One of the most recent updates for Windows Insiders has provided us with a fresh perspective on forthcoming features for Paint that may enhance Microsoft’s default Windows application as a stronger rival to Photoshop. As per a release announcement outlining the updates set to arrive for Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev channels for Windows 11, Microsoft is introducing a feature to save Paint projects as a unique new .paint file. This project file will function similarly to Photoshop’s own project files, which enable users to swiftly return to an ongoing project without needing to begin anew.
In addition to these new project files, Microsoft is also adding more capabilities to Paint in the form of opacity sliders, allowing you to modify the transparency of the brush and pencil tools available in Paint. These new sliders will be displayed on the left side of the application when choosing a new brush or pencil.
It seems evident that Microsoft is positioning Paint to be a more creative application similar to Photoshop than it has ever been before. The company has previously integrated features such as background removal into Paint, alongside other Copilot-related enhancements. Now, with the launch of .paint files, there might be more incentive than ever to explore Paint.
Paint isn’t the sole application receiving additional features
Like anything, not everyone is pleased with these changes, and there has been an ongoing discussion regarding Microsoft’s intent to incorporate AI features into Paint after Copilot has become such a significant aspect of its future business strategy. While there is certainly some utility to be discovered in this new feature — along with other updated functionalities Microsoft is adding to Paint in this release — some individuals are not particularly thrilled that Microsoft continues to interfere with its older, reliable applications. A user even remarked that the company ought to leave applications like Paint and Notepad alone rather than overloading them with new features, especially those related to Copilot.
Beyond simply adding new features to Paint, Microsoft has also pointed out several other modifications that have come with this latest Insiders build. The Snipping Tool has undergone another enhancement, with the application now featuring Quick markup, a “quicker method to annotate your screenshots and optimize your workflow.” Alternatives like ShareX have traditionally offered more capabilities, but the addition of Quick markup in the Snipping Tool may finally establish it as a significant competitor for those who prefer not to use third-party applications for taking screenshots on Windows.
