UPDATED 9/29/2023: On Windows 11, the Microsoft Paint app has the “Paint Cocreator” or “Cocreator” feature that allows you to use the DALL-E AI model from OpenAI to generate virtually any image from a text description. Paint Cocreator isn’t meant to be a feature to create a complete image. Instead, it’s meant to create a starting point to spark creativity and continue creating. In the Paint app, you can also add these AI-generated images into layers to create even more complex pieces of imagery.
At the time of this writing, Paint Cocreator is available in preview to users in the United States, France, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Italy, and Germany. Also, the feature is only available on devices enrolled in the Dev or Canary Channels of the Windows Insider Program.
This guide will teach you the steps to use the new image creator on Paint.
Create images with AI using Cocreator on Paint
To create images with Paint Cocreator on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Paint on Windows 11.
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Click the profile menu on the top-right side.
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Confirm you’re signed in with your Microsoft account.
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Click the Cocreator button from the toolbar.
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Click the Join Waitlist button (if applicable).
Quick note: At this point, you will have to wait until you receive an email on your Microsoft account with access to the feature. -
Compose a description of the image you want to create. For example, “a black bear drinking coffee sitting next to a picnic table.”
Quick tip: The more description you add to your prompt, the AI will be able to create an even more accurate image. -
Choose a style option, such as “Pixel Art,” “Oil painting,” “Charcoal,” “Ink Sketch,” “Watercolor,” “Digital Art,” “Photorealistic,” and “Anime” from the drop-down menu.
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Select one of the three samples to add the image to your Paint canvas.
Once you complete the steps, the Paint Cocreator will generate three samples using your description that you can choose from to add to your image creation.
Using AI computing resources is costly, so as part of the rollout of the Paint Cocreator, Microsoft is giving users 50 credits to redeem for up to 50 sets of image creations.
If you can’t find the feature after installing the latest Insider preview build of Windows 11, it’s likely that the app hasn’t received the update. You can always get the latest version of Microsoft Paint by opening the Microsoft Store app, going to the “Library” page, and clicking the “Get updates” button.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He's also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ & Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn.