Photoshop Update Adds Popular Camera Raw Tools As Adjustment Layers

Jan 27, 2026

Jeremy Gray

A split image of a woman's face wearing a colorful headscarf, showing before and after effects of clarity and dehaze adjustments with sliders overlaid on the left side against a blue background.

Adobe has released Photoshop 27.2, introducing new tools for visual artists, including new adjustment layers designed for photographers and improvements to Adobe Firefly features and performance inside Photoshop.

“If you’re a creative professional, you move fast, chasing an idea from first spark to final pixel, and the smallest amount of friction can slow your creative output. Whether you’re compositing multiple elements into a single scene, refining lighting and image depth, or cleaning up details while iterating, there are often time-consuming steps that pull you out of your flow,” says Adobe’s Pam Clark, product manager for Photoshop.

“That’s why today we are introducing innovations across Photoshop that are designed to reduce tedious tasks, elevate your work, and help you exercise more precision and control, so you can maintain your creative momentum and spend more time bringing your creative vision to life.”

To that end, the first key new feature is all-new “Clarity” and “Dehaze and Grain” adjustment layers. These two new non-destructive adjustment layers deliver popular photo editing tools from Adobe Camera Raw as maskable, layer-based adjustments directly within Photoshop itself.

Photographers can use grain to add dimension or character to their shots, while Dehaze can cut through atmospheric haze, improving the overall look of an image. Clarity enhances microstructure in a shot, adding a bit more crispness and punch.

A person in colorful clothes sits on a blue fuzzy floor with pink tennis balls and a racket, surrounded by floating pink tennis balls.

Many photographers take advantage of the Firefly-powered Generative Fill, Generative Expand, and Remove tool inside Photoshop on the web. These now deliver improved results with 2K resolution output, more detail, and fewer artifacts. These are powered by the latest Firefly Fill and Expand and Remove Tool 3 models, promising a more polished final image.

Speaking of Firefly, Photoshop 27.2 also introduces a significant upgrade for Reference Image for Generative Fill. Creatives can now better preserve the look of a reference image when generating new images and creating composites.

Split image: Left side shows a clear tote bag filled with groceries and a reference photo of a pink handbag; right side shows the same scene but with the pink handbag replacing the groceries bag. Person in blue pants stands behind both.

Rounding out the major improvements in Photoshop 27.2 is Dynamic Text. Available now as a beta tool, users can transform any text layer in Photoshop into circular, arched, or bowed shapes in a single click. Photoshop automatically fits and resizes text to the desired shape while maintaining the correct appearance, spacing, and kerning.

Two hands holding sushi with chopsticks against a blue background, surrounded by curved text reading “SPECIALS FROM THE KITCHEN.” One hand has tattoos, and graphic design icons are overlaid on the image.

“We are seeing incredible engagement and adoption of AI-powered tools in Photoshop and are thrilled to bring creative professionals these latest innovations to help you explore your amazing ideas,” Clark concludes. “With AI as an essential and increasing part of creative workflows, we’ll continue delivering on that innovation with the power, precision, choice and control creatives expect.”

Adobe Photoshop 27.2 is available now to Creative Cloud subscribers. Dynamic Text is available in the Photoshop beta, which is also available via the Creative Cloud app.

Image credits: Adobe