You don't need to be a Photoshop expert to give its new generative AI a test drive. Adobe has added a number of AI features to its premiere photo editor over the past few years, and if you use Photoshop regularly, you've probably seen these pop up on your task bars. I spend a lot of time reviewing AI image generators and other AI creative software, so I had to put the original photo editor's AI to the test.
AI might not be right for every project, especially for professional creators who regularly use Photoshop. What I found is that there are some good tools that may help your creative workflows, but you need to spend some time initially getting to know the options. These are the tools you should start with, plus some tried-and-tested tips from my experience using Photoshop's AI.
You can access the AI tools in any Photoshop file on the web and desktop apps. You can now also edit on your iPhone and Android, thanks to new mobile apps. I found it easiest to import my favorite photos from my Lightroom albums (all my projects are synced in my Creative Cloud) and then edit on my laptop's bigger screen. Editing on the go on mobile was a great backup option.
The first time you try to use any of these AI tools, Adobe will make you agree to its various AI terms of service. The policy states Adobe won't train its AI models on your content, and you must agree to follow their guidelines, which prohibit things like creating abusive or illegal content. For more, read our reviews of the best AI image generators.
How to create AI images using Photoshop
Adobe's AI image model Firefly is available as a separate app and embedded in Photoshop, so you can use it wherever is easiest for you. If you're already creating in Photoshop, here's how to access Firefly.
Open your Photoshop project. If you're using the most recent version of PS, the contextual taskbar should include an option that says Generate image. Navigate to Edit, then click Generate image. You can also click the icon that looks like an image with an arrow and sparkle in the toolbar on the left side. Enter your prompt, specify the style and upload any reference images. Click Generate. Tab through the different variations by using the arrows in the taskbar below.
When you're writing your prompt, don't be afraid to add a lot of detail, and put the most important elements at the beginning. Check out our AI image prompt-writing guide for more tips to get better results. If you're not in love with the images, you can click the image pop-out window or the icon with four squares to adjust your prompt and reference images. You can tap the three vertical dots on the end of the pin bar to give feedback on the generations, remove the background, or generate similar images. If you still don't like what you've got, I recommend starting over with a new prompt rather than trying to endlessly tweak and generate, hoping to get it right.
How to use generative features in Photoshop
You can also use generative AI tools to edit your existing project in Photoshop. Generative fill, expand and remove are some of the most popular AI tools. Here's how to use each.
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