How to Use Generative AI in Photoshop

BONUS: Get A List of the Top AI Tools On The Market 👇🏾

With Generative AI Fill, you unlock a multitude of creative possibilities:

Object Generation: Empower your creativity by selecting a specific area within your image, accompanied by a text prompt describing what you desire to add or replace. Witness as the generative AI brings your envisioned objects to life.
Background Generation: Take control of your composition by selecting the background behind your subject. Challenge the boundaries of imagination as you generate an entirely new scene from a provided text prompt.
Image Expansion: Extend the artistic boundaries of your images by expanding the canvas. Whether you choose to make a selection within the empty regions or provide a text prompt, Generative Fill seamlessly extends your scene, creating a harmonious and enriched visual experience.
Object Removal: Effortlessly eliminate unwanted elements from your images. Simply select the object you wish to remove, generate without a prompt, and watch as Generative Fill skillfully erases it from existence.
Versatility Beyond Limits: Generative Fill goes beyond the ordinary, offering unparalleled versatility. Engage in daring experiments with unconventional ideas, explore various concepts, and effortlessly produce numerous variations with just a few clicks.

Contents hide

1. Generate an Object

2. Generate Backgrounds

3. Expand images

4. Remove objects

Can I use generative AI without a Photoshop subscription?

What types of prompts work best for generative AI?

Is a lot of artistic skill required to use AI with Photoshop?

Can AI really help create professional-level Photoshop images?

What are the limitations of using AI with Photoshop?

1. Generate an Object

Here are some steps to generate an object in Photoshop using Generative AI:

Decide what object you want to generate. This could be anything from a person to a car to a light house.
Find an AI image generator that allows you to specify what you want it to create. Popular options include DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.
Prompt the AI with a text description of the object you want it to generate. Be as detailed as possible – describe the type of object, any attributes, the style you want, etc.
The AI will process your prompt and generate a new image. It may take several tries tweaking the prompt to get an image you’re happy with.
Once you have an AI generated image you like, open it in Photoshop.
Use Photoshop tools like the Quick Selection tool to select the generated object and separate it from the background.
Copy and paste the selected object onto a new blank Photoshop layer.
Optionally, use Photoshop tools to refine the object further – things like the Clone Stamp tool to touch up artifacts, adjustment layers to tweak colors, etc.
Add additional layers and elements as desired to composite the generated object into a new scene.
Export the final Photoshop file containing the AI generated object.

2. Generate Backgrounds

Here are some steps to generate backgrounds in Photoshop using Generative AI:

1. Decide what type of background you want to generate – landscape, abstract, geometric, etc.

2. Use an AI image generator like DALL-E 2, Midjourney or Stable Diffusion to prompt for your desired background. For example: “a beautiful landscape digital painting” or “abstract geometric background”.

3. Generate multiple variations until you get a background you like. The AI will create original backgrounds based on your text prompt.

4. Open the AI generated image in Photoshop. If needed, remove any foreground elements so just the background remains.

5. If the background doesn’t extend to the edges, use the Content-Aware Fill tool to extend it to fill the entire canvas.

6. You can also use tools like the Clone Stamp to touch up any artifacts or imperfections in the AI generated image.

7. Optionally, run filters like Noise > Add Noise to make the AI generated background more organic.

8. You can also apply adjustment layers in Photoshop to tweak the color, contrast, etc. to get the look you want.

9. Once finalized, flatten the layers and export the Photoshop file of the AI generated, polished background.

10. You can now use this as a custom background for any other design project by placing other elements on layers above it.

The key is leveraging the creativity of AI image generation for original backgrounds and then using Photoshop as the polish to make it work for your specific needs. This saves you the time of creating backgrounds from scratch!

3. Expand images

Here are some tips for using AI to expand images in Photoshop:

1. Start with an image you want to expand or enlarge beyond its original borders. This could be expanding a landscape scene or making a portrait shot wider.

2. Use an AI image generator like DALL-E 2, Stable Diffusion or Imagen to generate new content that matches the image style. Prompt it with the original image and a description of what new content you want added.

3. The AI will generate brand new visuals in the same style as the original. Generate multiple variations until you get expansions you like.

4. Bring both the original image and AI generated expansions into Photoshop on separate layers.

5. Use the clone stamp tool to blend the seams between the original and AI generated areas. This makes the transition seamless.

6. Use various Photoshop tools like blur, dodge/burn, and adjustment layers to match the lighting and details of the AI expansion to the original.

7. Optionally use Content-Aware Fill to expand plain backgrounds like skies or grass. AI works better for expanding complex areas.

8. Mask out any unwanted AI generated areas and touch up artifacts with Photoshop tools.

9. When done, flatten the layers and export your expanded Photoshop file.

The key is using AI as a creative starting point and Photoshop as the polish to blend it flawlessly with the original image. This saves you from having to manually expand images yourself.

4. Remove objects

If you want to seamlessly remove an object from your image using generative AI, follow these steps:

First, open the image in Photoshop and use the selection tools to carefully select the object(s) you want to remove. Take your time to select only the objects themselves and not any of the background around them.

Once your selection is precise, go to the Generative Fill menu in Photoshop. This new feature utilizes powerful generative AI technology to fill selections in images.

In the text prompt box, leave it blank. Leaving it blank will tell the AI to generate pixels that match the surrounding area in your image, for the most seamless result.

If you want the AI to fill it with something specific instead, you can type a text prompt like “generate a brick wall” or “fill with a blue sky”. Get creative with your prompts!

When ready, click the Generate button. Photoshop will utilize the AI to generate brand new pixels that integrate smoothly into your photo.

Review the results closely. You may need to make small tweaks with Photoshop’s cloning tools to blend any edges. Use the AI Generative Fill again if needed.

When you are satisfied, save and export your image with the object(s) removed flawlessly! The AI did the hard work while Photoshop provided the fine tuning. This makes object removal easy and natural.

BONUS: Get A List of the Top AI Tools On The Market 👇🏾

Conclusion

The integration of generative AI into Photoshop opens up exciting new creative possibilities. While AI image generators can produce novel designs and objects, Photoshop gives you the tools to control the process and bring everything together into stunning final images.

With the power of AI, generating backgrounds, objects, and expanding images is as easy as typing a text prompt. Photoshop then adds the finesse to polish, touch up, and composite the AI output.

Overall, it’s an incredibly efficient creative workflow – AI handles the grunt work while Photoshop brings that artistic flair.

As generative AI continues to advance, we can expect even tighter integration with Photoshop in the future. For now, these tips should give you a sense of the immense potential.

Unleash your creativity by combining AI image generation with Photoshop’s robust editing tools. The visual possibilities are endless!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use generative AI without a Photoshop subscription?

Yes, you can generate images directly from AI systems like DALL-E 2, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion. However, Photoshop gives you more control over editing, compositing, and polishing the final images.

What types of prompts work best for generative AI?

Descriptive and detailed prompts tend to produce the best results. Include style, lighting, colors, mood, composition, etc. in your text prompts.

Be creative and experiment!

Is a lot of artistic skill required to use AI with Photoshop?

Not at all! The AI does the hard creative work. Photoshop just helps refine things after.

Even beginners can achieve amazing results through these technologies.

Can AI really help create professional-level Photoshop images?

Absolutely. Many creatives are already using AI to complement their workflows.

Combined with Photoshop’s tools, generative AI can help unlock dazzling new levels of creativity.

What are the limitations of using AI with Photoshop?

The technology has limits. You may need to tweak the AI output for best results. And ethical AI use for things like image rights and misinformation is crucial.

But used properly, it’s very powerful.