This update adds JPEG XL (*.jxl) support, improves quantization color quality, updates AVIF loading to better handle mapping HDR images to SDR, and fixes some bugs.

Change Log

Changes since 5.1.4:

• New: JPEG XL (*.jxl) images are now supported by way of bundling @null54‘s JpegXLFileType plugin
• Fixed the Levels adjustment not honoring the active selection.
• Fixed some more mouse cursor issues when completing certain actions with certain tools.
• Fixed some keyboard shortcuts in the Adjustments menu not working reliably.
• Fixed most cases of tooltips blinking on/off when drawn near the bottom of the screen (thanks @toe_head2001!).
• Fixed some new high-DPI scaling issues in toolbar dropdowns.
• Improved quantization quality for Effects->Color-Quantize and when saving an image at 8-bit depth and below. This was done by merging octree node colors in linear gamma space.
• Fixed some incorrect background text color rendering in the status bar.
• Updated the bundled AvifFileType plugin to v3.12.0, which improves conversion from HDR images utilizing the Rec. 2020 PQ color space (thanks @null54!).
• Updated the bundled WebpFileType plugin to v1.5.0 (thanks @null54!).

Download and Install

This build is available via the built-in updater as long as you have opted-in to pre-release updates. From within Settings -> Updates, enable “Also check for pre-release (beta) versions of paint.net” and then click on the Check Now button. You can also use the links below to download an offline installer or portable ZIP.

You can also download the installer here (for any supported CPU and OS), which is also where you can find downloads for offline installers, portable ZIPs, and deployable MSIs.