Windows only 
If you’ve ever toyed around with any digital camera for five minutes, you know that the pictures it takes often look different than what you saw in real-life. Common complaints include photos being too bright/dark or having an odd-looking color balance. Looking for a one-click fix to these problems? Read on.
The tool we’re going to use is the recently overhauled Paint.NET. It has been around for some time now and gained quite a following since its inception. It’s great for the occasional photo resizing and cropping job and supports layered picture editing. It was only recently that I discovered that it also has an auto-fix function to make your pictures look better. Here’s how it works.
- Open an image in Paint.NET.
- Go to the Adjustments menu and select Auto-Level.
Pretty easy, right? I’ve taken a few pictures with my cheapskate digital camera to test it out. The results range from pretty good to downright awkward. Let’s have a look. (Click a thumbnail to enlarge it.)
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As you can see, your mileage may vary. Still, for that tiny bit of extra production value, it’s always worth a try before showing off your pictures to friends and family . For a look at some of Paint.NET’s other functions such as red eye removal, click here.
Download Paint.NET (Windows only; Freeware)
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How to Do Automatic Color Correction On Your Pictures For Free