Never apply Neural Filters directly to your background layer. Right-click and "Duplicate Layer." Work on the copy. Neural Filters are destructive unless converted to a Smart Object.
Think of traditional filters as a calculator and Neural Filters as a trained artist. When you use a traditional filter, the software blindly follows instructions. When you use a Neural Filter, the software "looks" at the image, identifies subjects, understands depth, recognizes facial features, and generates new pixels based on its training.
While TV shows exaggerated the concept of "enhancing" a blurry photo, Super Zoom comes remarkably close. It uses AI to upscale a small, pixelated area of an image, intelligently filling in the missing detail. It is not magic (it can't create data that wasn't there), but it is shockingly effective for slightly out-of-focus images. neural filters photoshop plugin
While most users think of Neural Filters for selfies, the has disruptive uses across industries.
Current Topic: Analysis of the "Neural Filters" feature as a Photoshop plugin alternative Product Owner: Adobe Inc. Integrated into: Adobe Photoshop (version 22.0+, Creative Cloud only) Never apply Neural Filters directly to your background layer
No AI tool is perfect. The comes with significant caveats.
Neural Filters in Photoshop: A Research Overview Neural Filters Think of traditional filters as a calculator and
| Feature | Neural Filters (Adobe) | Topaz Photo AI | Luminar Neo | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Included in CC ($20.99/mo) | $199 (One-time) | $149 (One-time) | | Face Editing | Excellent (Expression/Age) | Minimal (Recognition only) | Good (Skin/Relight) | | Upscaling | Super Zoom (Good) | Gigapixel (Best in class) | Moderate | | Licensing | Proprietary (Adobe DB) | Buyout (Own your license) | Buyout | | Batch Processing | Poor (Manual per image) | Excellent | Excellent |
Using AI, the filter identifies skin tones and textures, separating them from eyes, lips, and hair. It then applies a blur solely to the skin texture while preserving the natural pores and fine details that give a face its character.
This is the crown jewel of the suite. It allows you to change the emotional expression, head direction, and age of a subject.
