0 Comments Art Review: MediBang Paint Pro

Program - MediBang Paint Pro (PGN Inc.)
Tested version - 14.0 (ver 2.0.1)

Price - Free, ad supported (single closable window) no malware in version tested (or ever heard of).
Notes - The software Terms of Service. This software is aimed at artists that want a MediBang account, but is not required.
Systems - Windows 7/8.1/10, Mac OS X 10.9 - iPad / iPhone / Android (see site for those specs)
Official website - https://medibangpaint.com/en/

If you are wondering what are the Differences Between FireAlpaca vs MediBang Paint Pro then read my post.

Raster or Vector - Raster

Ad-Supported - Whenever the program is started it loads a single ad window (see the window I had above). You can close the window by clicking Ok or the X.

The 2nd image is the MediBang Cloud Service window, and displays an ad as well. You can sign-up for an account, or close it and ignore the Cloud related buttons.

It did not install any malware or such on my PC, just a internal program window when it starts. The window is nothing more than image links that loads a image and clickable link from their website.

Ease Of Use - Surprising simple to get started. Officially they have a online tutorial section that covers many topics. A quick search online or on YouTube will find help as well. As it is FireAlpaca with some changes, all FireAlpaca related things apply. Have a look at these direct links on Pinterest, DeviantArt, and Tumblr too.

All software is subjective to hardware installed, so with that in mind here is my current workhorse PC (A updated HP Z200 Workstation) specs I used for testing with all updated drivers...

CPU - Intel Core i5 CPU 660 @ 3.33GHz (2 Cores, 4 Threads)
Memory - 12 GB DDR3 total
Graphics - EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti SC (Superclocked GM107) 1 GB (DDR5 memory)
Space - 2.5 TB hard drive disk space
System - Windows 8.1 Pro

Program Speed - Likely the fastest loading program I've tested. Even creating images tabloid sized (11" x 17" at 600 dpi) it loads nearly instantly, and brushes are lag free.

Noticeable Lag - The only thing that seems to have any lag is the fill Bucket tool, which seems to be common with most software.

Page Options - Maximum size is 33.333" x 33.333" at 600 dpi, and 66.66" x 66.66" at 300 dpi - a maximum of 20000 pixels for width or height. Even at maximum page sizes new images are created nearly instantly - and overall just as lag free. Adjustable page crop (Finishing line), bleed, and more options are available under the Comic tab.

The page is strictly created in RGB, and does not offer CMYK support.

* When your finished with your art there is a method to get Grayscale and Monochrome from it though. From the main menu select File -> Rasterize to get the Rasterize option window - in most programs this would be a Flatten image/layers command, but here it has extra options.

The options are Output (Color (32bpp) /Grayscale (8bpp) /Monochrome 2 tone (2bpp)), Force black or white as a layer color, Exclude text layers, and Rasterize area is enabled only if the menu View -> Show comic guide lines is on and includes (Finish line /Bleed /Trim marks).

After clicking Ok it will output the artwork to a new single layer image, which you can then save.

File Formats -

• Open - MDP (FileAlpaca), PNG, JPG /JPEF (JPEG), BMP (Bitmap), GIF, PSD (Photoshop Document), DCI, TIF /TIFF (TIFF), WEBP (WebP)
• Save - MDP (FileAlpaca), PNG, JPG /JPEF (JPEG), BMP (Bitmap), PSD (Photoshop), TIF (TIFF), WEBP (WebP)

Plug-in Support - No. 

Customizable Shortcuts/Menus/Icons - Yes keyboard shortcuts are customizable, and docked windows (turned on/off, rearranged, undocked to float /or docked, and sometimes combinable).

* I made various default docked windows into floating ones for clearer defined screenshots, for example the layer screenshot below.

Layer Options -  Opacity (slider input only), 17 Blending modes, Protect Alpha (transparency), Clipping (turns layer into a clipping layer to the layer below), Lock layer, Visibility, Layer property (double-click or using layer gear icon - see 2nd image above), Add layer, Add layer (8bpp - Grayscale), Add layer (1bpp - Monochrome), Add layer (Halftone) (see below), Add layer folder, Duplicate layer, Merge layer (down), and Delete layer.

The Layer property offers re-Naming the layer, Draft layer, Effect (None /Watercolor edge /Watercolor edge (cloudy)), and effect Size /Strength if effect is enabled.

A Halftone layer lets you draw/paint tone into your work. When you Add layer (Halftone) you are shown a window with basic settings Type (Net dots  /Vertical lines /Horizontal lines), Lines amount, and Tone depth amount. Clicking Ok is the best option, unless you know exactly what you need - it can be adjusted with a preview shortly.

Using the Layer property window (double-click the Halftone layer) you can adjust the tone while your image is updated instantly allowing a live-preview. Options here are layer Name, COLOR, Halftone type (Net Dots /Vertical lines /Horizontal lines), Lines amount, Tone depth amount, and Draft layer option.

* To see the halftone you need to draw/fill on the layer. Filling the entire layer (or a selection) with the Bucket Tool is the easiest way to get started.

For me the custom Halftone effect is the best feature of MediBang Paint (vs FireAlpaca) - and I really hope it finds it's way to the rest of the PGN Inc. software programs! Heck I might consider using Steam if their openCanvas 7 (only on Steam) has this feature - so far I have never used and had no plans to use Steam.

Color Selection - Color bar (map) by default with RGB display only (clicking the RGB text will change it from RGB, HSV, and YCrCb). By clicking the main menu Color -> Color wheel it will switch the bar to a wheel.

The Select color button (below the RGB text) opens the Select Color window that includes the numerical inputs for HSV, RGB, and HTML (a Eyedropper tool is missing though making it less than ideal). Also the Custom colors "palette" is only accessible from the window itself and does not save, update, or append to the MediBang's color palette.

The other option is a single color palette that saves automatically, and is shown the same in any image (no unique palettes). Using it is rather simple and clicking Add color brings up the Edit color window that allows you to enter a description name shown during mouse palette hovering. The window can also be accessed by double-clicking a palette color to edit it.

* The palette Edit color window is able to use standard HTML style HEX color codes, which are also available in the Select Color window.

Brush Options - The Brush preview is just that, and if the brush is not the default size clicking it will revert to the default size. Brush control includes Size in pixels which can be edited numerically /dragging the slider /or using your mouse wheel over it (interestingly it offers 1/2 pixel size brushes too as in 8 /8.5 /9 /9.5 /etc), and Opacity percentage as a slider only.

Along the top near the menu are the remaining Brush options (2nd image) which are Anti-aliasing, Correction (smooths graphic tablet and mouse lines), and Soft edge.

The Brush window (1st image) shows the brushes available, the Pen brush is selected and shows the size in red 8 as the size is not the default brush size (15). Besides the list of available brushes, along the bottom are the options Add brush (Cloud), Add brush, Add brush (Bitmap), Add brush (Script), Add brush group, Duplicate brush, and Delete brush.

To learn about making brushes see their tutorial here (again FireAlpaca is the same here); however, the real power of brushes is in LUA programming scripts - see their translated tutorial, or a fan made 8 part tutorial.

From the Brush window double-clicking a brush, or the gear icon, will open the Edit brush window. Inside are the options Name, Type (Pen /AirBursh /Eraser /Watercolor /Blur /Smudge /Edge pen), Width (size) with slider and numerical input, Min width slider, Size by pressure, Opacity by pressure, and Force fade in/out.

Common Necessities - Other tools that are primarily tools, and is surprising lacking in some software making it necessary to include them briefly.

Bucket Tool fill - While simple in options it works better than many other bucket tools. Options are Reference (Canvas /Layer), Anti-aliasing, Expand pixel (0 to 32 - selecting Expand 1 pixel fills in pen outlines without gaps), and Close gaps (1 to 5).
Eraser - Using the Eraser tool or a Brush eraser is the same. Options are Anti-aliasing, Correction (smooths graphic tablet and mouse lines), and Soft edge.
Image Zoom - Onscreen buttons in the Navigator, shortcut controls, menu controls, Actual pixels, and Fit to window size. Zoom in/out is default on the mouse scroll wheel. Zoom range 1% to 6400%
View Rotate - Onscreen buttons in the Navigator, keyboard shortcut controls (Left and Right Arrow keys), menu controls, and can be rotated at any single angle. In File -> Environment Setting the rotation amount can be adjusted to 15 /30 /45 /90. Also available is the option to flip the image horizontally (Down arrow key).
Selection Tools - Select tool (Rectangle /Ellipse /Polygon), Lasso, and Magic wand - and all have varying options.

Text/Font Options - The first thing is a message and button Use cloud text rending. The cloud fonts have 93 total, and are primarily Japanese and some English (19 fonts) - 12 are available not logged-in. In order to use your own installed fonts you have to click the button to disable the cloud fonts.

At first glance it seems great, but after trying it out becomes obvious many options do not work as they should.

The system font list shows double names and seemingly random "fonts" listed in a mixed-alphabetic font list. Text spacing (kerning) and Line spacing (leading) are in whole numbers only making it useless (no decimals), and both options apply to all the text not just selected text.

Window options include Font name, Text size with numerical input /drop down list /minus and /plus button, Size in Pt (points) or Pixels, Anti-aliasing, Text spacing (kerning), Line spacing (leading), Align text (Left /Center /Right), Styles (Bold /Italic /Strikethrough /Vertical), Text color, Switch colors, Edge width, Edge color, Round edges, and Rotate.

Drawing Aids - There are several and are really great to use, but require some basic knowledge so I will cover them briefly.

The most obvious ones are the various Snap rulers that are selectable when you have the Brush tool. Near the top main menu they are Off, Parallel, Crisscross, Vanishing point, Radial, Circle, Curve, Curved line (ellipse), and Snap setting.

To change the starting point of the Snap rulers click the ruler you want, then click the Snap setting, and simply move your mouse to where you want it and click. When you are done with a Snap ruler click the Off button. Also if a Snap ruler is import to your artwork, you can save it by clicking the menu Snap -> Save snap, and it will be saved in your current page only (to turn it on go to the menu Snap and at the bottom your saved snaps will be listed).

The Snap Curve (1st image) is a custom drawn ruler, with set curved point corners, draw what you need and double-click to finish. Then the Snap curve can be resized, rotated, and flipped as you need (think of it as moveable french curve). You can draw directly with your brush, or let MediBang do it automatically, in the main menu Snap -> Draw curve or the option Draw curve (fade in/out).

With the Snap Curved line (ellipse) 2nd image, you simply drag out a ellipse to the size/shape you need. The same options mentioned for the Snap Curve above are the same.

The Comic panel tools are really great, and are a time saving option for anyone in creating comic /manga /cartoons.

To set it up, first you should add a New layer to your image to hold the panel lines. Then access the comic guides from the main menu View -> Comic guide line settings. The main comic panel is drawn inside touching the Safe line, so adjust the size in the window and click Ok - or use one of the Templates (Doujinshi (A5 finished) /Doujinshi (B5 finished) /Manga (B4 manuscript) /USA Comic (LDR manuscript)). If you need help setting it up, turn on the comic guides to see where there are, which is View -> Show comic guide lines.

To add the Comic panel in the main menu select Layer -> Add panel material (2nd image above). You will then get a window to set the Line width, and Border color - set them and click Ok.

Now you should see the main comic panel drawn on your image. Using the panel Divide tool (SHIFT + O) click outside the border, and move it across the panel where you want it to split all the way across, beyond the other panel side. By default it will divide the panel horizontally and vertically, if you need to do it from an angle hold the SHIFT key and draw the line across the panel (some angles near corners can not be created).

The panel gaps made by the Divide tool are adjustable, by the options near the main menu area. Adjusting the "Kerning" amount changes the vertical gap in panels, and the "Leading" amount changes the horizontal gap in panels (backwards to text usage of the words). Both are in millimeter size by default but can be switched to Pixel as well.

Extras - In the status bar the relative mouse position (X and Y values) is shown in parenthesis which can help in measuring distances or setting up guides - as there is no page ruler. The other tools not mentioned are the Grid and Pixel grid (under the View menu).

Halftone (tone, ziptone, etc)! To use, in the Layers window click the Add Layer (Halftone) button and fill the layer. Using the Layer property window on a Halftone layer options Halftone type (Net Dots /Vertical lines /Horizontal lines), Lines amount, and Tone depth amount can be altered. To see the halftone you need to draw/fill on the layer. It is not advanced as CLIP STUDIO PAINT, but costs about $50 less too (free).

Pros -

• A feature packed program for comics/manga/cartoon work (Text tool aside)
• Docked tools/windows - I really dislike floating tools, and hate multiple windows.
• Nearly no program lag with mouse or graphics tablet - using many sizes, resolutions, and tools.
•  Even at maximum page sizes new images are created nearly instantly - and overall just as lag free.
• Free software, with a single internal ad window that you close.
• Nearly instant program start/load times, and really quick overall. Very stable and error free program, without a single problem.
• Many options tucked out of the way, and Brushes can be made with custom scripts (LUA programming) 8 part tutorial.
• Quick powerful rulers that are easy to use and setup.
• True Halftone support with a generator! Rather rare to find in software, especially for free.
• Output in Color (32bpp), Grayscale (8bpp), or Monochrome 2 tone (2bpp) - when the finished artwork is first Rasterized (File -> Rasterize).
• The Layer Panel tool, to create custom panels is really great.

Cons -

• The limiting Text tool (see the section above).
• Ad-supported (single ad, but still an ad).
• All of the 15+ online Cloud buttons, menu, windows if you never plan to sign-up.
• Single color Palette, although customizable.
• No CMYK color mode.

Recommended Use - Raster art for creating comics complete with panels - one of the better all around tools for it.