Microsoft’s Paint update adds layers and transparency features

Microsoft has announced a new update to its flagship image editing software Paint, which will include layers, transparency support, and background removal tools. It could make advanced image editing far more accessible to young people.

A new update to Microsoft’s Paint could make image editing much easier and accessible for beginners, especially students and young designers.

In a statement to Windows Insiders, Microsoft said that it was ‘beginning to roll out an update’ that includes support for layers and image transparency. It will only be available to Windows Insiders and software testers for the time being, but expect a wider rollout in the coming months.

Up until now, Paint has been an extremely basic software tool that has seen minimal updates in its near forty year history. It is primarily used to quickly save JPG or PNG files and is not comparable to other, more expensive options, such as Adobe Photoshop.