How to create a button in paint.net

1. Create a new layer and call it button base. (change the name of a layer using the properties button on the layers window)

2. With the button base layer selected, use the rounded rectangle and create a rectangle as shown below.

3. With button base still selected, use the magic wand tool and click inside of the rectangle you just created to select it.

magic wand tool

4. In the colors window, choose two colors that you would like the button to be. I chose a dark and a light teal-ish color. These colors are for the gradient tool, make sure that there is a dark and light version of a color shade. For instance, a dark red and a light red or a dark green and a light green. Don't worry though, since this is on it's own layer, the color can always be changed later by simply repeating steps 3 and 4.

5. With the rectangle still selected, press the gradient tool.

6. With the rectangle still selected, click and drag your mouse from the top of the rectangle to the bottom.

7. Hit Ctrl+D to deselect all objects. Create a new layer called button text.


8. Choose a single color for your text. I chose white.

9. Select the text tool (which look like a T) and click inside of the gradient rectangle you created. You should see a blinking cursor. Now type the text you would like to use and resize as needed. I'm using Bauhaus 93 at size 72. Position the text so it is where you want it. Don't worry though, this is why we made the button text layer so we can move it as needed at anytime without disrupting anything else.

10. When you are done adding your text, hit Ctrl+D to deselect all objects. Add a new layer called button reflection.


11. This is going to get a little tricky so hang in there. In the button reflection layer, add another rounded rectangle that is the color white. Make the rectangle on the rectangle you already created. Make this new rectangle smaller as the image below shows.

Notice how the white rectangle only takes up the top half portion of the original rectangle.

12. Our first color is already set to white on the colors window, but we need to set the secondary color to transparent. If you do not know how to do that, I am about to show you with very detailed instructions so do not worry.

-Click the secondary color

-Now click the "More >>" button on the colors window (if you haven't already done so). It should expand the colors window to look like this:

-In the bottom-right portion of the colors window you will see the "Transparency - Alpha" section. Set that number to 0. This means the secondary color is completely invisible.

13. Now your primary color should be white while your secondary color should be invisible. Select the magic wand tool and click on the inside of the white rectangle.

14. Use the eraser tool to erase all the white space in the rectangle. (You may have to change the brush size after selecting the eraser tool so that it will take less time erasing) If you use a brush size of 300 it takes only one swipe :p

15. After erasing the white space and the outline of the rectangle still visible, click on the gradient tool. Click and drag from the top of the rectangle to almost the bottom. Don't go all the way down. Then hit Ctrl+D and enjoy your work of art.