Paint 3D is not available for Mac but there are some alternatives that runs on macOS with similar functionality. The most popular Mac alternative is SketchUp, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked 9 alternatives to Paint 3D and six of them are available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Tux Paint is completely free software, released as 'Open Source' software, under the provisions of the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means you may download it and install it on as many machines as you wish, copy it for friends and family, and give it to your local schools.
So when I first made the switch from Windows to macOS a few years back, one of the gripes I had and can imagine many other people having too is the absence of a stand-alone basic graphics or painting utility application. While Apple kind of pioneered such apps on personal computers with their Macintoshes shipping with MacPaint, the scenario has been quite different since the last 3 decades with MacPaint seeing its last release in 1988. Today we take a look at 5 different paint app for mac; whether you are someone who has been missing MS Paint on Mac OS or just looking for a basic painting app, this list is for you.
Read: Top 5 Free Online Image Editor Like Photoshop
Microsoft Paint for Mac
1. Preview
Before even hopping on and suggesting a bunch of third-party apps, I wanted to shine some light on one of the most underused and under-rated native apps on Mac OS: Preview. While I was on the hunt for a paint app, Preview managed to seriously surprise me with its capabilities.
To get started, open Preview and open up the image you want to edit or simply open the image with Preview directly. Next show the Markup Toolbar by the clicking the icon shown below.
Read: Use Mac's Preview App like a Pro with These Tips & Tricks
You can now find a whole host of editing options from simple sketching and drawing to insertion of various shapes and text and even adjusting image parameters like exposure, contrast, sharpness and a lot more. You also get the ability of adding a signature or signing your PDFs from Preview itself, image size formatting and text formatting options.
Although Preview has a lot to offer, it may not be the perfect replacement for some as it does not allow you to create new image files which is its biggest setback.
Quick Tip: Be sure to first make a copy of your image before editing with Preview, as it automatically saves all your changes and it could be really hard to revert back if you have already saved the image.
2. Paint Brush
Ms Paint For Mac Download
Paint Brush for Mac OS is like the perfect replica of MS paint. The app is quite bare bones and extremely easy to use, offering just the basic functions of a paint application.
Unlike Preview, in this app you can create a new document and this is the first thing you are greeted with, on opening the application and you can state the size of your canvas. It offers all the basic functionalities just as MS paint like pencil, colour fill, shapes, text, magnification and also a colour picker tool which comes in very handy. It also supports most image formats including JPEG, PNG, BMP, TIFF and GIF.
Paint Brush is also very fast to open and get work done with and will be perfect for doing some small editing or painting stuff in a jiffy.
Price: Free
Link: Download Paintbrush from here
3. Seashore
Seashore is a free, open-source paint application for Mac OS built entirely in Cocoa. While the UI might seem a little dated, the app has a lot of tricks up its sleeves which makes it an upgrade to Preview or Paint Brush.
SeaShore introduces the concept of layers, just like you have in Photoshop. The layers work like sheets of acetate stacked upon each other and the transparent areas allow you to see through to the underbidding layers. This allows you to create different layers for different effects and adjusting the effects separately or deleting them separately, thus providing easy management.
Seashore has a nifty gradient tool where you can specify the direction and strength of the gradient. Some other features include alpha channel editing, texts with sub pixel rendering and textures.
Read: 10 Best Ways to Open and Edit PSD files without Photoshop
Quick Tip: Another free and open source alternative is Pinta, which is also cross platform and an exact clone of Paint.NET on Windows.
Price: Free
Link: Download Seashore from here
4. MS Paint using Wine or Play On Mac
If you didn't know, Wine is an awesome and efficient way to run native Windows applications on your Mac and the best part about it is that unlike Bootcamp or VM installations, it does not require a windows license and does not add that overhead.
The setup process can be a little tedious, but it is definitely rewarding as you can run most of your Windows apps on your Mac. Play On Mac is a third party tool built on Wine, which we recommend for installing Windows applications on Mac OS. Just download Play On Mac and all the dependencies required for Wine and then you should be able to install any Windows app of your choice. To install Paint, go to Install Apps > Graphics > Paint and hit download. MS Paint should be installed on your computer and it works just as good on any Windows PC.
Quick Tip: Although Wine is much less intensive or involving than Bootcamp or a virtual machine running Windows, it still takes up a lot of space with its dependencies and adds overhead. So we recommend this method if you are someone who is planning on using more Windows apps on your Mac or just cannot do without MS Paint.
Price: Free
Link: Download Play On Mac from here
5. Pixelmator
While MS Paint is mostly about simplicity, it doesn't hurt to include a feature packed app for all the power users out there. As I said, by no means should Pixelmator be considered a basic app as it is far from that, having a boatload of options, effects and features.
Pixelmator also offers layers with the option of layer styles presets where you can either use a predefined preset or save your own custom style preset. It also has retouching tools, colour correction tools and a real-time effects machine along with all the drawing and brushing tools. It even sports iCloud support and the ability to publish your pictures directly to social media.
What makes Pixelmator stand out from all the other professional graphic utility apps, is its flexibility; while it does have a lot of features, one can also just use the brush or pencil tools to doodle anything just as they would in any other paint app. The app is not at all overwhelming even for a beginner and strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and productivity. If you do not mind spending $30, Pixelmator is a keeper.
Price: $29.99
Link: Get Pixelmator on the App Store
Wrapping Up: Microsoft Paint for Mac
Mac OS doesn't come with any paint app but that doesn't mean that there is a dearth of paint apps on Mac and it is quite the opposite. But before downloading any third party app, we highly recommend checking out Preview and checking whether it fulfills all your needs or not. Paint Brush is an awesome simple and easy to use paint application while Seashore is slightly more complex with the addition of layers.
Pixelmator is one heck of an app with all its features, but it is very flexible and you can use it as an MS paint replacement to a cheaper Photoshop alternative. And last but not least, if you need to use a lot of Windows apps, Wine is your best bet to get MS paint running on your Mac. So this was our list of the Microsoft Paint for Mac. Which one do you use daily or did we miss yours? Let us know in the comments below.
Slowly and steadily MS Paint and Adobe Photoshop are being replaced by stronger and more popular freeware. Our list includes all the popular digital painting software, free download links as well as professional painting software, free download sources.
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These help you either convert digital images into paintings or make your own paintings from scratch using the latest tools and techs.
1. PowerPaint
A sound replacement of MS Paint and other well known but cumbersome photo editing software programs, this one is a complete image editor with all the tools and presets required to edit photos, images and add loads of textures to them too.
- Compatible with almost all current Windows OS versions.
- Includes a separate Image Dropdown menu with a plethora of features.
- Pre-set shapes, lines, banners and charts.
- Tons of graph features.
2. Corel PaintShop Pro (32 Bit)
One of the few trail version software which come with complete feature sets of the real deal. This software is ideal for painting on and editing all photos and images with a touch of expertise.
- Indulge in quick fixes using the Express Lab and the Smart carver or try out the tons of different tools and options to create professional grade photos.
- Main set of tools include RAW Lab, Express Lab, Advanced Tools, Smart Carver and Integrated Tools.
3. Pint.NET
This is a free to use photo editing software which supports multiple layers.
- Advanced settings to turn your images into oil paintings and sketches.
- Work on several images side by side.
- Record a history of changes and processes for easy removal of effects and edits.
- Easy shortcuts for functions.
- One touch optimizing and retouching of all images using a bunch of free and integrated tools.
4. EZ Paint
This is an extremely easy to use software which is a free alternative to MS Paint. It comes with more tools and options as well.
- Easy drawing of line, arcs, curves and accompanying editing tools.
- Has more than 30 custom built-in shapes.
- Aimed at regular users who require something more than paint but less complicated than Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw.
- Compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows Vista.
5. Tux Paint
A very popular paint software which has been sought after by all young image editors, graphic designers and digital painters. The interface is extremely child-friendly and hence is very well suited for all budding talents.
- Colorful and simple interface with minimal commands.
- The bunch of features include Tux Paint Stamps, magic designs, colors, effects and a variety of brushes.
- Includes over 100 brand new stamps.
- Includes autosave and recover features.
6. Fresh paint for Windows 8
This is a free app for all windows users who want to add a touch of hand drawn painting to all their photos and images. This can edit BMP, JPEG and TIFF images without any trouble whatsoever.
- Perfect for Windows 8 users and ideal for touchscreen devices.
- Blend and mix colors to create new shades.
- Realistic painting effects.
- Fun graphical interface well suited for all age groups.
7. Tux Paint Stamps 2009-06-28
The Tux Paint Stamps are ideal for the creative souls who also love fun in art. This adds an easy charm of pop-art to your creations.
- Free and easy installation.
- A huge collection of free, cool stamps.
- Easy to access and implement.
- Compatible with Tux Paint Software (and other versions).
- Compatible with Windows 7, Windows 2000, Windows Vista and Windows 8.
8. Mario Paint Composer
Paint Download For Mac
This software comes with an air of creativity and freedom of exploration. This one is ideal for all the new and daring painters and designers who are looking for a lot more than MS Paint.
- This is an extremely fun way to 'paint' music using symbols like flowers, automobiles, airplanes and cute hearts.
- Ideal for kids and teachers who want to add some fun to their classes.
- Authentic SNES experience.
9. TAG: The Power of Paint
A very unique creation, this gaming software is used for making all kinds of creative graphic designs. This is in sync with the growing popularity of graffiti and wall-art.
- Bold and creative way of creating new designs and clearing each level of the game.
- New tools and paint as ammo to obtain different powers and make your move.
- Jump, throw, boost your speed using different colors and by drawing different patterns.
10. PaintTool SAI
A drawing utility software which is ideal for all levels of painters and designers who use their Windows device to power their creations.
- Has all basic image editing tools including airbrushes, paintbrushes, watercolors, erasers and pencils.
- Ready to use shapes and clip-arts.
- Supported by simple interface and navigation.
- Supports PSD, JPG, BMP, SAI, PNG and TGA formats.
- Supports layers and canvases.
Here we have presented to you a huge array of software programs which revolve around painting; they include editing software as well as gaming software which use paint as a level boosting feature.