, so you never have to reconfigure when switching software.
- Professional Pen Performance: Huion H640P drawing pad for computer comes with the battery-free PW100 stylus that's always ready when inspiration strikes. With 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, every light sketch, or bold stroke responds naturally to your hand—just like a real pen. The 5080 LPI resolution and 233 PPS report rate deliver lag-free, precise strokes, so you can draw confidently without second-guessing your cursor. The pen side buttons help you switch between pen and eraser instantly.
- Compact and Portable: Huion H640P computer graphics tablet features a compact, ultra-portable design at just 0.3 inches thin and 0.61 lbs light, so it slides easily into your backpack—perfect for sketching in coffee shops, taking notes in class, or editing on the go between home and studio. The 6x4 inch active area offers enough room for natural pen movements while fitting comfortably on crowded desks, or lecture hall seats.
- Stable Compatibility: Huion H640P graphic drawing tablet works seamlessly with Mac, Windows, Linux PCs, and Android smartphones/tablets (OS version 6.0 or later). Left-handed friendly, and you just need to flip the tablet and adjust the settings in the driver. Please note: H640P does NOT support iPhone/iPad.
- Move Beyond the Mouse: Huion Inspiroy H640P is a pen tablet that replaces your mouse for more natural, precise control. Freehand draw, take notes, or even play OSU—everything you do with a mouse, you can do better with a pen. The precise tip makes it ideal for detailed photo editing, graphic design, or signing PDF. Meanwhile, the ergonomic pen grip helps you avoid the strain that comes from hours of using a mouse.
What file formats does mtPaint support?
The project lists support for BMP, GIF, JPEG, JPEG2000, LBM, LSS, PCX, PNG, PNM, TGA, TIFF, WebP, XPM and XBM. This is a project-level capability list, not a guarantee that every downloadable build includes every codec. The repository’s build notes list optional codec libraries for formats including JPEG, TIFF, JPEG2000 and WebP, so confirm that your installed package supports the format you need and check format-specific round-trip behavior.
Keep channel data when saving
If you need to preserve channel data, save as PNG or mtPaint’s own PMM format. The handbook says other formats do not preserve all channel data; alpha handling may vary by format. For work that depends on channels, keep a PMM working copy and verify the exported image before relying on another format.
Rank #4
- PLEASE NOTE：XPPen Artist13.3 Pro drawing tablet Need to connect with computer,you need to use it with your computer or laptop, the 3 in 1 cable is included
- Drawing Tablet with Screen: Tilt Function- XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function, so now you don't need to adjust the brush direction in the software again and again. Simply tilt to add shading to your creation and enjoy smoother and more natural transitions between lines and strokes
- Graphics Tablets: High Color Gamut- The 13.3 inch fully-laminated FHD Display pairs a superb color accuracy of 88% NTSC (Adobe RGB≧91%，sRGB≧123%) with a 178-degree viewing angle and delivers rich colors, vivid images, and dazzling details in a wider view. Your creative world is now as powerful as it is colorful
- Drawing Pad: One is enough- The sleek Red Dial on the display is expertly designed with creators in mind, its strategic placement allows for natural drawing postures. With just one wheel, you can effortlessly zoom in and out, adjust brush sizes, and flip the canvas—all tailored to suit the habits of everyday artists. The 8 customizable shortcut keys allow you to personalize your setup, streamlining your workflow and enhancing creative efficiency
- Universal Compatibility & Software Support：supports Windows 7 (or later), Mac OS X 10.10 (or later), Chrome OS 88 (or later), and Linux systems. Fully compatible with major creative software including Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, and Blender 3D. Register your device to access additional programs like ArtRage 5 and openCanvas for expanded creative possibilities.
Does mtPaint work with a drawing tablet?
The project lists support for a pressure-sensitive graphics tablet as an input option. It does not specify a particular model or make a tablet a requirement, so check compatibility with your operating system and mtPaint package if pen pressure matters to your workflow.
Which version is current, and where can I get mtPaint?
The project’s SourceForge homepage labels version 3.50, dated 31 December 2020, as its latest stable release. The official GitHub repository identifies mtPaint 3.51. These are different version signals from project pages; neither alone establishes which version is current in every distribution or download channel. Check the official repository or the package source for your platform before installing.
Best Value
- Working Area Configuration - HUION art tablet equips with a 10 x 6.25 inches working area, providing the user with the most comfortable size to work; the 10mm slim structure and minimalist design of appearance make the drawing tablet more attractive.
- Tilt Function Battery-free Stylus: This computer graphics tablet come with a battery-free stylus PW100, no need to charge, allowing for constant uninterrupted drawing. ±60° tilt support enables imitation of lines input with diverse drawing gestures, with accuracy ensured.
- Press Keys:12 programmable press keys plus 16 programmable soft keys, you can set shortcut keys on drawing tablet's driver based on your preferences, such as erase, zoom in/out, scroll up and down, and so on.
- Compatibility: HUION graphics tablet supports Windows 7 or later/ macOS 10.12 or later/ Android 6.0 or later/ Linux (Ubuntu). A USB adapter is required to connect to a Mac computer. H1060P supports various mainstream design and drawing software, including PS, SAI, AI, CDR, etc. (Please note: The H1060P is compatible with Ubuntu, but it requires the use of the Xorg display server. Wayland is not supported.)
- NOTE: You can easily connect your phone to the art tablet via the OTG connector; while iPhone and iPad are NOT at the moment. The cursor will not show up in the SAMSUNG Galaxy S series at present. If you are not sure whether the product is compatible with your Phone or any help, please contact us.
The project site offers Windows installers, Linux packages and source archives, and notes that Linux packaging varies by distribution. The homepage says mtPaint uses GTK+ versions 1, 2 or 3 and is designed to work on older hardware; that broad design goal should not be treated as a present-day guarantee for a particular system. The GitHub repository identifies the software as free software under the GNU General Public License.
Quick Recap
- Official mtPaint project site: features and downloads
- Official mtPaint GitHub repository: version and build information
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