Photoshop just fixed some of its most annoying workflow problems

Adobe’s latest Photoshop update zeroes in on smoothing out the quiet friction points that slow artists and designers down, the small, accumulative annoyances that chip away at flow when you’re deep into an image edit. This latest update feels needed for many creatives who use the software regularly, and yes, there are some gen AI tools amongst the headline new non-destructive adjustments tools.

While Adobe previewed some of the wildest AI tools we’ve ever seen at MAX 2025, this Photoshop update is less bombastic and more practical. The most significant change is the introduction of proper adjustment layers for Clarity, Dehaze, and Grain, now fully integrated as non-destructive, maskable layers in Photoshop.

New Photoshop non-destructive control

These controls have existed for years, but they’ve always sat a little awkwardly within the software. Until now, using them cleanly often meant committing edits earlier than you’d like, or leaning on Smart Objects and filters purely to keep your options open. By moving Clarity, Dehaze, and Grain into the adjustment layer stack, Adobe finally treats them as first-class tools in a modern, layered editing process.

You'll feel the difference almost immediately. Grain can be added to introduce texture and cohesion without flattening an image or painting yourself into a corner. Dehaze makes it easier to recover atmosphere or rebalance tricky lighting without pushing contrast into harsh territory. Clarity offers finer control over structure and edge definition, particularly useful when you want a subject to pop without tipping into that unmistakable overprocessed look.

Because each adjustment remains editable, maskable, and blendable, it opens the door to easier, quicker experimentation. If you’ve ever duplicated layers 'just in case' before touching Dehaze, this change will feel very familiar.

Firefly generative tools get higher-quality results

Adobe has also upgraded its Firefly-powered tools, including Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and the Remove tool, with a clear jump in output quality. Whether you love or hate AI tools, they are now daily go-tos for many artists and designers, offering one-click solutions for previously laborious tasks.

The promise is that these tools now generate results at up to 2K resolution, producing sharper detail, less noise, fewer artefacts, and lighting that holds together more convincingly than before. Prompt adherence has also improved, reducing cleanup after each generation.

In day-to-day use, this should translate to fewer visible seams, less smeared texture, and edits that sit more naturally within an image. Generative Expand feels more dependable when extending compositions, while the Remove tool does a better job of reconstructing backgrounds without leaving obvious scars behind.

You'll still need to keep an eye on the results; this isn’t a magic switch, but the results should feel closer to something you can realistically rely on in production work.

Reference Image support becomes more reliable

A quieter, but important, update comes to Reference Image support in Generative Fill. Photoshop can now preserve the identity of a reference object when generating new content, rather than loosely approximating it and hoping for the best.

The system becomes more geometry-aware, matching scale, rotation, lighting, colour, and perspective to the surrounding scene. Objects are reoriented correctly, rather than feeling slightly off or visually disconnected in ways that immediately draw the eye.

For creatives working with recurring elements – such as products, characters, or branded assets – this makes generative tools far more dependable across a project, rather than something you only trust for one-off experiments.

Dynamic Text beta simplifies curved typography

Also new is Dynamic Text, currently available in beta. It enables designers to transform text into circular, arched, or bowed shapes with a single click. Simply select a text layer, choose a shape, and Photoshop automatically fits and resizes the text along a path. There’s no need to manually draw paths or wrestle with anchor points just to achieve a simple curved type treatment.

It’s a modest addition, but one that quietly streamlines logo design, posters, badges, and social graphics, especially if curved text is something you find yourself recreating over and over again.

None of these Photoshop features is designed to shock and awe; this isn't an update that will change what the software is or does. These new tools aim to reduce the number of moments where the software slows you down or forces decisions too early in the creative process.

Taken together, this update nudges Photoshop further toward a tool that supports creative momentum and ease of use, opening new use cases while enabling seasoned pros to work more flexibly. You can read more on the Adobe blog.

For more, read our list of Photoshop tutorials to get started. Need an upgrade? Read our guide to the best laptops for drawing and digital art.