Paint, Snipping Tool, and Photos in Windows 11 are getting a lot of new features

In addition to several new AI-powered features in Windows for Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft is unveiling new experiences for the operating system's stock apps, namely Paint, Snipping Tool, and Photos. Microsoft says these new features will make it easier to edit and create on compatible devices.

The Photos app is getting a new Relight feature, which allows you to add and adjust dynamic light sources to your photos. You can place up to three light sources, change their colors, set a focus point, and customize brightness and intensity. If you do not have time to toy around with the sliders, the app will offer you a one-click solution with built-in presets. Microsoft says this feature will make it much easier to make complex light adjustments.

Relight is coming soon to Windows Insiders with Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon processors, like the new Surface Pro 12-inch and the Surface Laptop 13-inch. In a later update, Copilot+ PCs with Intel and AMD processors will also get this feature.

For Paint users, Microsoft prepared two new features: Sticker Generator and Object Select. Sticker Generator lets you generate sticker packs that can be later used in the canvas, documents, chats, and more. Type your prompt, and Paint will create a sticker pack based on it.

Also, Paint Cocreator, generative fill, and image generation/restyling features in the Photos app received an improved underlying diffusion-based model, which can deliver better results faster. The model is available in Paint and Photos starting today.

Object Select uses AI to isolate elements on the canvas more effectively with a single click, sparing you from manually outlining them or dealing with imperfect edge selection. Paint's new Object Select understands the structure and context of your image for fast and precise selection. Both Sticker Generator and Object Select are coming to Paint in the Windows Insider program later this month.

Today's updates for the Snipping Tool app promise to help you take perfect screenshots by automatically adjusting the capture area to on-screen content. When enabled, Snipping Tool analyses your screen and snaps around the most prominent rectangular object, like a chart, table, image, etc, saving you time and clicks on cropping.

Snipping Tool also gets two new instruments: a text extractor and a color picker. With the text extractor, you can copy text directly from images and screenshots, and the color picker allows you to capture color values from anywhere on the screen (PowerToys has such a feature).

Finally, Microsoft announced that Narrator on Copilot+ PCs with Snapdragon processors now features rich image description to assist users with low vision. It can provide detailed information about charts, photos, UI elements, colors, people, objects, text, and numbers. The updated Narrator is now available on Snapdragon-powered PCs and will be coming soon to Intel and AMD systems later this year.

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