Photoshop and Illustrator Just Got a Massive AI Upgrade. Here Are the 6 Key Features to Try

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It’s natural to be wary about the hype around AI these days, especially if you’re a digital creative. There’s an ever-growing list of new apps claiming to magically solve nearly any task you’d handle on a computer, but it’s tough to know what’s real.

But you no longer need to hunt down obscure tools to access the groundbreaking creative benefits of AI. That’s because Adobe has introduced powerful updates to its iconic tools, Illustrator and Photoshop, powered by Adobe’s advanced AI, called Adobe Firefly.

These new AI-driven features are specifically designed to cut down manual tasks and unlock unprecedented levels of creative freedom, not replace it. And since they all follow Adobe’s AI Ethics principles, you don’t have to worry about your work becoming training fodder for another tool or model.

Best of all, these tools are currently available in the latest versions of Photoshop and Illustrator. Here’s an overview of what to try first.

Adobe

Illustrator: Promoting craft without the complexity

Illustrator’s newest updates revolve around empowering users to craft complex designs more efficiently. The new intuitive integration with Adobe’s Firefly creative assistant ensures that designers can automate intricate processes that used to take hours, freeing them up to focus on high-level creativity.

• Generative Shape Fill (Beta): This feature is particularly exciting for vector artists. It allows users to rapidly generate customizable shapes based on their creative prompts. Firefly analyzes the design brief and generates multiple shape options, which designers can fine-tune further.
• Text to Pattern (Beta): One of the most anticipated features, this tool allows users to input a text description, and Firefly converts it into complex, editable patterns. This can be a huge time-saver for projects that require seamless, repetitive designs, such as packaging, textile creation, or digital backgrounds.
• Mockup: Adobe is stepping up its game in product visualization. The new mockup tool empowers designers to quickly turn 2D designs into 3D product prototypes. This integration works seamlessly for branding, packaging, and industrial designers, allowing them to visualize how their creations will look in real-world settings.

Photoshop: Streamlined precision meets greater project flexibility

Photoshop, Adobe’s long-standing photo-editing powerhouse, has also received a set of powerful tools that improve its precision, efficiency, and ability to work seamlessly across different types of projects. These updates cater not just to photo editors but also to illustrators, digital artists, and UX designers who need granular control over their visuals.

• Generate Image: Many tools now generate image elements based on user prompts. Adobe’s Firefly Image 3 Model gives users far more control, though, in the form of better prompt comprehension and precise control over output factors like style effects, movement themes, techniques, and materials. You can even upload a reference image to help guide the image generation process.
• Selection Brush: One of the most impressive new features, the Selection Brush, uses AI to select complex elements within an image intuitively. No more manual tracing or masking—the brush allows you to effortlessly highlight an object, and Photoshop will handle the rest, making sure the edges are perfect.
• Adjustment Brush: Similarly, the Adjustment Brush brings more control to post-processing. You can now fine-tune specific areas of an image for light, shadow, color, or texture without affecting the rest of the image. This is a dream come true for photographers and digital artists who need that extra level of polish.
• Distraction Removal: For those annoyingly common instances when an unwanted object distracts from an otherwise great photo, there’s the new Distraction Removal. The tool automatically detects and removes unwanted elements, like telephone wires or randos in the background, and replaces them with generated content.

A next gen design suite for 2024 and beyond

As design becomes more multidimensional, with greater emphasis on 3D rendering, product visualization, and interactive media, Adobe is clearly positioning Illustrator and Photoshop to anticipate the evolving needs of modern creators.

For decades, Photoshop and Illustrator have established themselves as essential tools for at least some portion of the creative production process, particularly in the later stages of editing and polishing. However, the new features powered by Adobe Firefly now make both apps more of a complete design suite, with tools that can encourage experimentation and rapid prototyping while ensuring a professional finish.

Most importantly, rather than replacing human creativity, these new features are about amplifying it, reducing repetitive tasks, and letting creators focus on what they do best—ideation and innovation.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting your journey, if you haven’t updated your Illustrator or Photoshop yet, now’s the time to unlock these new design possibilities and bring your creative visions to life.