Microsoft / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Windows 11 Paint can now save your work with all edits intact. Paint also now lets you adjust the transparency of your strokes. The new features are rolling out to Windows 11 insiders. One of the many handy features in Adobe Photoshop is the ability to save your work as a PSD file with all your layers, edits, and adjustments intact. You can then open that file when you want to continue where you left off. Now Microsoft is adding the same capability to Windows Paint. Also: Microsoft Copilot 3D turns your 2D images into 3D models for free - how to try Currently rolling out to Windows 11 insiders on the Canary and Dev channels, the new project files feature will save your work as an editable Paint file that you can open and continue modifying. Here's how it works and why it's useful. How project files work in Windows Paint Let's say you're using Paint to create or edit an image with different layers. Normally, you might save that image as a PNG or JPG file. But that's a problem since those formats won't retain the layers. That means you can't make any additional adjustments to them should the image require further editing. Also: This new Photoshop feature can boost image resolution in just one click, thanks to AI To continue editing the image, you can instead save it as a .paint file. This preserves your layers and other changes so you can easily pick up where you left off. To do this, just click the File menu and select Save as Project. Choose a name and location for the file. When you want to resume your work with the layers and other edits intact, just open the .paint file and you'll see your editable image as you left it. Photoshop competitor? Photoshop and other third-party image editors have long offered a similar option. I use Photoshop Elements, which also allows me to save my work in progress. But with this capability available in the built-in Paint app, many people may not need to rely as much on third-party tools, especially paid ones. Another cool new Paint feature accessible for Windows 11 insiders is an opacity slider. Here, you can control the transparency of your strokes with the Pencil and Brush tools. For this, just select either tool. On the left side, you'll see two sliders -- one for size and the other for opacity. Adjust the setting for opacity and start drawing with the pencil or brush. You'll see how the strokes become lighter and more transparent the more you tone down the opacity. Also: The best graphic design software of 2025: Feature-packed, professional tools Microsoft has been on a tear the past few years, trying to transform Paint into a more robust and advanced image editor. In 2023, the company added support for layers and transparency. In 2024, it unveiled an AI-driven tool called Cocreator that can generate images for you. Other updates Beyond sprucing up Paint, Microsoft has also enhanced a couple of other apps courtesy of the latest Windows 11 insider builds. The Snipping Tool now lets you mark up and edit your screenshots before you save them. And Notepad now supports AI-powered skills like Summarize, Write, and Rewrite on Copilot+ PCs with no Copilot subscription required. Also: How to make GIMP more like Photoshop If you have a Windows 11 Canary or Dev build and want to check out these new tools, make sure you've updated both Windows 11 and Paint to the latest versions. Assuming these features work as expected, Microsoft will likely roll them out to all Windows 11 users in an upcoming update.