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# Loading Clips into Paint

When accessing Paint, you first select the clips that you want to use. Any of the following combinations of clips can be used in Paint:

- A front clip only
- A front clip and a back clip
- A front clip and a matte clip
- A front clip, a back clip, and a matte clip
- None (a blank canvas)

The front clip appears on the Paint canvas, which you can use to apply colours and effects to the clip. The matte clip delimits the area of the front clip affected by painting. The back clip can be revealed or brushed through onto the front clip. The colour of the blank canvas is defined by the wipe colour.

NoteThe image window in Paint is referred to as the canvas in the following sections.

To load clips into Paint:

1. In the EditDesk menu, select Effects, and then click Paint.

   The Input Mode box appears.

2. Select an option other than None from the Input Mode box.
3. Select the source clips.
4. Select the destination.

   The Paint menu appears.

5. Access one of the following Paint menus.

   Click: | To:
   --- | ---
   Paint | Use the brushes or geometric shapes to paint on the canvas, record and apply strokes to the canvas, fill areas of the image with a reference colour or image, and move the image on the canvas.
   Graphics | Create, edit, and animate shapes and apply them to the canvas.
   CutOut | Create and add effects to cutouts and apply them to the canvas.
   Setup | Set preferences, rendering options, grid guides, and colour correction options.

To access the Paint menu with a blank canvas:

1. In the EditDesk menu, select Effects, and then click Paint.

   The Input Mode box appears.

2. From the Input Mode box, select None.

   The resolution controls appear.

3. Choose a resolution, width, height, pixel aspect ratio, bit depth, and scan mode to apply to the background in Paint. See Resize Settings.
4. Set the frames per second and drop-frame values for the clip from the Frame Code Mode box.
5. Select the destination.