After nearly two years of testing, Adobe's Photoshop on the Web service, a streamlined online version of the company's desktop photo editing application, is now generally available on Wednesday, September 27. Not only that, it will launch alongside the popular GenerativeFill and GenerativeExpandAI drawing tools recently released on the desktop version of Photoshop.
Powered by Adobe's Firefly generative artificial intelligence model, these features are available for commercial use and allow users to quickly add, remove or expand images using text descriptions in more than 100 languages, while matching the lighting conditions and perspective of the original image.
The online version of Photoshop also provides many of the most commonly used tools in the desktop version, but the layout has been redesigned to provide a more "streamlined" user experience for new Photoshop users. These include the ContextualTaskBar feature added to the desktop Photoshop app earlier this year, which advises users on the most relevant steps to take in their workflow.
Tools with similar workflows, such as those for selecting objects and retouching images, are named and grouped on the toolbar, making the software easier to navigate. This view can be disabled for advanced creators who prefer the look of the desktop Photoshop user interface. Adobe says it will add desktop features such as a patch tool, pen tool, smart object support, polygonal lasso and more "soon."
The web version of Photoshop also allows users to invite others to collaborate on projects, and allows those who don't use Photoshop to view and comment on files.
The web-based Photoshop service is included with all Photoshop paid plans (starting at $9.99 per month) and will not be free at launch. After Adobe first released the online Photoshop beta version in 2021, it began testing the "free" version of the online Photoshop experience in June last year.
The company has previously said it hopes to offer a free version of the service that provides most of Photoshop's core desktop features. However, Ashley Still, Adobe's senior vice president of digital media, said that the creative software giant "has no immediate plans to launch a free service." New users can first learn about the online version of Photoshop through "free interactive demos and in-app tutorials" on Adobe's website before ordering.