How to Save Texture Paint Images in Blender

Texture painting in Blender allows creators to paint custom details directly onto 3D models, but these painted images are not automatically saved when you save your main Blender project file (.blend). If you close Blender without saving your textures separately, your work will be permanently lost. This guide explains the exact steps to save your painted texture images externally to your computer, pack them into your Blender file, and prevent accidental data loss.

How to Save a Painted Texture to Your Computer

To save your painted texture as an external image file (such as PNG or JPEG), follow these steps:

  1. Open the Image Editor or Texture Paint Workspace: Switch to the Texture Paint workspace from the top menu tabs, or change any viewport area to the Image Editor.

  2. Locate the Image Menu: In the header bar of the Image Editor or Texture Paint window, find the Image menu item. If there are unsaved changes on your texture, an asterisk (*) will appear next to the word Image*.

  3. Save the File:

    • Click Image > Save (Shortcut: Alt + S). If it is a newly created image, this will open the Blender File View.
    • Alternatively, click Image > Save As (Shortcut: Shift + Alt + S).

  4. Choose Settings and File Path:

    • In the right sidebar of the file browser, select your preferred file format (PNG is recommended for quality and alpha transparency support).
    • Choose the destination folder on your drive and enter a file name.
    • Click Save As Image.

How to Pack Textures Directly into the Blender File

If you want your project to remain a single, self-contained .blend file without managing separate image files on your drive, you can pack the texture directly into the project.

  1. Go to the Image Editor window header.
  2. Click Image > Pack.
  3. A small parcel icon will appear next to the image name, indicating that the image data is now stored internally within the Blender file.

Note: You must still save your main Blender file (Ctrl + S) afterward to retain the packed image data.

How to Save All Unsaved Images at Once

If your scene contains multiple painted textures, saving them individually can be time-consuming. You can save all modified textures simultaneously:

  1. In the Image Editor, click Image > Save All Images.
  2. Blender will overwrite existing saved paths for images that have external files, or prompt you if images are completely unsaved.

Alternatively, you can enable global automatic packing for your project:

  • Go to the top menu bar: File > External Data > Automatically Pack Resources. Blender will automatically pack all textures into your project whenever you save the .blend file.