| Filter | Function | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Retouches spots, wrinkles, and blemishes using a slider | Works only on detected faces; not a full alternative to plugins | | Style Transfer | Applies the visual style of famous artworks to your photos (e.g., making a portrait look like a Van Gogh painting) | Results vary widely; output can be unpredictable | | Colorize | Automatically adds realistic color to black and white photos with a single click | Beta-stage as of 2021, with decent but imperfect results |
The standout addition to Photoshop 2021 was Neural Filters, a new workspace that utilized machine learning to generate completely new pixels, alter facial expressions, and simplify complex editing tasks. Skin Smoothing
With Version 22.0.0, Adobe strengthened its cloud ecosystem to facilitate remote work and cross-device design.
The rewritten Discover Panel brought contextual assistance directly into the workspace. By pressing Cmd/Ctrl + F, users gained access to an intelligent search bar that indexes tools, tutorials, and quick actions. The "Quick Actions" feature allowed beginners to execute advanced workflows—like blurring backgrounds or removing objects—with a single click, democratizing complex editing techniques. Pattern Preview Mode Adobe Photoshop 2021 -Version 22.0.0-
: Significant enhancements were made to the Select and Mask workspace, particularly for selecting hair and complex backgrounds. Live Shapes
This feature completely revolutionized workflow efficiency for textile designers, wallpaper creators, and game texture artists.
| Task | Photoshop 2020 (v21.2) | Photoshop 2021 (v22.0.0) | |------|-----------------------|---------------------------| | Sky replacement (manual mask) | ~120 sec | ~5 sec (auto) | | Portrait retouch (skin + eyes) | 10-step manual | 2-click Neural Filters | | Open 500MB PSD (Intel i7) | 12 sec | 11 sec | | Open 500MB PSD (M1 Mac) | 18 sec (Rosetta) | 9 sec (native) | | Filter | Function | Notes | |
Changes the angle of the primary light source, recalculating shadows across the face. Style Transfer and Color Harmonization
For textile designers, wallpaper creators, and digital artists, the Pattern Preview mode solved a long-standing workflow bottleneck. This view repeats and tiles the artwork in real-time as you draw, edit, or move layers. Designers no longer had to save a pattern and apply it to a separate shape to test how the seams aligned. Live Shapes and Cloud Document Upgrades
For the first time, "Save to the Cloud" felt like a legitimate workflow, not just a backup. By pressing Cmd/Ctrl + F, users gained access
If you can find this specific version available for license through a legacy plan or Creative Cloud version rollback, it is still worth it for professional retouchers, provided you do not require the latest Generative AI features. Otherwise, looking toward version 24.x or later in 2026 is highly recommended for access to the most modern AI workflows.
Early v22.0.0 had reported crashes with Neural Filters on Windows 10 prior to patch 22.0.1.
Designed to accelerate retouching workflows, Skin Smoothing automatically identifies skin tones in a portrait. It allows users to adjust "Blur" and "Smoothness" sliders to eliminate blemishes and wrinkles instantly, preserving texture without manual cloning or healing. Smart Portrait