How to use Photoshop's Generative Fill AI tool to easily transform your boring photos

When it comes to generative AI that creates images, there are essentially two main approaches. On one side, we have tools like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, which craft entire images from AI prompts. These tools can sometimes merge an existing image into their creations, but the results are often hit or miss. On the other hand, Adobe Photoshop is leading the charge with a different strategy: seamlessly integrating a new image into an existing scene.

Back in 2023, Adobe rolled out a game-changing feature to Adobe Photoshop called Generative Fill. During its beta phase, users could generate as many images as they liked without restriction. However, Adobe has since introduced "Generative Fill Credits." These credits come with your Creative Cloud license, but if you go overboard (I've been quite the heavy user myself, yet I've not hit any limits), you might find yourself facing additional charges. For the nitty-gritty details, take a peek at the Photoshop section of this article.

I've been playing around with this tool for a while now, and I must admit, I've had more fun than I probably should with such a serious technology like AI. Let me walk you through it.

The Tools We're Using

For our demo image, I relied on just two Photoshop tools. The first is the Lasso tool, which lets you draw a freehand shape on the screen to specify a selection.

The second tool is the Generative Fill bar. In Photoshop, this bar pops up whenever you make a new selection. Clicking the button without entering any text prompts the AI to fill the selection with what it thinks will fit best. Add some text as a prompt, and you can challenge the AI to create something specific within that selection.

How to Use Photoshop's Generative Fill

1. Pick a Picture

I started with a simple snapshot from my collection, taken during a house-hunting trip in Oregon with my wife. We didn't end up buying the place, but it's perfect for testing Generative Fill. The photo has foreground and background elements, plus a nice interplay of light and shadow. As we'll see, Adobe Photoshop's Generative Fill excels at blending its generated images into the scene.

2. Enlarge the Canvas

First off, I enlarged the canvas using Photoshop's Canvas Size menu to create a good amount of white space around the original image. In the example below, I've used a formatting convention for clarity: red dashed lines represent the selections I made with the Lasso tool. The actual selection interface (the "crawling ants") wasn't visible enough for screenshots, so I've opted for red dashed lines. Also, you can click the little square in the upper right corner of the images to enlarge them and really appreciate the AI's work.

3. Compare the Images

My first AI experiment involved selecting the area around the image and hitting the Generative Fill button without a prompt. The AI filled out the scene, extending the tree on the right and adding another on the left, complete with appropriate shadows. In the background, it added buildings on the left and mountain areas on the right. The red selection in the image below sets us up for the next step.

4. Add a UFO

Here's a pro tip for using Photoshop's Generative AI: the size and placement of your selection matter a lot. The AI uses them as cues for where and how big to make the generated element. If you select a large area and ask for a dog, you might end up with a giant dog. For the UFO, I used the prompt "silver flying saucer showing movement." I was hoping for some motion blur to suggest speed, but that didn't quite work out. Still, I got a silver UFO right where I wanted it, with lighting and shadows that fit the scene perfectly.

5. Add a Bus to the Road

The country road in front of the house was fairly quiet, but cars would occasionally zoom by at high speeds. I used the prompt "school bus," expecting a yellow one, but instead, I got a bus that looked more like a prisoner transport from movies like Con Air or The Fugitive. The AI placed it behind the fence and weeds on our side of the road, as if it had pulled over to gawk at the UFO. The telephone pole that was originally on the far side of the road ended up on our side, behind the fence but in front of the bus. The lighting and shadows on the bus were spot on, which really impressed me. Note the red selection above the bus, where the AI added some oddly placed buildings.

6. Clean Up Weirdly Placed Buildings

Fixing the misplaced buildings was simple. I just selected the area and hit Generative Fill. The AI seamlessly extended the background and removed the error. Now, the bus has pulled over to watch the UFO, which seems to be investigating the refinery. What refinery, you ask? We'll get to that.

7. Add a Refinery

Pay attention to the selection here; it's entirely on the other side of the road and large enough to fit a refinery. I used the prompt "refinery," and voilà—I singlehandedly tanked the property values of the house we didn't buy. The refinery is appropriately placed behind the bus, pole, and fences on both sides of the road, with a row of weeds in front. The shadows and the smokestack's placement behind the foreground tree are spot-on.

8. Behold, the Flying Cows

Ever since the movie Twister, I've been a fan of the flying cow concept. For this UFO invasion, I wanted flying cows. I used the prompt "cows flying up to saucer with beam of light," but the AI struggled with the beam of light, giving me various odd results before settling on just cows. They're silhouettes, but they're flying up to the UFO, and that's good enough for me. Can you believe I get to do this for work?

9. Rubberneckers in the Road

If you were on a bus near a UFO and flying cows, you'd definitely pull over to take a look, maybe even snap a selfie. I asked the AI for "students looking up," and it delivered. The students are facing the right way and looking mostly up. The bus is pulled over on the right side of the road, which is correct for the US.

10. Be Careful What You Ask For

I tried to get "army tanks" from Photoshop's Generative AI, but it refused, citing user guidelines. I tried various alternatives like police, tanks, army, and national guard, but no luck. On a whim, I asked for "laser turret," and it worked. Instead of a turret, I got an armored vehicle, which was pretty close to what I wanted. The only issue was that it wouldn't drive across the front lawn without leaving some marks. That's next.

11. Don't Tread on Me

The AI wouldn't let me ask for tank treads or marks, but it did accept "dirt path." Because my selection was small, the path looked like the perfect trail left by the armored vehicle across the lawn. The shadows in the track were perfectly rendered—another wow moment.

12. One More Thing

I really wanted a little alien in the corner of the scene, but the AI wouldn't play ball. No army men, no little green men. So, I asked for a "scary clown" instead. And that's what I got. It's fascinating to think about the moral compass of an AI that won't give you tanks or aliens but will happily summon scary clowns. Behold, my masterpiece is complete.

Some Thoughts

Adobe says all images are derived from Adobe stock images, which explains the limited variety compared to Midjourney. However, this ensures you're in safe licensing territory with Photoshop's Generative Fill, unlike with Midjourney, where you might not know the origin of your image. The AI can be quite picky about what it will create, so expect to spend time trying different prompts and runs. And remember, the size and placement of your selection are crucial—they tell the AI a lot about what you're aiming for.

Have you tried Photoshop's Generative Fill? Let us know your experiences in the comments below. And if you feel like complimenting my artistic genius, feel free to do so in the comments. If you're from the Louvre or the Met and want to display this masterpiece, you can reach me via ZDNET or my socials.

Seriously, though, Generative Fill can be a huge help for those using Photoshop who need to add elements to their images.

Disclaimer: Be cautious when using AI-generated images for commercial purposes, as they could lead to copyright violations.

You can follow my day-to-day project updates on social media. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @DavidGewirtz, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz, on Instagram at Instagram.com/DavidGewirtz, and on YouTube at YouTube.com/DavidGewirtzTV.