There is a new version of the adobe photoshop called Photoshop 2021 here! There are a lot of new features that can make it more efficient, and you can learn all of them in this guide.

Table of contents

  • Replace Sky
  • Pattern Preview
  • Smooth Skin by Neural Filters
  • Smart Portrait by Neural Filters
  • Colorize by Neural Filters
  • Reset Transform of Smart Object
  • New Features of Select and Mask
  • Photoshop 2021 Plugins Panel
  • Live Shapes
  • Discovery Panel
  • Photoshop 2021 Cloud Document Version History
  • Preview of technology
  • Other Tutorial Updates

Sky Replacement in Photoshop 2021

When the weather isn’t perfect, this situation you can retouch the sky with the Sky Replacement feature in Adobe Photoshop 2021 to make the sky look better.

This new feature uses an Artificial Intelligence, Adobe Sensi, that automatically determines the sky in the image, selects it, and replaces it with the Sky Replacement window’s preset.

The Sky Replacement feature can be used if you choose Edit > Sky Replacement.

Select > Sky will allow you to select the sky in just two clicks.

Pattern Preview

The process of creating a pattern and seeing its outcome has never been easier. The new update will allow you to preview what your pattern will look like without making a new file apply the pattern.

If you want to make a pattern out of a file, open it. Then you can choose View > pattern preview. You can see the pattern as a whole and zoom in or out to a better perspective with the view option.

You can drag-and-drop objects onto the document and see how the pattern alerts with every single change that you apply.

If you want to save the pattern, choose Edit > DefinePattern and enter a name, and then it will be ready to use anytime.

Smooth Skin by Neural Filters

There is a new trick up its sleeve that smoothens skins without using the Blur tool.

Toggling on the Skin Smoothing is done by choosing Filter > Neural Filters.

When you apply your adjustments, make sure to set the Output to New Layer, and the program will generate the changes into a layer for the skin smoothing.

If you want the Skin Smoothing Neural Filter to apply on certain parts of the face, it is a good idea to create its own layer mask.

Smart Portrait  by Neural Filters

Beneath Beta Filters, You’ll find 14 others when you return to Neural Filters. The Smart Portrait allows you to change a portrait’s expression with its happiness, surprise, and anger sliders.

You can change your subject’s appearance by altering their age, gaze, hair thickness, head direction, and light direction.

It’s a true game-changer when it comes to portrait editing.

The Smart Portrait filters process themselves using the Cloud.

The quicker you can see the results, the quicker your internet connection will be.

Colorize by Neural Filters

Under the beta filter, The new Colorize feature allows you to colorize black and white or sepia photos.

Colorize uses the same Artificial Intelligence technology which is called Adobe sensi that uses to apply the appropriate colors to your document.

Reset Transform of Smart Object

If you want to reset the distortions applied on your Smart Object, you won’t need to repeatedly press the undo command.

You can remove any transformations you applied in this new update by right-clicking on the Smart Object > Reset Transform.

New Features of Select and Mask

Creatives can create accurate masks of subjects with intricate details with the Select and Mask workspace.

The Refine Hair on the Options bar is similar to the Refine Edge tool in that it can be accomplished with just one click.

The second update has a Refine Mode with two options: color aware or object aware.

It is best to use Color Aware for simple or contrasting background. The best choice for hair and fur is the object aware while you have a busy background.

Photoshop 2021 Plugins Panel

There is a new addition to the Menu called Plugins. After selecting Plugins panel and selecting Discover Plugins, a vast collection of Plugins available on the Creative Cloud can be used to simplify or improve your work.

Live Shapes

The new update has greatly improved the shapes in photoshop 2021. The Line tool has two anchor points and an adjustable appearance that you can change anytime, similar to the one in Adobe Illustrator, which makes it easier to work with.

This option can also be used for the Polygon tool, allowing you to make rounded edges.

Discovery Panel

The new Discover panel allows you to use the old search bar for a variety of purposes.

The first thing it does is allow you to search for tools that you can’t find. After that, you will get directions by highlighting the tool with an arrow.

The second thing is, when searching for themes such as Retouching, it shows you a list of tools related to that particular process.

And, the third thing is, you can see how to achieve a specific effect with the help of tutorials. There are two things in this panel that I have taught.

At the time of this recording, I was the only none-Adobe employee or contractor who was invited to create content for this panel.

Photoshop 2021 Cloud Document Version

You can use a cloud document to work on a document with the files saved on the cloud instead of your computer.

With the Version History update, you can see the different versions of the document done at different times, change their names, and open them both on separate tabs.

The history lasts for 30 days unless you keep your favorites.

Preview of technology

One Technology Preview is a tool that can be used to define and enhance the details in your image. This leads to the creation of better vector masks or vector paths.

Hopefully, you learned a lot about the program’s new features that should make you excited about all the new possibilities.