Bringing Lightroom-Style Lighting to Photoshop
While Adobe has focused heavily on generative AI recently, the latest Photoshop update addresses a long-standing request from users: integrated, professional-grade lighting controls similar to those found in Lightroom. This addition allows creators to perform high-quality RAW edits directly within their layer-based workflow, significantly streamlining the editing process.
The new Light Adjustment Layer offers non-destructive editing, providing control over exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and tonal ranges. By incorporating these tools, Adobe enables users to achieve "camera raw-level results" without the need to switch applications.
Enhanced AI Capabilities: Instruct Edit and Markup
Adobe continues to expand its AI capabilities, now powered by the Firefly Image 5 model. Key updates include:
- Instruct Edit with Masks: This feature allows users to isolate specific areas of an image and apply precise changes—such as adding accessories or adjusting facial features—using simple text prompts. The surrounding masked areas remain untouched, preserving critical image integrity.
- Markup Feature: This innovative tool allows users to guide the AI by drawing directly onto the image. Adobe notes: "Select areas to recolor, sketch arrows to indicate position or brush in rough shapes to suggest new elements." The AI then interprets these sketches and translates them into photorealistic, high-fidelity image content.
A New Hub for AI-Driven Workflows
In addition to specific tools, Adobe is debuting the AI Assisted Editor (currently in beta). This dedicated interface centralizes several powerful AI functions, including Prompt to Edit, Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and the new Markup tool. By using a natural-language prompt bar, users can access complex workflows within a simplified environment, though all these tools remain fully accessible within the standard professional Photoshop interface as well.
Additional Improvements
The update also introduces several quality-of-life enhancements:
Dynamic Text, Shapes and Paths allows users to apply Photoshop’s Dynamic Text capabilities to virtually any custom shape or path, offering greater creative flexibility for design projects.
Furthermore, the software now features deep integration with the Adobe Stock Panel. Users can browse and access a library of over 900 million assets directly from a dockable panel within the application. These features are available immediately for subscribers via the latest Creative Cloud update.