Browser extensions or .exe files promising this feature; these are often malware.

If the screenshot was sent as a PDF or a file format that supports layers (like a saved Photoshop file or certain messaging app exports), the "paint" might just be a separate object on top of the text.

Here are some of the best free online tools that utilize AI to extract text from screenshots:

This is a free, open-source AI model hosted on Hugging Face. While primarily for faces, its "generative" capabilities are excellent at identifying shapes (like letters) hidden under light digital noise or semi-opaque paint. 2. The "Leveling" Technique (The Forensic Approach)