What it does
Microsoft Paint provides brushes, shapes, text and image editing in Windows. The Windows 11 app adds layers, background removal and an editable project format.
Open Paint from the Windows Start menu, draw the main contour with a brush or shape tool, and keep a background on its own layer. Layer ordering and merging control how those elements overlap. Hexadecimal, RGB and HSV colour entry help match an existing design.
Keep an editable project
For work you will revisit, choose File, then Save as project to create a .paint file. This preserves an editable Paint project for another session. The Pencil and Brush tools also have an opacity slider for softer marks. Save a PNG or JPEG copy when handing the finished image to another application.
Paint is included with Windows. The newer tools depend on the installed Windows 11 version and rollout. Optional Image Creator additionally requires a Microsoft account and has device and market restrictions.
Strengths
- Layers separate backgrounds, drawing marks and other elements.
- The project format supports returning to editable work.
- Numeric colour entry helps match specified colours.
Watch out for
- New features vary with Windows version and rollout.
- Image Creator has additional account and availability requirements.
Best for
- Small Windows illustrations and labelled diagrams
- Basic image edits that need a few drawing layers
Sources
- Microsoft Paint features and FAQ (Oct 27, 2026)
- Windows Experience Blog: Paint project files and opacity slider (Oct 27, 2026)