Microsoft Paint will get support for project files like in Photoshop and new tools

Microsoft has announced updates for Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad, which are starting to roll out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Canary channels.

Microsoft continues to update the Paint app in Windows 11, adding features that were previously found in professional image editors like Photoshop. In the near future, users of the app will be able to save their work in the project file format with the *.paint extension.

This format allows you to save all the layers of an image and open the file for further editing from the point where you left off. According to the developers, opening such a file will automatically launch Paint with all the saved project elements.

Another new feature is the ability to adjust the transparency of the pencil and brush tools. There will be a slider to the left of the canvas that allows you to adjust the opacity level while drawing.

The update also affects the Snipping Tool in Windows 11. It will feature a quick markup bar with a highlighter, pen, and eraser, as well as the ability to re-crop the image after taking a screenshot. Microsoft is also adding a quick markup feature that makes it easier to add comments to screenshots.

Additionally, the Notepad text editor will offer free AI-powered writing, summarizing, and rephrasing for Copilot Plus PC users, using both local and cloud-based models, with the ability to switch between them as needed.

It is currently unknown when the new features will be launched in stable versions of Paint, Snipping Tool, and Notepad.