One of the latest Windows Insiders updates has given us a new look at upcoming Paint features that could make Microsoft’s default Windows app a better contender for Photoshop. According to a release post detailing the updates coming to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels for Windows 11, Microsoft is adding an option to save Paint projects as a special new .paint file. This project file will work akin to Photoshop’s own project files, which allow you to quickly jump back into an ongoing project without having to start from scratch.
On top of these new project files, Microsoft is also bringing more features to Paint in the form of opacity sliders, which will let you adjust the transparency of the brush and pencil tools found in Paint. These new sliders will be visible on the left side of the application when selecting a new brush or pencil.
It seems clear that Microsoft is gearing up to make Paint more of a creative app akin to Photoshop than it has ever been in the past. The company has also previously added features like background removal to Paint, along with other Copilot-based features. Now, with the introduction of .paint files, there may be more reason than ever to give Paint a try.
Paint isn’t the only app getting more features
Like anything, not everyone is happy with these developments and there has been a long-running conversation about Microsoft bringing AI features to Paint after Copilot became such an important part of its future business model. While there is definitely some usefulness to be found with this new feature — as well as some of the other new features Microsoft is adding to Paint with this update — some aren’t exactly happy that Microsoft keeps meddling with its older, time-tested applications. A user even commented that the company should leave apps like Paint and Notepad alone instead of bogging them down with new features, especially Copilot-related features.
Beyond just adding new features to Paint, though, Microsoft also highlighted some other changes that have arrived with this latest Insiders build. The Snipping Tool has received another upgrade, with the app now offering Quick markup, a “faster way to annotate your screenshots and streamline your workflow.” Alternatives like ShareX have historically offered more features, but the introduction of Quick markup in Snipping Tool could finally make it a worthwhile contender for those who don’t prefer third-party apps to take screenshots on Windows.