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Microsoft Paint already has the feature described in older headlines. Its current Cocreator tool combines a written prompt with a rough drawing, then generates artwork that you can apply to the Paint canvas and continue editing. The current Cocreator experience requires Windows 11 and a compatible Copilot+ PC with an up-to-date Paint app.
That is different from the older, text-only Image Creator rollout, which used cloud processing, Microsoft-account access and AI credits in some versions. The names, requirements and limits are not interchangeable.
What Paint Cocreator actually does
Cocreator is a sketch-to-image workflow built into Paint, not simply a chatbot that produces an image from a sentence. You provide two kinds of input:
- A written description of the subject, setting, colors and visual style.
- A rough composition drawn directly on the Paint canvas.
Paint interprets both inputs and displays generated results in a side pane. Your sketch can indicate broad shapes, placement, colors and composition, while the prompt supplies detail and artistic direction. You can adjust how closely the result follows the sketch, select a generated image, apply it to the canvas and edit it with Paint’s conventional tools.
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Microsoft documents the current feature in its Copilot+ Paint support guide.
Cocreator, Image Creator and Paint’s other AI tools
| Feature | Input | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Cocreator | Text prompt plus drawing | Turning a rough composition into artwork |
| Image Creator | Primarily a text prompt | An older Paint workflow for generating image variations from descriptions |
| Generative Fill | Text prompt plus a selected area | Adding an AI-generated object to an existing image |
| Sticker generator | Short text description | Creating stickers |
| Object Select | Existing image content | Identifying and isolating objects for editing |
Microsoft originally announced Paint Cocreator for Windows Insiders on September 27, 2023, describing it as powered by DALL-E and initially rolling it out gradually. Microsoft later introduced the Copilot+ PC version in June 2024. Those announcements explain the feature’s history, but they should not be read as current availability guidance.
What you need to use Cocreator
- Windows 11.
- A Copilot+ PC. Microsoft’s current documentation identifies compatible Copilot+ hardware as a requirement for Cocreator.
- The latest Paint version. Update Paint through the Microsoft Store.
- A current Windows and Paint configuration supported in your market and account. Availability can vary by device, region, account configuration and rollout status.
The feature is designed to use the PC’s neural processing unit, or NPU. That does not mean it is completely offline: Microsoft says online Azure services provide safety systems and filtering. Treat Cocreator as a hybrid local-and-online feature rather than a disconnected image generator.
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If you are using an ordinary Windows 11 computer without Copilot+ hardware, do not assume that installing Paint or signing up for a Microsoft subscription will unlock the current Cocreator experience.
How to use Paint Cocreator
- Open Microsoft Paint.
- Select the Cocreator icon on the toolbar.
- Enter a descriptive prompt in the side pane.
- Draw a rough version of the composition on the canvas using a mouse, touchscreen or stylus.
- Adjust the Creativity slider.
- Optionally choose an available style, such as watercolor or oil painting.
- Select a generated result in the side pane to apply it to the canvas.
- Continue editing in Paint or save the finished image.
The applied result becomes part of the Paint canvas. This is an assisted composition workflow, not necessarily a nondestructive, professional layer-based editing system.
How the Creativity slider works
The Creativity control changes the balance between your sketch and the model’s interpretation:
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- Lower creativity: keeps the output closer to the rough drawing. Use this when placement and composition matter.
- Higher creativity: gives the system more freedom to reinterpret the sketch. Use it when you want more variation or a less literal result.
A doodle guides the image; it does not guarantee exact geometry, anatomy, object identity or text. A simple outline is closer to a compositional hint than a precise mask or 3D pose reference.
Prompt and drawing tips
Microsoft recommends specific prompts and broad, readable strokes. An effective prompt should identify the important subject, setting, colors and visual treatment without becoming needlessly complicated.
For example:
A red fox sitting beside a blue lake at sunrise, watercolor illustration.
An illustrative sketch could use a broad orange or red shape for the fox, a horizontal blue band for the lake and a yellow or orange area above the horizon for sunrise. The purpose is to communicate subject placement and color relationships, not to draw a finished illustration.
For more reliable results:
- Fill more of the canvas instead of leaving a tiny mark in one corner.
- Draw the broad shape and placement of the main subject.
- Use colors that you want to appear in the final image.
- Describe the viewpoint, mood, lighting, medium and important objects.
- Lower Creativity when the output ignores your layout.
- Raise Creativity when the result is too literal or rough.
- Try several iterations rather than expecting the first result to be final.
Microsoft says Cocreator is optimized for English prompts. Other languages may produce weaker results.
What about Generative Fill, stickers and Object Select?
Generative Fill
Generative Fill works on an existing image rather than starting with a full canvas. Select a rectangular or free-form area, choose Generative fill from the contextual menu, describe the object to add and select Create. You can use Try again or revise the prompt, then choose Keep to apply the result.
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Microsoft currently lists Generative Fill as requiring a Snapdragon-powered Copilot+ PC.
Sticker generator
Open Paint’s Copilot menu and select Sticker generator. Enter a short description, generate a set of stickers, then add, copy or save the one you want.
Object Select
Object Select identifies individual objects so you can copy, move or erase them, or use them with Generative Fill without manually tracing around every edge. It is an AI-assisted selection tool, not an image generator by itself.
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There is no single answer for every Paint AI feature.
The Paint application is generally included with Windows, and Microsoft says the current NPU-based Cocreator experience has no stated restriction on the number of images that can be generated. However, that does not make every Microsoft image-generation route unlimited or subscription-free.
Older Paint Image Creator documentation described Microsoft-account access and AI credits. Microsoft’s current Microsoft 365 documentation lists 60 monthly AI credits for image generation and editing for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family in supported Microsoft experiences, while Microsoft 365 Premium offers usage beyond standard credit limits. Benefits and limits can change, and these account entitlements should not be automatically applied to every Cocreator generation.
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For U.S. customers, Microsoft’s current plan page lists price signals of $99.99 per year for Personal, $129.99 per year for Family and $199.99 per year for Premium. Those subscriptions make more sense for people who also need Microsoft 365 apps, storage or broader Copilot benefits—not for someone buying a plan solely to use occasional Cocreator experiments.
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See Microsoft’s AI-credit guidance and current U.S. plan page for account-specific details.
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Microsoft describes Cocreator as using the PC’s NPU for image generation while online Azure services provide safety systems. Therefore, “runs on your Copilot+ PC” should not be interpreted as “works entirely offline” or “nothing leaves the device.”
Generated Cocreator images include C2PA content credentials identifying them as AI-generated. That helps communicate provenance; it does not prove ownership, settle copyright questions or make an image commercially safe.
Microsoft says users are responsible for using the feature lawfully and respectfully, including avoiding infringement of copyright, privacy and other rights. Filtering is not perfect. Use Paint’s Feedback option to report unexpected or inappropriate generations.
Microsoft’s responsible-AI documentation for Photos Image Creator says prompts and model responses may be collected for safety investigation under Microsoft’s privacy statement. That documentation concerns Photos rather than necessarily every Cocreator path, so it should not be treated as an identical data-handling guarantee for all Paint modes.
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If the Cocreator button is missing
Try these checks:
- Run Windows Update.
- Open the Microsoft Store and update Paint.
- Confirm that the computer is a Copilot+ PC, not merely a Windows 11 PC.
- Check Paint’s toolbar and Copilot menu after updating.
- Close and restart Paint.
- Check Microsoft’s current support page for regional, account or rollout restrictions.
Older screenshots may show Image Creator, a waitlist or controls that no longer match the current application.
If Cocreator ignores your doodle
Make the sketch larger and more legible, use broad strokes, fill more of the canvas and match the sketch colors to the desired output. Lower the Creativity setting and make the prompt describe both the subject and its placement.
If the result is generic, add the location, time of day, palette, medium, viewpoint, composition and mood. If the result contains unwanted content, revise the prompt and use Paint’s feedback controls where appropriate.
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Who should use Paint Cocreator?
Cocreator is a good fit if you already own a compatible Copilot+ PC and want a familiar, low-friction way to turn rough ideas into illustrations, icons, concept sketches, classroom material or playful visuals. Its strongest feature is the connection between a simple drawing and a generated interpretation.
It is a poor fit if you have a conventional Windows 11 PC, require a fully offline workflow, need professional color management or print production, or expect precise control over layers, masks, camera settings, typography, poses or repeatable character consistency.
If Paint is the only reason you are considering a new computer, upgrading solely for Cocreator is difficult to justify for most casual users. A web-based image tool may cost less than replacing a working PC. A compatible Copilot+ computer makes more sense when you also want its broader performance, battery-life and Windows AI benefits.
For users who outgrow Paint’s simplicity, Adobe Creative Cloud—with Photoshop, Illustrator and Firefly—offers substantially more control, but it is a different, more complex and potentially more expensive category of tool.
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Microsoft Paint’s current AI image generator is real, but “is getting” is now outdated. Cocreator combines text prompts and rough doodles, uses the Copilot+ PC workflow, and lets you bring the generated result back into Paint for further editing. The key questions are no longer whether Paint can generate images, but whether your PC qualifies, whether your Paint version exposes the current feature and whether its simple sketch-guided workflow matches the control you need.
Official references: current Paint AI features, older Image Creator documentation, and Microsoft’s AI-credit guidance.
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