Adobe is giving Photoshop users more control over AI-powered image editing with its latest update. Among the new features is Markup, a tool that allows users to draw directly on an image to visually show Photoshop’s AI what they want to change.
The update also introduces Lightroom-style lighting controls, a new AI Assisted Editor, improved masked editing and several other creative tools designed to make Photoshop faster and easier to use.
While artificial intelligence is a major focus of the update, Adobe is also addressing a long-standing request from professional photographers by bringing more advanced lighting adjustments directly into Photoshop.
Photoshop Finally Gets Lightroom-Style Lighting Controls
One of the most useful additions in the latest Photoshop update is the new Light Adjustment Layer.
The feature brings several controls traditionally associated with Adobe Lightroom and Camera Raw directly into Photoshop’s layer-based workflow.
Users can now adjust:
- Exposure
- Contrast
- Highlights
- Shadows
- Whites
- Blacks
The biggest advantage is that these adjustments can be made non-destructively through a dedicated adjustment layer.
For photographers who regularly move between Photoshop and Lightroom to make basic lighting corrections, this could save considerable time.
Instead of leaving Photoshop, opening another application and adjusting the lighting before returning to the image, users can now perform these corrections directly inside their Photoshop workflow.
Adobe describes the feature as providing professional-grade lighting controls while maintaining the flexibility of Photoshop layers.
Photoshop Markup Makes AI Editing More Visual
The most interesting addition may be the new Markup feature.
Instead of relying entirely on text prompts to describe an intended change, users can draw directly on their images to communicate with Photoshop’s AI tools.
For example, users could draw an arrow toward an area they want to modify, highlight an object that needs a different color or sketch a rough shape representing something they want to add.
The idea is relatively simple: show the AI what you mean instead of trying to describe everything with words.
This could make AI image editing considerably easier for users who struggle to write precise prompts.
In one example, Adobe demonstrates a rough drawing of a cat and wall tiles. Photoshop’s AI can interpret those basic visual instructions and generate more realistic versions of the suggested elements.
The feature works alongside text prompts, giving users two ways to communicate their creative intentions.
Instruct Edit With Masks Gives Users More Control
Adobe is also introducing Instruct Edit with Masks, which is powered by Firefly Image 5.
The feature combines masking with natural-language instructions.
Users can first select or mask the specific portion of an image they want to modify. They can then describe the desired change using a text prompt.
For example, a user could ask Photoshop to open a person’s closed eyes or add a hat to a particular subject.
The key advantage is that the masked workflow helps protect the rest of the image.
Instead of allowing an AI model to potentially alter unrelated areas, users can tell Photoshop exactly where the edit should occur.
This type of localized editing could be particularly useful for photographers and designers working with complex compositions where maintaining existing details is important.
AI Assisted Editor Brings Photoshop’s AI Tools Together
Adobe is also introducing an AI Assisted Editor in beta.
The new interface brings several AI-powered Photoshop features together in one dedicated workspace.
It includes tools such as:
- Prompt to Edit
- Remove Background
- Generative Expand
- Remove Tool
- Generative Fill
- Generative Upscale
- AI Markup
A natural-language prompt bar allows users to describe what they want to accomplish without necessarily having to locate individual tools manually.
For beginners, this could make Photoshop’s increasingly large collection of AI features easier to understand.
Professional users can still access the same tools through Photoshop’s traditional interface, meaning the new AI workspace doesn’t replace the existing professional workflow.
Photoshop Is Becoming More Accessible to Beginners
Photoshop has historically been one of the most powerful image-editing applications available, but that power has also made it intimidating for new users.
The latest AI features appear designed to reduce some of that complexity.
Instead of learning exactly which tool, layer or adjustment is required for a particular task, users can increasingly describe what they want Photoshop to do.
Markup takes this concept a step further by combining natural language with visual instructions.
That could make the interaction feel more intuitive because users don’t have to rely exclusively on technical terminology.
For experienced designers, meanwhile, these tools can potentially speed up repetitive tasks without removing access to the traditional Photoshop workflow.
New Dynamic Text, Shapes and Paths Features
The update isn’t limited to AI.
Adobe is also expanding Photoshop’s Dynamic Text capabilities.
Dynamic Text, Shapes and Paths allows the feature to work with custom shapes and paths, giving designers more flexibility when creating text-based compositions.
This could be useful for posters, advertisements, social media graphics, branding materials and other designs where typography needs to follow unusual shapes or layouts.
The feature gives designers another way to combine typography and custom graphic elements without relying as heavily on manual adjustments.
Adobe Stock Comes Directly Into Photoshop
Another major addition is Stock Panel Integration.
Adobe is bringing more than 900 million Adobe Stock assets directly into Photoshop through a dockable panel.
Instead of leaving Photoshop to search for stock photographs, graphics and other assets, users can browse available content from within the application.
For designers working on commercial projects, this could make the process of finding and incorporating visual assets more efficient.
The dockable interface also means users can keep the stock library accessible while continuing to work on their project.
Adobe Continues Its Push Into AI-Powered Creative Tools
The latest Photoshop update demonstrates how deeply AI has become integrated into Adobe’s creative software.
Firefly-powered features are increasingly appearing throughout Adobe’s ecosystem, offering tools that can generate, modify, expand and enhance visual content.
However, Adobe’s latest update isn’t simply about adding more generative AI features.
The company is also improving traditional Photoshop workflows with tools such as the Light Adjustment Layer and expanded Dynamic Text capabilities.
That combination could be important for professional users who want AI assistance without giving up the precision and control that Photoshop has traditionally provided.
What the New Photoshop Update Means for Creators
For photographers, the new lighting controls could be one of the most practical additions because they reduce the need to switch between Photoshop and Lightroom for common exposure and tonal adjustments.
For designers and content creators, Markup and the AI Assisted Editor could make generative editing faster and more intuitive.
Meanwhile, Instruct Edit with Masks gives users greater control over where AI-generated changes are applied.
Together, these features suggest Adobe is trying to make Photoshop work for both experienced professionals and people who are still learning the software.
Final Thoughts
Adobe’s latest Photoshop update is a significant step toward making AI-assisted image editing more natural.
The new Markup feature stands out because it allows users to communicate visually by drawing directly on an image, while the Light Adjustment Layer finally brings more Lightroom-style lighting controls into Photoshop’s non-destructive layer workflow.
The AI Assisted Editor, Instruct Edit with Masks, Dynamic Text improvements and Adobe Stock integration add even more functionality.
As AI continues to change the way images are created and edited, Photoshop is evolving from a tool where users manually perform every step into one where they can increasingly describe, demonstrate and refine their ideas.
For professional photographers, designers and everyday creators, the latest update could make common editing tasks faster while preserving the detailed control that has made Photoshop an industry standard for decades.
