Once again, Adobe is at the forefront of pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in the world of digital art and expression with its groundbreaking new tool: Generative Fill in Photoshop. This innovative addition takes creativity to unimaginable heights, using the power of artificial intelligence to generate mind-blowing visuals that will make you question what's real and what's not. Whether you're an artist, designer, photographer, or complete novice, this revolutionary feature is set to unleash your wildest imagination and transform the way you approach digital art. Buckle up as we embark on an exciting journey into the captivating world of Photoshop's new Generative AI tool, where artistry meets innovation like never before.

Requirements to Use Generative Fill

To use Generative Fill in Photoshop, there are a few key prerequisites to keep in mind:

  • Paid Photoshop subscription: Access to the Generative AI tool requires an active subscription to Adobe Photoshop, ensuring that users have the latest version and full access to this transformative feature.
  • Must be 18+: To utilize the Generative AI tool, users must be 18 years or older. Adobe places this age restriction to ensure responsible and appropriate usage of their advanced AI capabilities.
  • English language prompts: Currently, the Generative AI tool in Photoshop supports English language prompts. Users will need to provide instructions and interact with the tool in English to fully utilize its functionalities.
  • Geographic restrictions: It's important to note that, at present, the Generative AI tool is not available for users residing in China. While Adobe continues to expand its global reach, certain regions may have temporary limitations on access.

For detailed guidance on downloading Photoshop beta and getting started with Generative Fill, check out Beebom’s in-depth guide here.

How It Works and What It Can Do

Photoshop's Generative AI tool, currently in beta, utilizes Adobe Firefly technology to provide powerful AI-powered capabilities. To gain early access to the tool, users need to sign up for the beta program and make sure it is downloaded on their desktop.

With Generative AI, the user can:

  • Add images (inpainting): Effortlessly incorporate new visual elements into your compositions, expanding your creative possibilities. Similar to DALL-E 2, Generative Fill can generate content within an existing image.

Two side-by-side images in Photoshop of a still lake with mountains in the distance showing the before and after of using Generative Fill to add in a speed boat atop the lake.

  • Extend images (outpainting): Easily extend the boundaries of your existing images, enabling you to create panoramic or continuous compositions with ease.

Two side-by-side images in Photoshop of an Icelandic brown horse in a field showing the before and after of using Generative Fill to extend the original image on either side of the horse.

  • Remove content from images: Seamlessly remove unwanted elements or distractions from your visuals, providing you with greater control over your compositions.

Two side-by-side images in Photoshop of items on a sandy beach showing the before and after of using Generative Fill to remove the flipflops from the image.

  • Generate imagery from scratch: Utilize AI algorithms to create new imagery from the ground up, bringing your artistic vision to life.

Setting it apart from other image generation AI tools, Generative Fill in Photoshop is trained on only Adobe Stock images, openly licensed work, and public domain content. This training method prioritizes ethical considerations by avoiding the use of copyrighted material without permission. By utilizing legally accessible resources, Adobe ensures that the tool respects copyright laws and discourages plagiarism or unauthorized use of protected works. This approach promotes responsible and legal usage, giving users a trustworthy and ethical framework to explore the creative possibilities of the tool.

When Generative Fill is rolled out to the public later this year, any AI-produced or altered content will be encrypted with “Content Credentials,” as part of Adobe’s promise of ethical AI generation. Adobe states, “Content Credentials are like ‘nutrition labels’ for digital content and remain associated with content wherever it is used, published or stored, enabling proper attribution and helping consumers make informed decisions about digital content.”

To get started with Generative Fill,

  1. Open the image you want to manipulate in Photoshop beta.
  2. Use any selection tool to choose the specific area you want to apply the Generative Fill to.
  3. Click on the "Generative Fill" button located in the small toolbar that appears.
  4. In the prompt box, type your desired instructions for the tool or leave it blank.
  5. Once satisfied, click "Generate" to initiate the Generative Fill process.
  6. Wait for a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the complexity of the prompt, as Generative Fill completes your request.
  7. The AI will provide you with three variations to choose from.
  8. Select the option you like best to apply it. The changes will be applied to a separate layer, preserving your original image on the base layer.
  9. Voilà! You have an enhanced piece of digital art with minimal effort!

What Generative Fill Does Well

Generative Fill in Photoshop unlocks a world of creative possibilities, providing artists with powerful benefits that enhance their workflows and artistic expression. It excels in several key areas:

  • Efficiency: By automating tasks like adding, extending, or manipulating visual elements, Generative Fill significantly cuts down on production time. This allows artists to focus more on their creative vision, accelerating their workflow and bringing their ideas to life faster.
  • Experimentation: With fast generation time, Generative Fill provides artists with a valuable space for experimentation. Artists can quickly iterate and explore different options without sacrificing efficiency, fostering a spirit of creativity and enabling the exploration of new possibilities.
  • Panoramic Extensions: Generative Fill seamlessly integrates extended images into panoramic views. Whether stitching landscapes or expanding compositions, the tool's AI algorithms produce impressive results, simplifying the creation of captivating panoramas and enabling artists to craft immersive visual narratives effortlessly.
  • Edit Nondestructively: Generative Fill in Photoshop embraces a nondestructive editing approach, ensuring that any changes made with the tool are applied on a new layer. This enables artists to preserve the integrity of the original image on the base layer while freely experimenting and refining their artwork. When working on a separate layer, artists can make adjustments, try different variations, and easily revert or modify their edits without permanently altering the underlying image.
  • Attention to Detail: Generative Fill intelligently matches generated elements to the native image, considering lighting, shadows, colors, and artistic style. This ensures a harmonious integration of the elements, preserving the artistic coherence and integrity of the composition.

These capabilities empower artists to streamline their workflows, explore new creative horizons, and create stunning visual compositions.

What Generative Fill Doesn’t Do Well

While Generative Fill in Photoshop offers powerful capabilities, it also has certain limitations to be aware of.

  • Visible Seams: In some cases, when using Generative Fill, the seams where the generated and original elements meet may become noticeable. This can create a visual inconsistency and require additional manual adjustments to blend the elements seamlessly. Look at the image below of the Icelandic horse we extended with Generative Fill. If you look on either side, the seams are fairly apparent where the original image ends and the AI-generated content begins.

Image of Icelandic horse in a field artificially widened with Generative Fill in Photoshop.

  • Result Discrepancy: There can be instances where what you envision for the final result may not align with what Generative Fill generates. The tool's interpretation of the prompt may differ from your intended outcome, leading to a mismatch between expectation and actual output. Iteration and experimentation may be necessary to achieve the desired result. It is also important to only outline the area you want it to manipulate. For instance, if you’re trying to add a hat to a photo of a man, only select the area around his hairline; otherwise, Generative Fill will try to replace portions of the face.
  • Clarity and Size Limitations: Generative Fill can appear fuzzy if the fill area is too large. The clarity of the fill area is limited to 1024 pixels by 1024 pixels. If the fill area exceeds this size, Photoshop will scale the fill to cover the hole, potentially resulting in a blurry appearance of the filled region.
  • Challenges with People and Faces: Generative Fill doesn't perform well when it comes to people or faces. It may distort facial features and produce unnatural-looking results. The AI algorithms may struggle to accurately generate realistic human features, posing limitations when working with portraits or images containing people.

It's important to be aware of these limitations when using Generative Fill to manage expectations and make informed decisions about its application. Despite these drawbacks, Generative Fill remains a powerful tool for various other aspects of image manipulation and composition enhancement.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Photoshop’s Generative Fill AI tool stands out as a remarkable image editing tool that has redefined creativity and productivity in the field. Its exceptional features have made image editing easier, faster, and more accessible for designers, photographers, and amateurs alike. With the ability to generate content based on user input, the tool offers endless possibilities in completing images or creating entirely new ones. The product's applications are vast, ranging from simple image manipulation to complex designs and animations. Its ability to save time and enhance user experience has made it an indispensable tool for professionals across the imaging industry. If you're looking to take your image editing skills to the next level with the power of AI, Generative Fill is undoubtedly a must-try. So why wait? Try it out today and add some pizzazz to your images with ease!

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Published on: June 28, 2023 by Andy Nguyen, Lead UX/UI Designer