How to Crop a Circle in Paint

Time needed: 15 minutes

To crop an image in the shape of a circle in Microsoft Paint:

1. Click Color 1 (your foreground color) in MS Paint.

   Here’s where: Color 1 is the upper of the two colors in the Paint toolbar.

2. Select the color you will use as the background for your image.

   Make it different: Choose a color that differs markedly from the edge of the cropped image. This lets you eventually remove the background altogether and make it transparent.
   Black and white: If you do not need transparency, you can pick white, of course, or black for example.

3. Click Oval in the Shapes section.

   

4. Click Shape outline (or Outline) in the Paint toolbar.

5. Select Solid color.

   

6. Now click Shape fill (or just Fill).

7. Pick No fill.

   

8. Holding down the Shift key, click and drag to create a circle in the image.

   Perfect circles: Shift makes sure you draw a circle (instead of an oval).
   You can move it: You need not draw the circle in its final place; it is best if its size is as desired, however.

9. Click and drag to move the circle to match where you want to crop.

   

10. Optional: Resize the circle using the handles.

    Watch proportions: While you cannot fix the proportions, use the selection dimensions as a guide and make sure the height and width match.
    

11. Click Select in the toolbar.

12. Pick Free-form (or Free-form selection).

    

13. Click and draw inside the circle outline you just added to the image all the way around.

    

14. Click Crop.

    

15. If necessary: Click Rubber in the toolbar and remove any remaining splotches of paint outside your cropped circle.