Make a Eraser Bigger in MS Paint on Windows 7 Laptop
Microsoft Paint includes a few presets for changing the size of the eraser, but there's actually a hidden key combination to make it any size you'd like. Unfortunately, this key combination doesn't work for many laptops that lack a numeric key pad. Luckily, you can use the Windows On-Screen Keyboard to perform the shortcut to increase the size of the erase.
Steps
- Select the Eraser tool in Paint. You can select the eraser from the Home tab in Paint. Paint will need to be the active window in order for this to work.
- Use the Size button to select from four preset sizes. The Size button is located in Home tab to the left of the color palette. If these sizes don't suit your needs, you can use the numeric "+" to change the size.
- Open the Windows On-Screen Keyboard. Traditionally you can use the numeric key pad to change the size of the eraser by pressing and holding Ctrl++/-. If you have a laptop that doesn't have a numeric key pad, you can use the Windows On-Screen Keyboard, which simulates a full-size keyboard.
- To open the On-Screen Keyboard, click the Start button and type "keyboard". Select "On-Screen Keyboard" from the list of results.
- You'll notice that the On-Screen Keyboard stays visible even when Paint is the active window.
- Click the "Options" button on the On-Screen Keyboard. By default, the On-Screen Keyboard does not have the numeric key pad enabled. You can enable this in the Options menu.
- Check the "Turn on numeric key pad" box and click "OK". The numeric pad will appear on the right side of the On-Screen Keyboard.
- Click the "Ctrl" key then click the "+" key on the numeric key pad. You will notice that the "Ctrl" key stays highlighted until you click the "+". You must click the "+" on the numeric key pad, not the one next to the Backspace.
- Continue to click the "Ctrl" and then the "+" until the eraser is larger. Each time you click the two keys, the eraser will increase by one pixel. This means you will have to perform this combination of clicks several times until you notice a difference in the size of the eraser. Try clicking "Ctrl" and then "+" ten times to see a noticeable difference.
- If the size of the eraser is not changing, make sure that Paint is the active window when you try to change the size.
- You can do the same thing with the numeric "-" to reduce the size of the eraser by one pixel.
- You need to click the "Ctrl" key on the On-Screen Keyboard each time before you click the "+" or "-".
