TOOL SCHOOL
Get to grips with the new Generate Image feature and AI tools for jaw-dropping results
Last year, we saw new generative AI features appear in Photoshop for the first time. These were simultaneously awe-inspiring and oddly underwhelming, with results that could range from the sublime to the ridiculous. Now, inevitably, we’re being treated to new generative AI tools. Powered by Adobe Firefly 3, the big new feature is the Generate Image tool, which like the AI tools we’ve seen from the likes of MidJourney and Dall-E, lets us generate a new image from scratch based on a text prompt.
The challenge for Adobe is how to build generative AI into Photoshop tools without the AI just taking over. As photographers, we don’t necessarily want a button that lets us make a generically good image. But we might want to augment and build upon an image that we’ve shot. The new features in Photoshop Beta go some way to addressing this. The Generative Fill and Expand tools now allow us to influence the AI-generated content by including a reference image, so we can upload a photo of our own to guide the tool.
These ground-breaking features continue to push the boundaries of image-making. However, you will need lots of patience – it usually takes several aborted attempts and a slew of dodgy fills before something good happens. Here are some of the key features of the new AI tools…
1 Photoshop Beta
The new AI tools are available in Photoshop Beta. Anyone with a Creative Cloud subscription to Photoshop can download this from the Creative Cloud App. Go to the Apps section to find PS Beta. Once downloaded, begin by opening an image and use the Contextual Taskbar for quick access to AI tools. If you can’t see the taskbar go to Window> Contextual Taskbar to turn it on.
2 Generate Background
Click the Remove Background button in the Contextual Taskbar, then click the Replace Background button. Type in a text prompt (we used ‘moody dark city street neon si
