Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 (v22), released in October 2020, introduced a significant shift toward AI-powered editing using Adobe Sensei. Key updates focused on automating complex tasks and improving design workflows.
For a comprehensive breakdown, detailed reviews like those from Tom's Guide or Shift Art offer excellent deep dives into these specific features: Major AI-Powered Features
Neural Filters: A new workspace that uses AI to perform complex edits in seconds, such as Skin Smoothing for portraits or Colorize for automatically adding color to black-and-white photos.
Sky Replacement: This tool automatically separates the sky from the foreground, allowing users to swap backgrounds with a single click while the AI adjusts the foreground colors to match the new sky.
Smart Portrait (Beta): Part of the Neural Filters, this lets you manipulate facial features like age, gaze direction, and expression (e.g., making a subject look happy or angry). Productivity & Design Enhancements
Pattern Preview: A game-changer for textile and graphic designers, this mode provides a live, tiled preview of a pattern as you create it, making it easy to see how a seamless pattern will look.
Live Shapes: Revamped shape tools now include a dedicated Triangle tool and improved on-canvas controls for adjusting properties like corner radii directly on the shape. adobe photoshop cc 2021 v22
Reset Smart Objects: You can now reset transformations (like warps or rotations) on a Smart Object with a single right-click, returning it to its original state without losing data.
Version History: For documents saved to the cloud, you can now view and revert to previous versions through a dedicated panel, which is vital for long-term project management. Improved Discoverability & Plugins
Discover Panel: A new in-app search tool that offers tutorials, help articles, and "Quick Actions" (like one-click background removal) based on your current project.
Unified Plugins Marketplace: A dedicated Plugins menu makes it easier to discover and install third-party extensions directly within the app, replacing the older Extensions system.
White Paper
Title: Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 (v22): A Technical Review of Neural Integration and Workflow Optimization Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 (v22), released in October
Abstract This paper provides a detailed analysis of Adobe Photoshop CC 2021, version 22. As a pivotal release in the Creative Cloud ecosystem, this version marked a paradigm shift from traditional raster editing to AI-assisted content creation. The document examines the integration of Adobe Sensei, the artificial intelligence engine, specifically focusing on the Neural Engine, the Sky Replacement feature, and advancements in pattern creation. Furthermore, it assesses the performance enhancements regarding non-destructive editing and the expansion of cloud-based document handling.
Photoshop CC 2021 was released during a transitional period in hardware architecture.
Window > Glyphs – This panel allows insertion of special characters, emojis, and alternate glyphs from OpenType fonts without leaving Photoshop. A small but massive quality-of-life win.
Is v22 obsolete? Not necessarily. Let's compare.
| Feature | Photoshop CC 2021 v22 | Photoshop 2024/2025 (v25/v26) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Neural Filters | Basic set (Colorize, Smart Portrait) | Expanded set (Depth Blur, Texture) | | Remove Tool | Not available (used Spot Healing) | AI-powered object removal (better) | | Contextual Task Bar | Minimal | Full AI assistant | | Stability | Very high (mature code) | Moderate (frequent beta features) | | Resource usage | Moderate (4-6 GB RAM idle) | Heavy (8+ GB RAM idle) |
Verdict: For legacy hardware or users who hate constant UI changes, v22 is peak stability. For AI removal tools, upgrade. White Paper Title: Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 (v22):
Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 v22 will be remembered as the "AI Gateway" release. It was the moment when Photoshop stopped being a purely manual tool and became an intelligent assistant. Neural Filters, regardless of their early imperfections, changed the conversation about what a "filter" could do.
For professionals in 2025, v22 represents a sweet spot: modern enough to leverage GPU and AI, but old enough to be stable and free from the experimental bloat of newer versions. Whether you are installing it for a legacy studio, a second editing machine, or a deep dive into AI editing history, mastering v22 gives you the core skills that still power 90% of professional image editing today.
Final rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Deducted half a star for the internet dependency of Neural Filters in the initial build, but otherwise, a masterpiece.
Have you used Adobe Photoshop CC 2021 v22 for a specific project? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Live Shapes (rectangles and rounded rectangles) received a significant upgrade, adding more intuitive on-canvas controls for adjusting corner radii and proportions.
Simultaneously, Adobe made a controversial decision in v22: The removal of legacy "Video Actions" and certain older presets. This was part of a house-cleaning effort to remove code that was incompatible with modern Apple Silicon (M1) architecture, which Photoshop 2021 began natively supporting in a later update.