Adobe Photoshop 2021 -version 22.0.0- Link
The tool automatically adjusted the foreground warmth and exposure to match the ambient lighting of the newly selected sky.
This filter allowed users to alter facial expressions by adjusting sliders for happiness, surprise, or anger. It could also change a subject's age, hair thickness, head direction, and light source.
Before Version 22.0.0, swapping a dull sky required meticulous masking, edge refining, and manual color grading to match the foreground. The new tool automated this entirely. Photoshop detects the horizon, masks out trees or buildings, inserts a new sky from a built-in or custom library, and automatically shifts the color temperature of the foreground to match the new lighting ambiently. 2. Refine Hair and Object Aware Refine
Accompanying Neural Filters was the highly acclaimed feature, accessible from the menu Edit > Sky Replacement . Adobe Sensei was leveraged here to automatically detect and mask the sky and foreground elements with incredible precision. Adobe Photoshop 2021 -Version 22.0.0-
: Adobe Sensei identifies the horizon and masks complex edges like trees and hair automatically.
Unlike traditional manual frequency separation, this feature let users blur out blemishes, acne, and wrinkles on a subject's face with a single click, all while preserving realistic skin texture.
Adobe realized that 90% of users never touch 90% of features. The (the lightbulb icon top-right) was a contextual search bar. Type "How to remove background," and rather than opening a browser, Photoshop would highlight the Select Subject button, dim the rest of the UI, and play a 15-second silent animation. For veterans, this was annoying (you can turn it off). For novices, it was revolutionary. The tool automatically adjusted the foreground warmth and
Neural Filters introduced non-destructive, AI-driven manipulation to portrait editing. Powered by machine learning, these filters allowed users to alter complex facial features with simple sliders.
Crucially, the AI does not just swap the background; it dynamically shifts the color temperature and ambient lighting of the foreground elements so the entire composite looks completely cohesive. Selection Improvements & Refine Hair
Critical Note: In Version 22.0.0, many of these filters required an Adobe cloud connection to process. Privacy concerns erupted immediately, though Adobe later allowed local processing in subsequent 22.X patches. Before Version 22
If you're already a Photoshop user, upgrading to the latest version is straightforward. You can update through the Creative Cloud app or by purchasing a subscription directly from Adobe. If you're new to Photoshop, you can sign up for a free trial or purchase a subscription to get started.
The settings depend on whether you are preparing the paper for or digital use:
Was Photoshop 2021 (22.0.0) perfect? No. The Neural Filters felt gimmicky at times (the "Happiness" slider often looked creepy), and the Cloud Documents system had syncing hiccups in the first few weeks.