Photoshop and Camera Raw September 2026 Update: Top 20 New Features

Clip title: Top 20 New Features in 20 Mins: Photoshop & Camera Raw (September 2026 Update) Author / channel: PiXimperfect URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXumkzBQg80

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive overview of 20 significant new and often-missed features across Adobe Photoshop and Camera Raw, highlighting how these updates are streamlining workflows and expanding creative possibilities. The presenter underscores the rapid evolution of these tools, particularly focusing on advancements in AI-powered editing and enhanced control over various aspects of image manipulation. From improving foundational editing steps to introducing powerful generative capabilities, the video aims to keep users informed about the latest functionalities that can elevate their photo editing skills.

Several key features enhance image analysis and AI-driven content generation. In Camera Raw, the “Auto-Focus Detection” displays the exact focal points captured by the camera, allowing photographers to quickly verify sharpness. Photoshop’s new “AI-Assisted Mode” provides a simplified workspace similar to Adobe Firefly, enabling users to generate and modify image elements through text prompts, with clear indications of credit usage. Further AI enhancements include “Markup” tools, which allow users to guide generative AI with text annotations or brush strokes directly on the canvas, facilitating complex changes like repainting a wall or altering an outfit. The “Tune (beta)” feature in the AI-Assisted Editor offers controlled lighting and mood adjustments (e.g., transforming a day scene into an evening one), though it currently downscales image resolution.

Beyond generative AI, the updates introduce practical improvements and refined controls. Photoshop now features a non-destructive “Light Adjustment” layer, offering granular control over exposure, contrast, highlights, and shadows as a stackable layer. The “Prompt to Edit” function enables whole-image AI modifications directly from the contextual taskbar without needing prior selections, utilizing specific models optimized for editing rather than complete content generation. Camera Raw also gains a “Trim to Transparent” option, which permanently deletes pixels outside the cropped area, and an expanded “Info Panel” that includes clickable GPS coordinates to instantly locate where a photo was taken. For skin retouching, the AI-powered “Remove Blemishes” tool intelligently cleans up imperfections while meticulously preserving natural skin texture. Additionally, users can now customize Photoshop’s “Save Formats” to declutter the save dialogue by hiding rarely used file types.

Advanced color grading and masking capabilities have also seen significant enhancements. Camera Raw’s new “The Glow” effect offers various styles—Diffusion, Bloom, and Halation—to add distinct light effects with adjustable warmth and spread. The introduction of “Vectorscope” provides a visual color map, invaluable for precise color correction and achieving accurate skin tones, especially when used in conjunction with masking. Speaking of masks, Camera Raw now supports local “Color Wheels” for targeted color grading on specific masked areas, along with “Feather and Edge” sliders for refining mask selections with greater precision. Another notable feature is “Generative Expand” in Camera Raw, allowing AI-powered content expansion on raw files while remarkably retaining all original raw information and settings.

The video concludes by emphasizing that while AI tools are undeniably powerful, true mastery in photo editing stems from a deep understanding of core photographic and compositing concepts. Knowing how masks work, analyzing image focus, and grasping the fundamentals of light and color grading will always provide an edge over merely relying on AI prompts. The presenter encourages continuous learning and conceptual understanding to effectively leverage the constantly evolving suite of tools in Photoshop and Camera Raw, thereby fostering genuine creativity rather than just automation.

Video Description & Links

Description

Discover the 20 most powerful new features and hidden updates tucked inside the latest releases of Photoshop and Camera Raw!

In this fast-paced 20-minute guide, we’ll walk through practical tools that will instantly elevate your workflow, from checking precise focus using Autofocus Points and exploring the new AI Assisted Editor to adding real optical atmosphere with the new Glow effects like Bloom, Diffusion, and Halation. You’ll learn how to harness the non-destructive Light Adjustment Layer, dial in skin tones effortlessly using the Vectorscope, apply Color Grading inside individual masks, auto-fit text with Dynamic Fit, and perform Generative Expand directly on RAW files while keeping your metadata and white balance intact. Whether you want to clean up blemishes, simplify your save menus, or turn off generative AI features completely for specific client projects, this breakdown gives you a complete, honest tour of what’s changing so you can spend less time searching menus and more time creating. I hope this video helps you. Thank you so much for watching :)

► TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 1 - Auto-focus Detection 01:01 2 - AI-Assisted Mode 03:05 3 - Light Adjustment Layer 03:25 4 - Prompt to Edit 04:12 5 - Firefly 5 Context Edit 04:52 6 - Customise Save Formats 05:31 7 - AI Brush Markup 05:57 8 - AI Text Markup 06:16 9 - Dynamic Fit and Dynamic Text 07:30 10 - The Glow 09:41 11 - Trim to Transparent 10:13 12 - Info Panel in Camera Raw 10:40 13 - Remove Blemishes 11:31 14 - Turn Off Generative AI 12:02 15 - Vectorscope 14:26 16 - Render to DNG 15:24 17 - Generative Expand in Camera Raw 16:14 18 - Full-Screen Presentation 17:14 19 - Color Wheels on Masks 18:08 20 - Feather and Edge

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Photoshop and Camera Raw September 2026 Update: Top 20 New Features