How to reduce manual retouching time with Firefly in Photoshop

If you are a professional dedicated to graphic arts, it is most likely that Adobe Photoshop is your most used tool, or at least you know it well. Photoshop is one of the most comprehensive programs available for professionally retouching images; if you use it well, you can significantly reduce your working hours, especially if you combine it with Adobe Firefly.

If you’re not quite sure how to make the most of Adobe’s AI, stay with us, and we will clear up most of your doubts.

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Why manual retouching is still a bottleneck

The workload that a professional dedicated to graphic arts can handle is increasing more and more. It doesn’t matter what type of work you do (photography, design, art); it’s most likely that in your briefings you will find more and more tasks, but without a significant increase in compensation. That’s why today, it is essential to improve our times without compromising the quality of our work.

It is also important not to be deceived by the type of tasks to be performed. Removing annoying elements, adjusting shadows, straightening images… These are not difficult things, but they are repetitive, and we can automate this (with control).

Where Firefly Changes the Games Within Photoshop

We must first distinguish what Adobe Firefly is and what it has to do with Photoshop. When we talk about Adobe Firefly, we are referring to the family of Adobe’s generative AI models.

Many of the generative AI features we find within Adobe Photoshop are powered by Firefly. Essentially, Photoshop remains the same as always, but certain tools use Firefly technology to function.

AI-driven functions will help you with tasks such as cleaning or reconstructing image backgrounds without losing visual coherence. At the same time, it is also easier to create different proposals to explore other types of graphic solutions.

Reduce downtime without losing control

Although Adobe Firefly functions as an accelerator, Photoshop remains the nerve center of everything. AI makes it easier for us to perform mechanical tasks while we continue to correct and adjust projects. The human touch is not lost, because in the end, it is about dedicating time to what is most important, the creative work.

Practical Use of Photoshop and Firefly

If you’re not quite sure how to apply the Adobe Photoshop functions enhanced by Firefly or exactly what to use them for, stay tuned as we teach you here.

One of the most common editing tasks is removing objects from images. Within Photoshop, you can erase anything in one go if you use the Remove Tool. Open Photoshop and select File > Open…, find the image you want to edit, and click on it. Then, go to the tool panel (if you don’t see it, click on Window > Tools) and look for the Remove Tool; its icon looks like a band-aid. Next, go to the image, and with the tool, paint over what you want to remove. Adobe Photoshop will process the image and erase that object instantly.

Now it’s time to talk about Generative Fill. This feature will help you add and remove content within your images. To use it, click on the Selection Brush Tool (or any other selection tool) to select an object or area of an image. Next, select the Generative Fill button that will appear in the Contextual Task Bar. If this bar does not appear, go to Window > Contextual Task Bar.

Write a prompt that describes what you want to create and click on Generate. You will then see the result, along with a series of thumbnail previews generated from your input. Additionally, Photoshop will create an additional layer that you can see in Layers so you can edit the original image if it works for you.

If the first result doesn’t convince you, you can choose from the other variations. If these also don’t convince you, you can generate more by clicking on Generate Similar. Another feature that might interest you a lot is Harmonize. To use it, first open the image you want to act as a background in Adobe Photoshop and add the element you aim to merge into that image. Remember: the element must not have a background. Select the layers of the element and click on Harmonize, an option you will see in the contextual bar.

Just like with Generative Fill, with Harmonize you will also get several results. Review them and select the option you prefer. Another option that will also be very useful to you is to expand images with Adobe Firefly. Open your image in Photoshop and then select the Crop Tool (you will find it in the toolbar). Click on the canvas and increase it to the dimensions you need. You can use the context menu to choose from sizes already preset by Photoshop if it suits you.

Click on Generate to expand the image with AI-generated content. This will blend with the rest of the image. Explore other variation options in the Properties panel if you see fit. For a more personalized result, simply describe what you want to appear.

Firefly as a tool to increase productivity

Neither Photoshop nor Firefly can achieve perfection with a single click. However, combining Firefly with Adobe Photoshop will save you time on mechanical tasks and give you more speed without losing control. If you find yourself stuck in an endless retouching loop, try the features we described above; make the AI work for you and not against you.

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