Lesson Content

How Generative Fill works.

Generative Fill works on a selection – the AI generates content that fills the selected area, using the surrounding image as context. Two primary modes: (1) Object removal – make a selection around the unwanted object, run Generative Fill with an empty prompt, and the AI fills the selection with background content inferred from the surrounding image; (2) Content generation – make a selection, enter a text description of what should appear in that area, and the AI generates matching content that blends with the surrounding image.

Creating effective selections for Generative Fill.

Selection quality significantly affects Generative Fill results: Select precisely around the target element – including a small margin (a few pixels) around the object being removed or the area being filled; avoid including large amounts of surrounding context in the selection, which gives the AI less clear information about what should be replaced vs. preserved; use Photoshop's selection tools (Object Selection, Quick Selection, Lasso) appropriate for the shape being selected. Clean, precise selections produce cleaner fills.

Object removal with empty prompts.

For object removal: select the object to remove; open Generative Fill (Contextual Task Bar or Edit menu in Photoshop); leave the prompt field empty; click Generate. Empty prompt tells the AI to infer what should be in the selected area from surrounding content – filling with background content that matches the surrounding environment. Photoshop generates multiple variations (typically three) in a generative layer; select the best variation from the layer properties panel.

Content generation within selections.

For adding or replacing content: make a selection where new content should appear; open Generative Fill; enter a text description of what should fill the area; click Generate. Effective prompts for Generative Fill describe the specific object or environment that should appear – "a large glass vase of white flowers," "a wooden bookshelf with books," "a mountain visible through the window." The generated content blends with the surrounding image context.