Can't Afford Photoshop? Microsoft Paint Finally Gets Layers

Microsoft Paint is finally getting a basic image-editing feature: the ability to use layers.

“You can now add, remove, and manage layers on the canvas to create richer and more complex digital art,” Microsoft announced Monday. 

Layers essentially act as transparent sheets of paper in a digital art program. By configuring the layers, you can stack and remove elements to the overall image you’re creating, making it an invaluable tool in the art-creation process. 

The company is adding the feature through a new layers button in the right-hand toolbar. “You can also show or hide and duplicate individual layers or merge layers together,” Microsoft says.

In addition, the Paint program is also getting support for transparency. Hence, blank spaces on your art won’t be saved as a white colored space. Instead, they’ll be transparent, enabling you to place them on background images. 

Microsoft adds: “Erasing any content from the canvas now truly erases the content instead of painting the area white. When working with multiple layers, if you erase content on one layer, you will reveal the content in layers underneath.”

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The improvements arrive a week after Microsoft began testing a new background-removal tool on the Paint app. For now, layers, transparency, and background removal are limited to beta users registered with the Windows Insiders program through Canary and Dev channels. 

Microsoft didn't say when these features will get a stable release. However, the upgrades promise to make the free Paint app a more modern and useful tool for artistry and image editing. In contrast, Adobe Photoshop is loaded with features, but you have to pay to use it.