Embrace the Future of Image Editing: Announcing Our New Module on Photoshop and AI

It’s always interesting how quickly technology sneaks up on us. One day, you’re painstakingly cloning out an errant lamp post from a holiday snap; the next, Adobe hands you an AI tool that zaps it in a single click, leaving you simultaneously delighted and suspicious. (My own first reaction: “Alright, but what’s the catch?”)

If you’re reading this, you probably fall into one of two camps: you’ve tried the occasional AI-powered feature in Photoshop and sense it becoming more significant, or you know a surge of new tools is coming and want to stay ahead. Whether you create visuals to dazzle on the web, to show off a product, or for the sheer joy of transforming the ordinary into something splendid, there’s some news for you. Photoshop’s new AI tools are arriving fast. They’re here now, and they can free up more of your time for actual designing instead of those marathon pixel-editing sessions.

That brings us to why we built our latest module, Photoshop & AI. If you’re tired of hype and want practical advice for improving your workflow with these new tools, this is made for you.

Why This Matters

Every designer and content creator is expected to work faster, with higher quality standards than ever before. Expectations for websites, branding projects, and even social media visuals are sky-high, but budgets and deadlines rarely keep pace. Most of us end up spending hours retouching images, dealing with selections that bleed into hair, and endlessly tweaking colours for the web. At the same time, project deadlines press closer.

For many people, this leads to late nights or accepting that their visuals may not compete quite as strongly as they’d like. To put it plainly, time spent on repetitive editing is time that could be used building something unique, making a client happy, or—even better—enjoying a cup of tea.

Adobe’s newest AI tools in Photoshop take on some of these burdens by automating background removal, sharpening blurry faces, colourising vintage images, smoothing skin, and cleaning up busy backgrounds, all quickly. These features, however, can also introduce confusion, such as uncertainty about how they work or unexpected results (“Why did it make Uncle Bob’s ear look like a pasty?”).

Our Photoshop & AI module exists to help web designers and visual creators bring these tools into real-life workflows without losing their creative edge.

Common Pitfalls

Before we get practical, let’s highlight where most people struggle with Photoshop’s new AI tricks:

• Trying to use AI tools like a Swiss Army knife: There’s a temptation to throw every new AI filter at an image and hope for the best. More often, this leads to odd results, Frankenstein faces, and confusing, overwrought layers.

• Ignoring the hand-off between AI and traditional techniques: AI tools work best with well-prepared images but often struggle with tricky, low-contrast details, complex patterns, or odd lighting. Relying solely on AI rarely produces polished results.

• Overcomplicating projects for the sake of the tech: The novelty of AI features sometimes leads people to invent extra steps, adding edits simply because they can instead of because it adds value.

• Skipping the basics: It’s easy to forget about core Photoshop skills altogether, assuming the AI will handle it. (Spoiler: it won’t.)

If you recognise any of these in your own projects, you’re in good company. These pitfalls are normal during the learning process. The best solution is to find balance: depend on AI for time-consuming tasks but stay involved and steer the creative process.

Step-by-Step Fix

Let’s get stuck in. Here’s a practical system I use with learners and clients (and, frankly, on my own work when I want to avoid unnecessary frustration). For this example, let’s imagine you’re preparing photos for a new web portfolio, whether you want to update your headshots, tidy product images, or revive old family photos.

Step 1: Start with a Clean Canvas

Before trying any advanced AI features, cover the basics. Open your image and address any major issues: crooked horizons, severe underexposure, or big distracting marks.

• Use the Crop Tool to strengthen your composition.
• Adjust Exposure and White Balance with the familiar Camera Raw filter.
• Clean up the worst blemishes with the Spot Healing Brush.

Step 2: Automate the Repetitive Tasks

Now, let AI step in on tedious bits. The newer versions of Photoshop are loaded with smart selection tools and filters. Use them to speed up grunt work.

• Select Subject (from the Select menu) provides a fast way to isolate your main object. This works well for portraits, pets, or products with clear edges.
• Remove Background from the Properties panel is handy if you’re preparing a quick cutout.
• For portraits, try Neural Filters such as ‘Skin Smoothing’ or ‘Smart Portrait’ for subtle clean-up.

Use these automatic tools for your first pass and hold off on fine-tuning the settings just yet.

Step 3: Fine-Tune the Edits

Once AI completes its tasks, review your results. Zoom in and toggle layers on and off:

• Use the Select and Mask workspace to refine fuzzy or jagged edges. Adjust the ‘Feather’ or ‘Contrast’ sliders to smooth hairlines or pet fur.
• If colour shifts have crept in, apply Selective Colour or Hue/Saturation adjustments to restore natural-looking tones.
• For older photos, try the Colorize Neural Filter and be prepared to tone down any excessive vibrancy.

Step 4: Layer in Your Creative Touches

Don’t stop at the automated edits. This is your chance to include your own signature touches—the subtle details that set your work apart.

• Use Layer Masks to blend AI adjustments gradually. For example, you might apply smoothness to faces but keep authentic wrinkles and laugh lines.
• Add Adjustment Layers (like Curves or Gradient Maps) to ensure your images match your website’s style.
• Combine hand-made techniques, such as Dodging and Burning, texture overlays, or custom brushes.

Step 5: Prep and Export for Web

No point perfecting images if they look bad on your site. AI-enhanced images can inflate file sizes and, if you’re not attentive, slow down your pages.

• Use Image Compression tools in Photoshop to save web-friendly JPG or PNG files. Aim for under 200kb for hero images and under 100kb for smaller graphics.
• Use Save for Web (Legacy) where possible and preview on multiple devices.
• Consider Adobe’s Content Credentials for transparency and to show responsible editing, which clients increasingly value.

What Most People Miss

Many people overlook that the most effective use of these new tools isn’t about achieving the impossible. Instead, the real benefit comes from completing everyday tasks much faster, freeing up hours for creative work.

You actually gain the ability to deliver both speed and quality. AI serves to clear obstacles, letting you spend more time designing, illustrating, or planning how to surprise and delight your audience.

If you’re concerned about losing your creative voice, don’t be. The most memorable and striking designs come from those final manual touches: original overlays, bold crops, and your unique use of colour. AI simply creates more room for creativity.

The Bigger Picture

Getting comfortable with Photoshop’s AI tools offers advantages that go beyond saving a few hours. For web and content creators, this change is a major step forward.

Your workflow gets faster and more responsive, enabling you to handle last-minute changes with ease. This allows for more experimentation, new layouts, and polishing small flourishes that make your content stand out.

Working across multiple brands or client projects becomes more efficient, since batch retouching or instant cut-outs can turn a task that once took a day into something you finish in an hour. Fast turnaround helps you outpace others still relying on manual approaches.

Adopting these tools prepares you for upcoming advances in content automation. Imagine AI suggesting web layouts based on the colours in your images, or instantly generating accessible alt text during export. These capabilities are closer than most expect.

Wrap-Up

In summary, learning Photoshop’s new AI tools doesn’t reduce your role or encourage sloppy work. Instead, it gives you more freedom to focus on what matters. You’ll spend less time on repetitive edits and more time developing visuals that tell your client’s story or make your website stand out.

Our Photoshop & AI module inside the Photoshop Box of Tricks breaks down the transition into manageable steps with practical demos, real web design examples, and all the small warnings that often go unmentioned elsewhere.

If you’re ready to stop fiddling with endless selection tweaks and want your visuals to stand out without sacrificing your creative touch, take a look at the full course or join our membership to connect with other designers working through the same changes.

Want more helpful systems like this? Join Pixelhaze Academy for free at https://www.pixelhaze.academy/membership.

FAQs

How can AI tools in Photoshop actually save me time?
AI automates repetitive jobs—object selection, background removal, face clean-up—that used to eat up most of your editing sessions. You’ll spend less time fixing small problems and more time on the overall look and feel.

Is Photoshop & AI suitable for absolute beginners?
Absolutely. We walk through every feature from the ground up and always combine new tools with simple, traditional methods so nothing feels out of reach.

Can I use these tools for commercial web design projects?
Definitely. The module was built with web content in mind, including file optimization, branding consistency, batch editing, and preparing images that load fast and look sharp online.

Do I have to upgrade to the very latest Photoshop?
The newest AI features (like the full set of Neural Filters and instant background removal) need a recent version of Photoshop. We indicate which features need which versions, and where earlier releases are sufficient.

Is this “cheating”?
Using AI is simply another way to work smarter and save time for your client projects. AI is just another tool in your kit, not a replacement for your eye, taste, or skills.

Jargon Buster

AI Tools: Features in Photoshop that use machine learning to automate tasks, such as smart selections, background removal, or colourisation.

Neural Filters: A set of AI-powered filters in Photoshop for tasks like skin smoothing, super-resolution upscaling, colourising black-and-white photos, and more.

Photoshop Box of Tricks: Our course that guides you from the basics to advanced tips for modern Photoshop, always emphasizing practical scenarios.

Layer Masks: Non-destructive way to hide or reveal parts of an image, useful for blending AI and manual edits together without permanent changes.

Smart Object: A type of layer that lets you apply changes (including AI edits) without damaging your original image. Essential for any non-destructive workflow.

Related Resources at Pixelhaze

• Mastering Content-Aware Tools in Photoshop 2024
• Photoshop Tutorial: Transforming AI-Generated Images into Retro-Futurism Artwork
• Image Compression in Web Design: Why It Still Matters in 2024
• Choosing Between Professional Photography and Adobe Photoshop

Or, if you’d rather talk through your blockers with a real person, join our free coaching community and get practical, real-world help whenever you need it.

Ready to see what AI in Photoshop can do for your web designs, in a way that genuinely improves your process? Try the new module and see the real-world results for yourself.