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Adobe Photoshop

How to Use Photoshop’s Generative Fill Feature: A Practical Guide With Examples

A hands-on Photoshop Generative Fill tutorial covering selections, prompts, object removal and replacement, Generative Expand, reference images, credits, troubleshooting, and accuracy checks.

By ThatPainter Team Updated 14 min read
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Photoshop’s Generative Fill lets you add, remove, replace, or extend image content from a selection. The reliable workflow is simple: open an image, select the area to change, choose Generative Fill from the Contextual Task Bar, describe the result—or leave the prompt blank when Photoshop should use nearby pixels—then compare the generated variations on a separate generative layer.

The quality of the selection usually matters more than writing a long prompt. This guide covers the current desktop workflow, prompt examples, object removal and replacement, canvas extension, reference images, model and credit choices, troubleshooting, and the limitations you should check before using a generated result in finished artwork or commercial work.

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Table of Contents

What Photoshop Generative Fill can do

Generative Fill uses a natural-language prompt and the surrounding image context to create pixels inside an active selection. You can use it to:

  • Remove a person, sign, cable, or other distraction.
  • Add a new object to an empty area.
  • Replace an existing object with something else.
  • Rebuild a background or surface.
  • Change a local part of an image while keeping the rest of the composition intact.

It is best understood as an iterative compositing tool rather than a one-click finishing filter. You make a deliberate selection, generate several options, inspect the edges and lighting, and refine the selection or prompt until the result fits the scene.

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Before you begin

The instructions below focus on desktop Photoshop, where Adobe currently provides the broadest model and reference-image controls. Exact model availability, interface labels, credit costs, and feature access can vary by Photoshop release, account, plan, and geography.

Document and account requirements

For the current 27.x desktop releases, Adobe recommends at least 16 GB of RAM, a recent compatible GPU, and a fast internal SSD. Minimum requirements differ by operating system and hardware architecture. Photoshop also needs an internet connection and a signed-in Adobe account for activation, subscription validation, and online services.

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You can check Photoshop plans before starting if you do not already have an eligible Photoshop subscription or trial. Do not assume that every plan, country, or account has identical access to every model.

Generative Fill can be unavailable when the document or selected layer is incompatible. The common requirements are:

  • An active internet connection.
  • A signed-in Adobe account with access to the feature.
  • An up-to-date Photoshop installation.
  • An RGB, 8-bit document.
  • An active pixel selection.
  • An unlocked raster layer.

Text layers, vector shapes, and un-rasterized Smart Objects are not valid working layers for this workflow. If necessary, duplicate the original layer and rasterize a copy so that you can preserve the editable source.

The basic Generative Fill workflow

  1. Open your image. Choose File > Open, then select the image you want to edit.
  2. Create a selection. Use the Selection Brush, Lasso, Object Selection, Quick Selection, or another suitable selection tool.
  3. Open Generative Fill. With the selection active, choose Generative Fill in the Contextual Task Bar.
  4. Choose a model. Select an available Adobe Firefly model or partner model.
  5. Write a prompt—or leave it blank. Describe the visual result for additions and replacements. For many removals and seamless extensions, a blank prompt is a useful first attempt.
  6. Generate. Select Generate and wait for Photoshop to create the variations.
  7. Compare the results. Review the variations in the Properties panel. Keep the strongest option, change the selection, revise the prompt, or generate again.
  8. Save a layered source file. Save as PSD or another layered format when you need the generated edit to remain adjustable and reversible.

Each generation creates or updates generative content on its own generative layer. That lets you hide, revise, or remove the result without permanently painting over the original image.

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Step 1: Make a useful selection

Selection quality is often the most important part of the process. A selection that is too small can leave halos, fragments of the old object, or an unrealistic transition. A selection that is too large can make Photoshop alter nearby details that were already correct.

For removing an object

Select the entire unwanted object, including thin extensions such as cables, handles, signs, or stray shadows. Include enough surrounding background for Photoshop to understand the texture and perspective, but avoid unrelated foreground details.

For adding an object

Select the empty region where the object should appear. Make the area large enough for the intended object and its contact shadow. If the selection is extremely tight, the object may be cropped or lack room to sit naturally in the scene.

For replacing an object

Select the complete object and, where appropriate, the area containing its shadow, reflection, or reflected light. Photoshop needs that context to create a convincing transition between the replacement and the existing scene.

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For fixing bad edges

If the result has a halo, a hard seam, repeated texture, or an incorrect shadow, do not immediately make the prompt longer. Undo the result, reshape or expand the selection, and generate again. A better boundary usually solves more problems than additional adjectives.

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How to write Generative Fill prompts

Describe what the finished image should show, not the editing operation you are performing. A useful prompt normally identifies the subject and the visual properties that need to match the scene:

  • Subject: what should appear.
  • Material or color: ceramic, brass, red, weathered wood, and so on.
  • Scale and viewpoint: small, full-size, side view, overhead, or close-up.
  • Lighting: soft window light, afternoon sunlight, warm indoor light.
  • Relationship to the scene: realistic contact shadow, matching the existing grain, partially behind the foreground object.

Keep the first prompt concise. Generate, inspect the result, and add only the detail that is missing. Overly elaborate prompts can introduce unnecessary objects or visual conflicts.

Prompt examples

  • a red ceramic mug, soft window light, realistic contact shadow
  • snow-covered pine forest, early morning light, photographic perspective
  • weathered wooden table, warm indoor light, matching the existing grain
  • small green potted plant, natural shadow, shallow depth of field
  • replace with a vintage red bicycle, side view, realistic scale, matching the afternoon sunlight

For a removal, start with an empty prompt. If Photoshop produces an unsuitable patch, describe the surface that should replace the object—for example, continue the brick wall with matching mortar and afternoon shadows—rather than repeating only “remove this.”

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Example 1: Remove a person or distraction

Suppose a landscape contains a person, sign, cable, or other unwanted element.

  1. Choose a selection tool and select the complete distraction.
  2. Include its shadow or any nearby transition that also needs rebuilding.
  3. Choose Generative Fill in the Contextual Task Bar.
  4. Leave the prompt blank and select Generate.
  5. Compare the variations at 100% magnification or higher.

Look for continuous textures, believable edges, matching shadows, and background details that do not suddenly repeat. If every variation contains a fragment of the person or sign, enlarge the selection slightly and generate again. If the background is complex, include more of the surrounding context while protecting important foreground details.

Photoshop also has a separate Remove tool for distraction cleanup. It can use generative AI, but Adobe states that the Remove tool itself does not deduct generative credits. Use Remove for quick brush-based cleanup; use Generative Fill when you want explicit generation, a replacement prompt, or more control over the selected area.

Example 2: Add an object

To place a new object in an empty area, select the intended placement region and describe the object in visual terms. For example:

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small brass desk lamp, warm light, realistic shadow on the tabletop

After generating, check four things:

  • Scale: Is the lamp or object the right size compared with nearby objects?
  • Perspective: Does its viewpoint agree with the camera angle?
  • Grounding: Does it sit on the surface, or does it appear to float?
  • Light: Do highlights, shadows, and color temperature match the scene?

If the object is cut off, select a larger region. If it floats, include the contact area and mention a realistic contact shadow. If the shape is close but not right, keep the selection and revise the description rather than accepting the first variation.

Using a reference image for an addition

When a generic description is not enough, use the Reference image control after opening Generative Fill. Adobe’s current desktop workflow allows you to upload a reference and specify whether it should guide a single object or the whole image. You can also choose whether Photoshop should swap the selected area or place generated content into it.

A reference image guides the generation; it does not guarantee an exact copy, identity, or pixel-perfect reconstruction. Use a clear reference with a useful viewpoint and lighting, and inspect the generated result for changes to distinctive details.

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Example 3: Replace an existing object

Replacing an object follows the same workflow, but the selection must cover the object being removed and enough surrounding context to rebuild its edges.

  1. Select the complete object, including relevant shadow or reflected light.
  2. Choose Generative Fill.
  3. Enter a description such as replace the suitcase with a blue hard-shell carry-on, realistic proportions, matching the airport lighting.
  4. Generate and compare the variations.
  5. Inspect scale, occlusion, contact shadows, and the boundary between the replacement and the background.

If the new suitcase inherits an unwanted handle or shape from the old object, refine the selection and run another pass. For complicated replacements, it can be more reliable to remove the original first and then add the new object in a separate generative layer.

Example 4: Extend a composition with Generative Expand

Generative Fill works inside an existing selected area. Generative Expand is the related but distinct workflow for enlarging the canvas and creating content beyond the original image boundaries.

  1. Choose the Crop tool.
  2. Drag the crop handles outward to enlarge the canvas.
  3. Choose Generative Expand.
  4. Leave the prompt blank when you want Photoshop to continue the existing scene.
  5. Enter a prompt when you want to specify what should appear beyond the original edges.
  6. Select Generate and compare the results.

Blank-prompt expansion is useful for continuing skies, walls, floors, or landscapes. For a deliberate composition change, describe the new visual content, such as a snow-covered pine forest or a wider section of a room. Check that the lighting, horizon, perspective, and repeating patterns continue naturally across the old and new areas.

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Example 5: Use reference images

With an active selection, choose Generative Fill, open Reference image, and upload a suitable image. Adobe’s current desktop documentation describes these choices for Adobe Firefly models:

  • Reference a particular object.
  • Reference the whole image or overall composition.
  • Swap the selected area.
  • Place generated content into the selected area.

Partner models may support multiple reference images. Adobe currently documents up to three reference images for Flux and up to eight for Gemini in this workflow. These limits and controls can change, so check the options shown in your installed version.

Do not treat a reference image as a guarantee of exact product identity, a person’s likeness, or a precise reconstruction. Review distinctive features, logos, text, hands, faces, and other details manually.

Choosing a model

Current desktop documentation lists Adobe models including:

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  • Firefly Image 5.
  • Firefly Fill & Expand.
  • Firefly Image 1.

Depending on the release, account, plan, and location, Photoshop may also offer partner models such as Gemini 3.1 with Nano Banana 2, Gemini 3 with Nano Banana Pro, Gemini 2.5 with Nano Banana, FLUX.2 pro, and FLUX.1 Kontext [pro]. Availability is not universal, and Adobe can change the list.

For ordinary edits, an Adobe Firefly model is a sensible starting point. Use a premium partner model when its particular visual behavior is worth the additional credit cost, not simply because it appears newer or more advanced. Compare results for the actual task: object coherence, edge quality, perspective, lighting, and consistency with the surrounding image.

Generative credits and costs

Adobe currently classifies Firefly-based Generative Fill as a standard generative feature. Adobe’s feature information generally describes standard Generative Fill with Adobe Firefly models as using one generative credit per generation. Partner models are premium and have model-specific costs.

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Examples currently listed in Photoshop help include approximately:

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Model example Listed credit cost
Gemini 3 with Nano Banana Pro 40 credits
Gemini 2.5 with Nano Banana 10 credits
FLUX.2 pro 20 credits
FLUX.1 Kontext [pro] 10 credits

These figures are volatile. Adobe may change model availability, pricing, and what counts as a generation. Check the model selector and the Generative Credits Usage panel in Photoshop, or review your Adobe account, before running a large batch.

Adobe’s current plan information lists plan-specific monthly credit allocations. Adobe’s Generative Credits FAQ also states that Creative Cloud Pro and paid Firefly plans provide unlimited access to standard generations, while paid-plan credit balances reset according to the billing cycle. Confirm the terms attached to your own account rather than relying on an older plan comparison.

How to get better results

Use the smallest useful change

Do not select half the image when only one object needs replacing. A focused selection limits unintended changes and makes it easier to compare variations.

Include contact information

Objects look artificial when Photoshop generates the object but not the way it meets the floor, table, wall, or hand holding it. Include the contact area and request a realistic shadow when necessary.

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Match the scene’s visual language

Refer to the image’s existing conditions: soft window light, cloudy daylight, warm indoor light, shallow depth of field, or a particular viewpoint. The prompt should help the new content belong to the photograph or painting rather than merely describe an isolated object.

Generate, inspect, and refine

Use the variations as alternatives, not as proof that the edit is finished. If none is acceptable, change one variable at a time: selection size, object description, lighting, or viewpoint.

Inspect at full size

Review the result at 100% magnification or higher. A generation that looks convincing as a thumbnail may reveal warped edges, repeated details, malformed hands, inaccurate text, or broken reflections when enlarged.

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Common limitations and accuracy checks

Generative Fill can struggle with:

  • Hands and fingers.
  • Faces and recognizable people.
  • Small or accurate text.
  • Logos and branded products.
  • Repeated patterns and architectural lines.
  • Reflections and transparent objects.
  • Fine hair, wires, and thin edges.
  • Complex shadows and physically precise lighting.

Do not assume that generated text will be accurate or that a product will retain an exact identity. Treat generated logos, labels, packaging, measurements, and factual visual details as items requiring manual verification or replacement with approved source artwork.

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For commercial work, preserve the layered PSD, inspect the whole image rather than only the edited region, and check the client’s licensing, disclosure, brand, and factual-accuracy requirements.

Rights and responsible use

Adobe says its Firefly image models were trained on licensed content such as Adobe Stock and public-domain material where copyright has expired. That context does not remove the need to review rights associated with your own reference images, trademarks, recognizable people, client materials, or other supplied content.

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Obtain permission where needed, avoid presenting an invented scene as documentary evidence, and disclose AI-assisted alterations when a client, publication, contest, or platform requires disclosure.

Why Generative Fill is greyed out

If the Generative Fill control is disabled, check these items in order:

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  1. Confirm the color mode: Choose Image > Mode and verify that the document is RGB Color and 8 Bits/Channel.
  2. Check the layer: Select an unlocked raster layer. Duplicate and rasterize a source layer if you need to preserve the original.
  3. Check the selection: Make sure marching ants or another active selection is visible. Generative Fill requires an active selection.
  4. Sign in: Confirm that Photoshop is connected to the correct Adobe account.
  5. Update Photoshop: Install the current available update for your operating system.
  6. Check credits and access: Review your account and the in-app Generative Credits Usage panel.
  7. Check regional availability: Adobe restricts availability in certain countries and territories, including China, Russia, Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Syria.

What to do if Photoshop freezes or performs poorly

Generative Fill uses online services, but local Photoshop performance can still be affected by GPU compatibility, drivers, memory, and disk speed. Adobe recommends checking GPU compatibility and drivers and testing GPU acceleration settings when Photoshop freezes.

If the GPU driver is outdated or incompatible, Outbyte Driver Updater is an optional tool for checking driver updates; it is not required for Photoshop or Generative Fill.

Start with Adobe’s own diagnostics: update the GPU driver, verify that the graphics processor is supported, and test Photoshop with GPU acceleration settings adjusted. If you use a third-party PC maintenance or driver utility, treat it as optional general system maintenance—not as a Photoshop or Adobe requirement—and follow the manufacturer’s safety and restore guidance.

For broader Windows maintenance when the computer is slow or unstable, Outbyte PC Repair is an optional tool, not a Photoshop or Adobe requirement.

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Photoshop on the web and iPad

Photoshop on the web and Photoshop on iPad also support Generative Fill, with broadly similar steps: make a selection, choose Generative Fill, enter a prompt or leave it blank where appropriate, and generate a variation.

The desktop workflow remains the best fit for model and reference-image controls. Adobe’s iPad documentation says generated content is placed on a Generative Layer and that each generation deducts one standard generative credit. Adobe’s web workflow describes selecting with the Lasso, choosing Generative Fill, entering a prompt, and generating a variation. Interface labels and available options may differ from desktop Photoshop.

A practical review checklist

Before you approve a Generative Fill result, check:

  • Does the selection edge blend cleanly?
  • Does the object have believable scale and perspective?
  • Does it touch the ground or surface naturally?
  • Do shadows and reflections agree with the existing light?
  • Are textures continuous rather than obviously repeated?
  • Are faces, hands, hair, wires, and transparent areas intact?
  • Is any text, logo, label, or product detail accurate?
  • Does the result change anything outside the intended area?
  • Have you kept the layered source file?
  • Does the final use comply with the project’s rights and disclosure requirements?

A structured resource for learning Photoshop

If you prefer lessons and project files over learning feature-by-feature, Photoshop Classroom in a Book is a hands-on Adobe Press workbook that includes project lessons, lesson files, and coverage of Generative Fill. Verify the edition before buying: the 2024 release may be superseded by a newer edition.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Generative Fill without typing a prompt?

Yes. Leave the prompt blank when you want Photoshop to infer a removal, background continuation, or other fill from surrounding pixels. For a new or replacement object, a concise visual description usually gives you more control.

Why is Generative Fill unavailable in Photoshop?

Check that the document is RGB and 8-bit, an unlocked raster layer is selected, an active selection exists, Photoshop is current, you are signed in, and your account has access to the service and any required credits.

Does Generative Fill create a separate layer?

Yes. Photoshop places the generated edit on generative content or a generative layer, allowing you to compare variations and keep the original image editable. Save a PSD or another layered format to preserve that editability.

Is Generative Fill the same as Generative Expand?

No. Generative Fill creates or changes content inside an active selection. Generative Expand is the dedicated Crop-tool workflow for enlarging the canvas and generating content beyond the original image boundaries.

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Are Photoshop’s generated images safe for commercial use?

Adobe says Firefly image models were trained on licensed content and public-domain material where copyright has expired, but that does not settle every rights question. Review user-supplied references, trademarks, recognizable people, client requirements, licensing terms, disclosure rules, and the factual accuracy of the result.

The Bottom Line

For dependable Generative Fill results, focus first on the selection: include the object and its contact area, but protect nearby details. Then use a short visual prompt, generate several variations, inspect the result at full size, and refine instead of accepting the first option. Adobe Firefly models are generally the ordinary one-credit starting point; premium partner models can cost more and should be reserved for cases where their particular results justify the expense. Keep the layered source file and manually verify anything involving people, text, logos, products, reflections, or commercial claims.

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