You cannot currently insert an embedded picture into Windows Notepad through a Microsoft-documented command or menu. Notepad is a plain-text editor, so its document format stores characters rather than pictures. Instructions to choose Insert > Pictures refer to OneNote, not Notepad.
You can keep an image associated with a Notepad file by recording its file path, URL, or a Markdown image reference. If you need a picture to appear inside the document, use an editor designed for formatted content instead.
Does Windows Notepad support pictures?
Microsoft does not currently document an image-insertion feature for Windows Notepad. Its recent release information describes lightweight Markdown features, including strikethrough and nested lists, but does not announce a command for embedding images. There is no verified Microsoft-documented File > Insert Picture, Insert > Picture, or equivalent option in Notepad.
This applies whether you open Notepad from the Start menu, right-click a file and choose Open with > Notepad, or use the current Windows 11 version.
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What happens if you paste a picture into Notepad?
Notepad is intended for text documents. Copying and pasting an image does not provide a verified embedded-image workflow. What appears, if anything, depends on whether the source supplies a textual representation:
- Copying an image file in File Explorer may provide its filename or path as text, or may produce no useful text.
- Copying an image from a browser does not create a documented embedded-image workflow in Notepad.
- Copying text from an OCR tool may paste recognized words, but not the original image.
- Copying a URL pastes the URL as text; it does not download or embed the picture.
For example, these are text references you could save in Notepad:
Screenshot: C:\Users\Alex\Pictures\error-message.png
Online reference: https://example.com/image.png
They only record where the image is. Opening the text file will not display the picture inside it.
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How to reference an image from Notepad
If you only need to document the location of a picture, use one of these methods.
Copy the file path
- Open File Explorer and locate the image.
- Hold Shift, right-click the file, and choose Copy as path.
- Open Notepad and press Ctrl+V.
- Save the note with Ctrl+S.
The pasted path may look similar to:
“C:\Users\Alex\Pictures\diagram.png”
The quotation marks are normal when Windows copies a path this way.
Use a Markdown image reference
For a text note intended for a Markdown editor or website, type a reference such as:
Notepad stores that line as text. It does not render the image in the Notepad window. A Markdown-capable application can render it later if the referenced file remains in the expected location.
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Use OneNote when the picture must appear on the page
Microsoft documents picture insertion for current OneNote, not Windows Notepad. In the current OneNote app:
- Open the page where you want the picture.
- Choose Insert > Pictures.
- Select the image file.
- Choose Insert.
The picture is placed on the OneNote page and can be moved or resized. This is not a Notepad menu path: Notepad does not provide the same command.
Microsoft also documents Insert > Pictures > From File for OneNote for Windows 10. That edition reached end of support in October 2025, so for current instructions use the supported OneNote application available through Microsoft 365 or the Microsoft Store.
Other suitable alternatives
| What you need | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Picture alongside formatted notes | OneNote | Supports inserted images, text, sections, and pages. |
| A simple document containing text and pictures | Microsoft Word | Use Insert > Pictures and save as a Word document or PDF. |
| A quick annotated screenshot | Paint | Open the image, add text or shapes, and save the result. |
| Plain text plus image links | Notepad | Stores paths, URLs, and Markdown references without embedding media. |
What about the EM_INSERTIMAGE command?
Some technical articles mention the Win32 message EM_INSERTIMAGE as a way to insert a picture. It is not a Notepad command.
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Microsoft documents EM_INSERTIMAGE for applications that use a compatible Windows Rich Edit control. The message requires a pointer to a RICHEDIT_IMAGE_PARAMETERS structure, and wParam must be zero. It can return S_OK or errors such as E_FAIL, E_INVALIDARG, and E_OUTOFMEMORY.
That documentation does not say that Windows Notepad exposes or accepts the message. It is not a supported way to modify a Notepad document, and it would not turn an ordinary text file into a picture-containing document.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are image features coming to Notepad?
Reports have described image support or an Insert image button as a development feature for Windows 11 Notepad. Those reports do not establish a generally available, Microsoft-documented feature. Availability can vary between Windows Insider channels and released versions.
Microsoft announced Notepad version 11.2512.10.0 for the Windows 11 Canary and Dev Channels on January 21, 2026. The announcement covered additional Markdown syntax and a welcome experience, not a shipped picture-insertion feature. For a dependable workflow, check the Notepad version installed on your PC and its visible menus; an Insider feature report does not mean the feature is available in the stable Windows release.
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FAQ
Can I insert a JPG or PNG directly into Notepad?
No supported Microsoft-documented method currently inserts an embedded JPG, PNG, or other picture into Windows Notepad. You can paste a path, URL, or text description instead.
Why do websites say to use Insert > Pictures in Notepad?
That path belongs to OneNote. Microsoft documents picture insertion in OneNote through Insert > Pictures, but not in Windows Notepad.
Can copy and paste insert an image into Notepad?
There is no verified embedded-image workflow. Notepad is intended for text, so pasting may provide textual content from the source, such as a filename, URL, path, or OCR result.
Does EM_INSERTIMAGE work with Notepad?
Microsoft documents EM_INSERTIMAGE for compatible Rich Edit controls used by desktop applications. Microsoft does not document it as a Notepad command or say that Notepad accepts it.
What should I use instead of Notepad?
Use OneNote for notes with pictures, Word for a document containing text and images, or Paint for editing and annotating a picture. Keep using Notepad if a path or link to the image is all you need.
The Bottom Line
Windows Notepad does not have a verified Microsoft-documented way to embed a picture. Save the image path or URL in the text file, or switch to OneNote, Word, or Paint when the picture must be visible inside the document. Do not rely on the OneNote Insert > Pictures instructions or treat EM_INSERTIMAGE as a Notepad workaround.
Sources: Microsoft Windows Insider Notepad release information, Microsoft Support: insert a picture in OneNote, Microsoft Support: OneNote for Windows 10 picture instructions, and Microsoft Learn: EM_INSERTIMAGE.
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