After Windows and Office 365, Microsoft is adding AI capabilities to Microsoft Paint. It is called Image Creator (formerly Cocreator) and by using it, you can generate images with a text prompt. To put it simply, you can think of it as a built-in text-to-image generator that can turn your thoughts and ideas into stunning images. All you have to do is describe it to Image Creator (Cocreator) and it will create the image for you. In this tutorial, let’s learn what Cocreator is, what are its requirements and limitations, and how to use Paint Cocreator to create images. Let’s get started.
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What is Image Creator (Cocreator) in Microsoft Paint
Image Creator (Cocreator) is a DALL-E 3 powered image generator built into Microsoft Paint. Using it, you can turn your text description into an image. For example, if you say “a man walking slowly in the desert wind,” Image Creator (Cocreator) will create a stunning image in just a few seconds. The more descriptive your text is, the more detailed the generated image will be.
While creating the images, Image Creator (Cocreator) will give you 9 art styles to choose from. For example, in the above example, I selected the Photorealistic art style.
Here are the currently supported art styles in Image Creator (Cocreator):
- No selection (Image Creator chooses the best art style for the prompt).
- Charcoal
- Ink sketch
- Watercolor
- Oil painting
- Digital art
- Photorealistic
- Anime
- Pixel art
Who Can Use Paint Image Creator (Cocreator) (Requirements & Limitations)
Here are the system requirements to use Image Creator (Cocreator) in MS Paint and the must-know limitations.
Requirements to Use Image Creator (Cocreator)
- Your system should be running Windows 11.
- You should be signed into Windows 11 using a Microsoft account.
- You should have an active internet connection.
- Paint Image Creator (Cocreator) is only available in the English language.
- Currently, you have to join the waitlist to get access to Image Creator (Cocreator). In most cases, you will get instant access to it as soon as you join the waitlist.
Limitations
Once you get access to the Image Creator (Cocreator), you will receive 50 credits. Each new image generation will cost one credit. Once all 50 credits are exhausted, you have to wait for Microsoft to renew them. As of now, there is no clear guidance or documentation on how and when Microsoft renews credits and whether you have to pay for them or not. You can check the number of remaining credits at the bottom of the Image Creator (Cocreator) panel.
Microsoft uses strong content filtration to ensure Image Creator (Cocreator) will not generate images that it deems harmful, offensive, or inappropriate. While this is a good thing, it can be a pain in the back as it might sometimes block even normal descriptions. For example, when I asked Image Creator (Cocreator) to generate an image based on the “cat playing with yarn in a park in the autumn evening” description, it blocked my request with a “Content Warning.”
Image Creator (Cocreator) is only available in the English language.
Using Paint Image Creator (Cocreator) to Create AI-Assisted Images
1. Press the Start button, search for Paint, and click Open to launch the Microsoft Paint application.
2. Once opened, click on the Image Creator (Cocreator) icon in the ribbon menu.
3. Click the Join Waitlist button and you will be granted instant access.
4. Next, write a description of the image you want to generate in the “Describe what you’d like to create” box. For example, “A man enjoying music in a futuristic world full of mechs”.
5. Select an art style from the “Choose a style” dropdown. I’m selecting “Anime.”
6. Click the Create button.
7. Within a few seconds, Image Creator (Cocreator) generates three AI-assisted images based on your description. Select one of the images from three samples to add it to the Paint canvas.
8. Once you’ve added the generated image to the Paint canvas, you can modify it however you want and save it by pressing the Ctrl + S shortcut.
9. Alternatively, to save the generated image directly, mouse over the sample image in the Image Creator (Cocreator) panel, click the three dots icon, and select the Save Image option.
10. Navigate to a folder where you want to save the image, enter a name in the “File Name” field, and click the Save button.
Wrapping Up — Generate Images with AI Using Paint Image Creator (Cocreator)
As you can see, Image Creator (Cocreator) is an awesome feature that lets you turn your imagination into images within seconds. However, keep in mind the 50 credit limitation as every new image you generate will use up one credit. Since we don’t know how and when Microsoft renews Cocreator credits, use them wisely. As an alternative, you can also use Bing Image Creator.
