Microsoft has announced a major update to the Paint app on Windows 11 that introduces support for project files, a feature just like what Photoshop has where you can save a work-in-progress image as a project for opening and editing at a later point.
The new project file feature will save your Paint projects as .paint files, and will let you resume a project with multiple layers and edits, just like in Photoshop. "We’re introducing project files, you can now save your creation as an editable Paint project file and seamlessly pick up where you left off" says Dave Grochocki, Microsoft Principal Group Product Manager.
This new feature is one of many in recent months that are designed to pit Paint as a capable and free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Up until Windows 11, it felt like Paint had been left by the wayside, but the app has received numerous updates in the last handful of years that has truly transformed it into something useful.
Microsoft is also adding a new opacity slider to Paint, which will let users control the transparency of strokes with pencil and brush tools. This is in addition to features like layers and support for transparency, which are features that have been available for some time now.
It's good to see Microsoft continuing to update Paint with new features and experiences. I think for many people who just need to do basic edits to a photo or image, Paint is now good enough to complete those tasks with ease.
The new Paint update is now in testing with Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels, and is expected to begin rolling out generally in the coming weeks.
What are your thoughts on these new Paint features? Do you use Microsoft Paint often on Windows 11? Let us know in the comments.
