Microsoft Paint is getting its own Photoshop-like project files

Microsoft has regularly improved its paint application for Windows 11 in recent years with a dark mode, transparency and diapers and even an image creation powered by AI. Now Microsoft adds two new Photoshop -type features to paint.

You will soon be able to save your painting creations as a project file, a bit like a Photoshop (.psd) document. Painting project files are currently being tested with Windows Insiders in development channels and Canaries. “You can now save your creation as a modifiable painting project file and resume transparently where you stopped,” explains Dave Grochocki, the main product manager for Microsoft reception box applications.

The paint files will be stored with, you guessed it, a .paint file extension. Paint files will also store your layers in the file. “When you are ready to come back, just open the file to launch it in painting, where you stopped,” explains Grochocki.

Microsoft also adds opacity sliders to adjust the transparency of pencil and brush tools in the paint. “To start, select one or the other tool and use the cursor on the left side of the canvas to adjust the opacity at the desired level,” explains Grochocki.

If you are a fan of the snipping tool in Windows 11, Microsoft also adds a quick marking functionality that facilitates the annotant of screenshots. There is a highlighting tool, pen and eraser in the marking toolbar, as well as the possibility of easily recreate an image.

Finally, Microsoft also adds a writing, a summary and a rewriting powered by AI as free feature inside the notepad for PC Copilot users. You will not need a Microsoft 365 subscription to use it, but Grochocki says that you can “switch transparently between local models and cloud according to your needs”. Microsoft uses local models on PCS Copilot to power this notebook function.