Microsoft just dropped the biggest Paint update in years, giving Windows 11 users project files that save layers and work-in-progress edits - plus professional-grade opacity controls for brushes. The .paint file format puts Microsoft's decades-old app in direct competition with Adobe's creative tools, while new AI features in Notepad make productivity apps smarter across the board.
Microsoft just transformed its humble Paint app into something that could make Adobe sweat. The company's rolling out project files, opacity controls, and AI-powered features that bridge the gap between basic drawing tools and professional creative software.
The headline feature is .paint project files - Microsoft's answer to Photoshop's .PSD format. "You can now save your creation as an editable Paint project file and seamlessly pick up where you left off," Dave Grochocki told Windows Insiders, Microsoft's principal product manager for Windows inbox apps. The files preserve all your layers, letting you return to complex projects exactly where you stopped working.
[embedded image: Paint project file interface showing layer preservation]
This isn't just a convenience update - it's Microsoft positioning Paint as legitimate creative software. The .paint extension stores layer data natively, something the app's gained over the past two years alongside dark mode and transparency features. "When you're ready to return, simply open the file to launch it in Paint, right where you left off," Grochocki explains.
The opacity controls represent another leap toward professional capabilities. Users can now adjust transparency levels for pencil and brush tools using sliders positioned on the canvas's left side. "To get started, select either tool and use the slider on the left side of the canvas to adjust the opacity to your desired level," according to Grochocki's announcement. This puts Paint in the same league as established drawing apps that charge monthly subscriptions.
[embedded image: Opacity sliders interface demonstration]
Microsoft's also upgrading the Snipping Tool with markup features that compete directly with third-party screenshot annotation apps. The new toolbar includes highlighter, pen, and eraser tools, plus re-cropping capabilities that streamline the screenshot-to-sharing workflow. It's another sign Microsoft's turning basic Windows utilities into comprehensive productivity tools.