I’m a hobbyist digital artist and have had to do a handful of graphic design projects for my mundane, non-art-in-anyway job.
As our computers are locked down Windows PCs, I’ve had to manage with MSPaint. It’s always taken me double the time as on any other program or app, and I have been wishing it had layers for years.
Since this update is Windows 11 only, I’ll have to for my company to upgrade, so I can look forward to layers in maybe 5 years.
Take a look at PhotoPea then. Needs nothing more than a browser. Runs fine in Edge and can be installed as PWA. That should work fine even on a locked down machine.
Try Paint.net. Layers, transparency, filters and even plugins. It’s free to download from their website. Install from Windows Store does have cost as a way to donate.
I’ve never experienced this, I’ve only experienced that you cannot do anything you need an admin for, maybe the control panel and settings app were removed from sight.
Are you able to use WSL under Windows? Combined with something that can display X11 graphics (such as MobaXterm) you could pretty much use whatever Linux-based software from within the windows environment, including stuff like GIMP which does transparency and layers etc just fine
I’m a hobbyist digital artist and have had to do a handful of graphic design projects for my mundane, non-art-in-anyway job.
As our computers are locked down Windows PCs, I’ve had to manage with MSPaint. It’s always taken me double the time as on any other program or app, and I have been wishing it had layers for years.
Since this update is Windows 11 only, I’ll have to for my company to upgrade, so I can look forward to layers in maybe 5 years.
Take a look at PhotoPea then. Needs nothing more than a browser. Runs fine in Edge and can be installed as PWA. That should work fine even on a locked down machine.
Try Paint.net. Layers, transparency, filters and even plugins. It’s free to download from their website. Install from Windows Store does have cost as a way to donate.
Idk why you got downvote but paint.net is where its at.
Because OP said his PC is locked down.
There’s a portable version I’m pretty sure.
Paint.net is nice because it has plugin support.
I recommend Krita, it’s free and open source, and very good at making digital art of any kind.
The commenter you replied to literally wrote the computers are locked down, ie no way to install any new software.
https://portableapps.com/apps/graphics_pictures/krita-portable
There’s a portable version that might work.
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I’ve never experienced this, I’ve only experienced that you cannot do anything you need an admin for, maybe the control panel and settings app were removed from sight.
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I use Krita too. Was using Inskscape too but someone told me about Krita about 7 or 8 months back and its been so much easier.
It’d probably bore you to do things the easy way anyway. Accept happiness.
This is what I’ll be telling myself as I rock and cry myself to sleep at night.
In case your browser isn’t completely locked down: there’s also image editors that run as web apps like photopea.
Are you able to use WSL under Windows? Combined with something that can display X11 graphics (such as MobaXterm) you could pretty much use whatever Linux-based software from within the windows environment, including stuff like GIMP which does transparency and layers etc just fine
There are builds of GIMP for Windows.