Adobe has unveiled a suite of new generative AI features for its flagship design applications, Illustrator and Photoshop, aimed at accelerating creative workflows and expanding design possibilities.
Illustrator is getting a new Generative Shape Fill and an updated Text to Pattern. Both tools, now available in beta, are powered by Adobe’s Firefly Vector 2 Model. Generative Shape Fill looks really interesting. It allows users to quickly fill shapes with detailed, editable vector graphics based on text prompts. Designers can match the style and color of their existing artwork, ensuring brand consistency while exploring new creative directions.
The Text to Pattern feature simplifies the creation, editing, and scaling of vector patterns. Users can save their designs to a swatch library and apply them to various graphic elements, such as fashion apparel to brand packaging. The updated version offers crisper graphics, enhanced UI controls, and better editability, making it easier to integrate patterns into existing workflows.
On the Photoshop front, Adobe introduced several AI-powered tools to streamline core tasks. The new Selection Brush Tool provides a more intuitive method for selecting areas of an image by brushing over them, offering flexibility in compositing and adjustments. Unlike the other selection methods, this tool allows for varying opacity and feathered edges, enhancing the precision of selections and filters.
The Selection Brush has arrived in @Photoshop! ✨
— Howard Pinsky (@Pinsky) July 23, 2024
"Okay, but why the heck do I need yet ANOTHER selection tool?!"
Most traditional selection methods offer no control over the opacity of your selections.
Typically this wouldn't matter, but after Generative Fill dropped, we… pic.twitter.com/C7WHuK4u2R
The Adjustment Brush Tool now allows users to apply adjustments like brightness, exposure and saturation directly to specific parts of an image. This tool, now out of beta, simplifies fine-tuning with a single step, streamlining the editing process.
Finally, Text to Image, now out of beta has been renamed "Generate Image". Adobe has been diligently tweaking and optimizing the experience to ensure users retain control over the generated content. With features like Reference Images and Style Effects, artists can efficiently ideate and streamline repetitive tasks, and achieve complex and custom outputs.
Adobe continues to emphasize its commitment to responsible AI development, noting that Firefly is trained only on licensed and public domain content. The company also implements Content Credentials, a metadata system that provides transparency about AI usage in created images.
There is a lot to like with these updates from Adobe and their overall approach to generative AI. The company continues to focus on integrating AI capabilities into its existing products while maintaining the creative integrity of professional workflows and balancing automation with user control.