What’s new in Photoshop CC 2022?

1. Object Selection Tool Update

For the desktop version of Adobe Photoshop, the Sensei AI technology has been granted a new update to speed up selections. What this means is that Adobe introduced the Object Finder inside the Object Selection Tool.

How does this work? First, you need to open up your image containing multiple elements. Go to the Object Selection Tool and check the “Object Finder” option in the top bar. Once you hover over the subjects, Photoshop 2022 will highlight them in blue to show the limits of the selection. Click on the desired element to select it. To add new elements (say a 2nd subject) you just hold SHIFT + Click.

The advantage of this is that you can instantly see what you are about to select, although you need to be mindful about the fact it won’t do 100% matches of hair selection – this applies to both people and pets. Still, it’s without a doubt a faster method to edit parts of our images.

To remove a selected subject from this Object Selection Tool, hold ALT and click on the selected subject. The newest shortcut to see how will Photoshop set the boundaries to your subjects is N when the Object Selection Tool is active with Object Finder on.

In my opinion, one of the best usages of this tool is for creating cutout elements like trees and foliage. But you can also add individual editing layers to the selected subject, as you did before when manually selecting each element. Just with more precision and saving tons of time!

2. Mask All Objects at once

Going along the same lines of the previous tool, Adobe makes us possible to mask ALL the objects with just one click, even splitting them into individual layers. How is that possible? Well, simply open the image, go to Layer > Mask All Objects. The second method is right-clicking the layer you desire to mask, Mask All Objects (shown below).

3. Full XDR Support

If you own a new Macbook Pro 14″ or 16″, you will get the benefits of their newest XDR technology for displays, which enhance colours in a way that sets you from fake-HDR tints to a real-world appearance.

Photoshop CC 2022 now fully supports these displays, giving an extra kick on tones that are highly appreciated, especially if you work on printed format. Keep in mind if you work for digital format output, check your editing outcome on a different display as XDR is currently exclusive for the latest Apple devices. This can end up in blacks being a bit washed out in other displays as XDR enhance them from their usual performance.

4. Photoshop & Illustrator enhanced compatibility

One HUGE headache when working with graphics was trying to import vectors made in Illustrator into Photoshop. I’m not going to explain this in detail as many of you should know the experience first-hand, but Adobe has finally heard our prayers. You can now copy vectors from Illustrator directly into Photoshop, and keep its attributes such as stroke, fill, opacity, and blend mode.

Photoshop cannot handle the editing capabilities of Illustrator for these vector files (as Photoshop is a pixel-based software, not vector-based), but the pasting process also knits together the visual aspect. Adobe took this measure in case the tool used in Illustrator to create the shape is not available in Photoshop. Groups and Layers created in Illustrator to make up the vector element will also be pasted into Photoshop.

Please beware that pasting Illustrator shapes into Photoshop under this method will considerably increase the file size for your PS projects, and can also require extra RAM to process the task.

5. Landscape Mixer, Color Transfer & Harmonization

These three new neural filters are what every Photoshop user has been waiting for years! Now we can simply create realistic photo merge effects in just minutes.

The Landscape Mixer neural filter takes your image and with a second selected photo it will merge the lighting and soil texture into your composition, say for example you want to transition a badly paved grass image with greener pastures, but with a golden hour setting. Landscape Mixer offers a set of presets with sliders to tune them, but you can also use your own images as presets by simply clicking “Custom”. It takes a while to process the effect.

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Color Transfer works as a tool for applying a simpler version of colour grading inside Photoshop. It takes the tonal values and lighting conditions of an image you select, then sync the data with the image you desire to edit.

The best of these new neural filters offered is the Harmonization one. With the Harmonization neural filter, you can perform background replacements from transparent-background layers. The lighting and tone conditions of the background will be applied to your subject. By this, you get a perfect merge of both images. A solution ideal for portrait sessions where you desire to overcome bad weather conditions.

6. Depth Blur Neural Filter

Finally, another interesting feature is the Depth Blur Neural Filter, which allows us to create natural depth to portrait photos. This is by far better managed than other editing software out there.

You can add film grain, haze, tweak the tonality and saturation of the background as well as the lighting.

You may be wondering: should I update my Photoshop? The answer to this question depends on:

• How old your computer is
• If you have dedicated graphics

By testing this version, and do keep in mind my laptop is from late 2016, the significance in demand shifted. This new PS 2022 is “heavier”. It shall demand more RAM, a faster processor, and dedicated graphics. The last item, because of the usage of neural filters, is to speed up the process.

If your computer is prior to 2015, don’t attempt to do it, otherwise, Photoshop may run too slow. If you lack dedicated graphics and you work via Desktop PC, aim for a cheap graphics card to help you out. Installing Photoshop in an SSD drive can also help a lot.

Even if you have years of experience with photo editing, you should learn about Photoshop 2022 new features. Adobe continually upgrades its flagship Photoshop software to incorporate new features and deliver even more value.

You may find a learning curve when trying to master a new feature. Accessing a professional Photoshop tutorial can help you get up to speed more quickly.