Lesson Content

Generate Image in Photoshop.

Generate Image (available through the Filter menu or within the Generative Layer panel – verify current location in your Photoshop version) allows generating AI images directly into a Photoshop document from a text prompt, without switching to the Firefly web interface. The generated image is placed on a generative layer – enabling non-destructive generation within the document workflow. Generate Image is useful for: creating background elements within a composite; generating concept imagery for client review within a working document; and adding AI-generated content to existing compositions.

Managing generative layers in Photoshop.

Generative layers are a non-destructive layer type – they contain AI-generated content that can be: re-generated with the same or revised prompt; replaced with different variations from the same generation; refined with additional Firefly operations; or deleted to revert to the document state before generation. Generative layers are indicated in the Layers panel and behave similarly to Smart Object layers. Understanding generative layer management enables efficient AI-assisted compositing workflows.

Firefly retouching tools in Photoshop.

Beyond Generative Fill, Photoshop includes Firefly-powered tools (verify current availability): the Remove Tool – removes selected objects with a single brush stroke (optimized for object removal vs. the selection-based Generative Fill approach); and Face Retouching tools with AI assistance. These tools extend Firefly's capabilities within Photoshop's retouching toolkit, allowing object removal and retouching operations without switching between Firefly and Photoshop.

Reference Image for stylistic consistency.

Photoshop's Firefly tools may include Reference Image – allowing a reference image to guide the style of generated content (verify current availability). When generating within a composite, providing the existing composite image as a reference guides generated elements to match the established visual aesthetic, lighting, and color of the existing image – producing more consistent compositing results.