How to Use Microsoft Paint Image Creator AI to Generate AI Art

Gone are the days when you had to spend hours to paint the perfect picture of a scenery, a live location, or a portrait of someone. Now, all you need to do is ask artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate an image of your dreams, and AI will do the rest of the job. It has become so simple to create images because now all you have to do is enter a few text prompts and get the image you want. Creating Ghibli-style images recently created a stir in the tech world. But that’s not the only art style that AI can create images in (psst…they can in almost any art form).

The fact is that AI is so powerful that even Microsoft Paint, the software that lets us create our masterpieces in our childhoods, has received a dose of generative AI. Thanks to Microsoft’s Copilot AI, which makes use of OpenAI’s ChatGPT models and DALL-E models, the new Image Creator feature will let you generate AI art. Here’s how you can use the Microsoft Paint Image Creator tool.

What is Microsoft Paint Image Creator?

Similar to other generative AI models, the Microsoft Paint Image Creator makes use of text-based prompts to create AI images. Microsoft Paint is an inbuilt drawing tool that is available with Windows 11 or older versions. However, do note that the Copilot-powered Image Creator feature is only available on Microsoft Paint on Windows 11.

Also, if you think this is a free feature, you are right for the most part. But it isn’t completely free. Meaning, the features such as Layers, Background Removal, and Generative Erase are free, but to use the Image Creator feature, you need to have an active Microsoft 365 subscription. Notably, the Microsoft 365 Family plan starts at $129.99/year, whereas the Microsoft 365 Personal plan starts at $99.99/year.

If you don’t have Microsoft Paint on your Windows 11 PC, then you can download it from the Microsoft Store for free. Also, every time you generate an image, AI credit is used. Notably, for one image generation, one credit is used. As a subscriber of the Microsoft 365 Family plan, I get 60 credits per month. According to Microsoft, Copilot Pro subscribers get notified how much credit is left and when they will get exhausted.

How to use Microsoft Paint Image Creator?

On a non-Copilot+ PC

1. To get new features, you need to head over to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. If there is a new update available, then install it.
2. Open Microsoft Store.
3. Click on Downloads.
4. If there is an update available for Microsoft Paint, then download it.
5. Launch Microsoft Paint.
6. If you are on a non-Copilot+ PC, then you will see the Copilot icon on the top menu.
7. Tapping on the Copilot button will reveal three options: Image Creator, Generative Erase, and Remove Background.
8. For our case, you need to select Image Creator.
9. You will be asked to sign in using your Microsoft account. Press the Sign in button and enter your credentials.
10. Under the “Describe what you’d like to create” text box, type in the prompt that you would like the AI to generate. You should be as specific and detailed as possible.
11. Next, under Choose a style, you can select which type of art form you would like the AI to generate the image in: Charcoal, Ink Sketch, Watercolor, Oil Painting, etc. If you don’t pick a style, you can describe it in the prompt itself.
12. The AI will take about 20 seconds to generate the image. You will get four versions of the AI image.
13. You can further enhance or add specific details to the image by tweaking the text prompt.
14. Clicking on any of the images will put them into the center of the canvas.
15. If you aren’t sure about which image you would use, then you can tap on the 3-dot icon and select the Save Image button for later use.

Do note that Microsoft has placed certain content filtering practices in place. As per Microsoft, “When you use Image Creator, we apply content filtering to prevent the generation of images that may be harmful, offensive, or inappropriate. Content filtering is based on a set of criteria that reflect our values and standards, such as human dignity, diversity, and inclusion.” However, this also means that content filtering is not 100% foolproof and may produce false positives. Removing the background from an image is also easy in Microsoft Paint, which we’ve explained in our dedicated guide.

On a Copilot+ PC

While everything works the same, if you have a Copilot+ PC, then you also get an extra option of “Cocreator.” This feature is, as it can turn your rough sketches into artwork. Also, the process is fast, and you get to use an extra option because Copilot+ PCs have built-in brains, which are called neural processing units (NPUs), that allow them to do most of the heavy lifting on the device.

Another benefit of modern Copilot+ PCs is that you don’t have to worry about having a Microsoft 365 subscription. Just a normal Microsoft account is sufficient.