Adobe is rolling out a bunch of new AI features for Photoshop and Illustrator that aim to speed up the design process and offer more control and variety to users. Using Adobe’s Firefly generative AI models, the company suggests it will take a fraction of the time it currently takes to manually produce minute image details.
One of the most notable additions is the Generative Shape Fill feature. It fills in detailed vector graphics to shapes based on text prompts like the one in the above image. The Firefly Vector AI model handles the rest, and you suddenly have multiple options for logos and other branded material.
A graphic designer working on a new logo for a tech startup could use Generative Shape Fill to quickly generate complex vector patterns and shapes that align with the brand’s futuristic theme. By entering specific text prompts like “geometric tech shapes” or “futuristic circuits,” the designer can explore various intricate designs without manually drawing each element.
Smarter patterns
To build a pattern from scratch, the new Text to Pattern option does as the name suggests and converts a text prompt into a scalable vector pattern. If you don’t know how to describe exactly what you want, there’s even a new Style Reference feature that takes uploaded images as inspiration for Adobe’s AI creation. Similarly, the new Retype feature can edit otherwise static text and offer ideas for a font to match the image.
The new Photoshop-specific AI features center more on streamlining the often repetitive tasks necessary for editing images. The Selection Brush Tool and Adjustment Brush Tool do as their names hint and make selecting and adjusting parts of an image easier with AI assistance to separate out the elements with more precision.
The new AI features are more than just digital aids. The Dimension tool can make precise sizing measurements, while the Mockup feature can produce visual prototypes that fit the curves and edges of real-life objects. So, an architect designing a new residential building could accurately plot out floor plans and elevations with the Dimension tool, while a fashion designer might apply Mockup to their designs to see how they look on different types of garments.
AI Visualize
No matter how good the AI tools are, Adobe is still embroiled in the debate over how its Firefly AI models get trained. The company recently made it clear it won’t use projects made by its customers for AI training, but the larger conflict over ethical AI and synthetic media is far from resolved.
Still, AI augmentation of Illustrator and Photoshop marks a milestone for Adobe’s technology strategy. And Adobe has a lot of utopian ideals, at least in its official philosophy. The company described its goal for the new AI tools as not only increasing productivity but also creativity. The idea is that AI helps designers push the boundaries of their vision.
“Adobe’s new innovations in Illustrator and Photoshop are built directly into designers’ existing workflows, offering new ways to create and helping them to work faster and focus on what they do best - drawing, designing, and bringing their creative visions to life,” Adobe senior vice president for digital media Ashley Still said in a release on the new features.
