Adobe Photoshop 2021 -version 22.2- ((hot)) -
You can now sync your brushes, gradients, patterns, and shapes across multiple devices. This is found under Preferences > General > Preset Syncing .
The most publicized aspect of Photoshop 2021 was Sensei AI, and Version 22.2 showcased its maturation. The “Smart Portrait” neural filter, which could alter age, gaze, and expression, received critical adjustments to its facial landmark detection. Early versions frequently misinterpreted side profiles or heavily obscured faces; 22.2 improved its training dataset, reducing “AI hallucinations” (e.g., adding teeth where there were none). Adobe Photoshop 2021 -Version 22.2-
Looking back from the perspective of later versions (Photoshop 2024 with generative fill), Version 22.2 appears as a crucial evolutionary link. It was the first version where Adobe’s AI tools felt genuinely useful rather than gimmicky. It also marked the last version before the introduction of the “Object Selection” tool’s one-click masking in 22.3, and well before the seismic shift of generative AI in 2023. You can now sync your brushes, gradients, patterns,
Purists called it "cheating." But Adobe framed Version 22.2 as a productivity tool. Real estate photographers and travel bloggers rejoiced, cutting their editing time by 80%. Regardless of opinion, the implementation in 22.2 set the gold standard for AI masking, paving the way for the "Select Subject" improvements seen in later versions. The “Smart Portrait” neural filter, which could alter
For those running legacy workflows, 22.2 remains a rock-solid, feature-rich powerhouse. For the rest of us, it was the stepping stone to the Generative Fill revolution that would arrive two years later. Whether you love it for the speed or hate it for the spoon-fed automation, Version 22.2 forced the creative industry to acknowledge that AI is not the future—it was the present.