Exciting New Enhancements Coming Soon: Microsoft Improves Snipping Tool & Paint on Windows 11

Snipping Tool and Paint have already received several updates in Windows 11, but Microsoft isn’t stopping there. More changes are on the way, including new tools and emoji in Snipping Tool.

Microsoft is rolling out Snipping Tool version 11.2404.35.0 and Paint version 11.2404.42.0 to the Canary and Dev Channels on Windows 11. The Snipping Tool update adds the ability to add emoji on top of screenshots, similar to the markup tools available on iPhone, iPad, many Android devices, and the Preview application on macOS.

Microsoft said in a blog post, “Emoji are a fun new way to markup your screenshots. To get started, open the Shapes toolbar and find the new Emoji option. Select an emoji and see it drop into the middle of the canvas. You can move or resize it before clicking away and finalizing any changes.”

Microsoft

Snipping Tool can also now detect QR codes in screenshots and provide a button for following the code’s link. If you see a QR code on your PC today that doesn’t have a clickable link version, there’s no built-in way to follow the link—this seems to be Microsoft’s solution to that issue. You still have to take the screenshot first, but at least you don’t need a third-party tool for it anymore.

Microsoft is also updating the drawing options in Snipping Tool. You can now change the opacity of the shape fill, and the color of outlines. The on-screen ruler has also returned, after being removed in a previous Snipping Tool update. You can access it from the “See more” dropdown menu, or by pressing the Ctrl+R keyboard shortcut.

Microsoft

Meanwhile, the “Cocreator” AI image generation feature in Paint is being renamed to “Image Creator.” That’s the same name Microsoft has settled on for its other AI image tools, so it makes sense to give Paint’s feature the same name. Bing’s AI image generator was rebranded to “Image Creator from Designer” a while ago, for example. The actual functionality in Paint hasn’t changed, though.

It’s not clear when the Snipping Tool and Paint updates will roll out to everyone, but if there are no major bugs, it will probably happen within the next few months.

Source: Windows Insider Blog

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