Adobe Firefly Review
Adobe's generative AI integrated into Creative Cloud. Text-to-image, generative fill, and style transfers with commercial safety.
Our Review
Adobe Firefly brings generative AI directly into the world's most popular creative software. Its key advantage is commercial safety — Adobe trained its models on properly licensed content, making Firefly-generated images safe for commercial use. After using it extensively within Photoshop and Illustrator, we found the Generative Fill and Generative Expand features genuinely useful for design workflows.
How to Use Adobe Firefly
Getting Started with Adobe Firefly
Access Firefly through firefly.adobe.com or directly within Photoshop and Illustrator. A free Adobe account gives you 25 generative credits per month. Start with the web version — upload an image and try the "Generative Fill" feature by selecting an area and describing what you want to add or change.
Generative Fill in Photoshop
This is Firefly's killer feature. In Photoshop, use the selection tool to highlight an area, then click "Generative Fill" and type what you want. Examples: select an empty sky and type "sunset with dramatic clouds," or select a plain wall and type "brick texture with climbing ivy." The AI seamlessly blends the generated content with your existing image.
Text Effects
Firefly's Text Effects feature lets you apply artistic styles to typography. Type your text, then describe the style: "made of flowers," "metallic gold with gemstone accents," or "watercolor paint splatter." This creates unique typographic artwork that would take hours to produce manually.
Commercial Safety Advantage
The primary reason to choose Firefly over competitors for business use is commercial safety. Adobe trained Firefly exclusively on licensed and public domain content, meaning you can use generated images in client work without IP concerns. Always review the generated content for appropriateness before using commercially.
Key Features
Pricing
Limited Firefly credits per month
25 generative credits/month free, then requires CC subscription
Included with Creative Cloud All Apps ($59.99/month)
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Commercially safe for business use
- Seamless integration with Photoshop/Illustrator
- Generative Fill is a massive productivity boost
- Adobe ecosystem integration
Cons
- Less artistic than Midjourney
- Requires Creative Cloud subscription
- Can produce generic output
- Some regions have limited access
Best For
Our Verdict
Adobe Firefly is the safest choice for commercial AI image generation. The Generative Fill alone is worth the integration, and the commercial safety guarantee removes a major concern for businesses. If you already use Adobe products, Firefly is a no-brainer.