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Lumen features

Everything Lumen includes, from the first cut-out to the finished composite.

123 features in 12 groups

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Layers and blending

Build any image, one layer at a time.

  • LayersPhotos, type, shapes, fills and adjustments, stacked in any order.
  • Groups and nested groupsKeep big composites tidy and fold them away.
  • Layer opacity and fillFade a layer, or just its contents and not its effects.
  • Clipping layersLet one layer show only inside the layer below.
  • Linked layersPlace a photo once and keep it sharp through every resize.
  • Replace contentsSwap a placed photo and keep every edit on top of it.
  • Fill layersSolid colors and gradients that stay editable.
  • Align and distributeLine up layers and space them evenly.
  • LocksProtect pixels, transparency or position, one layer at a time.
  • Merge and flattenCombine layers when you're ready, or stamp a merged copy on top.
  • Duplicate, cut and copy to a new layerLift any piece into its own layer.
  • ArtboardsSeveral sizes of one design, side by side on one canvas.
  • Blend modesMultiply, screen, overlay, soft light and many more, on every layer.
  • Light and texture blendsLight leaks, glows, paper and grain that melt into the scene.
  • Color and luminosity blendsChange the color and keep the detail, or the reverse.
  • Difference blendsLine up layers exactly, or make bold graphic effects.
  • Pass-through groupsLet a group's blends reach the layers beneath it.

Selections

Pick out anything, precisely.

  • Select subjectThe main subject, selected in one click.
  • Select skyThe whole sky, ready to brighten or replace.
  • Select backgroundEverything behind the subject, in one move.
  • Remove backgroundA clean cut-out on a transparent layer.
  • Object selectionDraw a rough box and Lumen finds the object inside.
  • Hover to selectSee each object highlighted as you point at it.
  • Quick selection brushPaint over an area and the edge snaps to it.
  • Select by colorPick every pixel of a color, with a soft range.
  • Marquee and lasso toolsRectangles, ellipses, freehand and straight-edged shapes.
  • Refine edgesSoft, natural edges on hair, fur and fabric.
  • Edge clean-upRemove leftover color fringes from a cut-out.
  • Grow, shrink and featherAdjust any selection by a few pixels or a soft edge.
  • Add, subtract and intersectCombine selections until they're exact.
  • Paint a selectionSwitch to a mask view and paint the selection by hand.

Masks

Show exactly what you want, and nothing else.

  • Layer masksPaint where a layer shows and where it hides.
  • Shape masksCrisp edges from paths and shapes, at any size.
  • Mask from selectionTurn any selection into a mask in one click.
  • Mask feather and densitySoften a mask or make it see-through, without repainting.
  • Turn off a maskCompare with and without, then switch it back on.
  • Link and unlink masksMove a layer and its mask together, or apart.
  • Masks on effectsLimit a filter to just part of the image.
  • ChannelsBuild exact masks from the detail in each color.

Adjustment layers

Light and color you can always change.

  • CurvesPrecise control of brightness and every color channel.
  • LevelsSet the black point, the white point and everything between.
  • ExposureLift or lower the light of a whole photo.
  • Brightness and contrastThe quick fix, done gently.
  • Hue and saturationShift one color, or tint the whole image.
  • Color balanceWarm the highlights and cool the shadows.
  • Black and whiteControl how each color turns to gray.
  • Gradient mapsMap the tones of a photo onto any gradient.
  • Photo filtersThe warm or cool cast of a lens filter.
  • Color looksApply a graded look and blend it to taste.
  • Clarity and hazeBring out texture, or cut through haze.
  • GrainFine film grain for a natural finish.
  • Shadows and highlightsRecover detail lost in dark and bright areas.
  • Clip to one layerLet an adjustment touch only the layer below it.
  • Adjustment presetsSave your favorite settings and reuse them.

Retouching and removal

Remove what doesn't belong. Keep what does.

  • Remove toolBrush over anything and it disappears into its surroundings.
  • Find distractionsLumen spots wires, people and clutter for you to remove.
  • Spot healingClick a blemish or speck and it's gone.
  • Healing brushRepair from a source you choose, blended to match.
  • PatchDrag a damaged area over a clean one to fix it.
  • CloneCopy one part of an image onto another, by hand.
  • Smart fillFill a selection with what should be behind it.
  • Sky replacementSwap in a new sky, with the light on the scene matched to it.
  • Dodge and burnBrighten and deepen by hand, like a darkroom print.
  • Retouch on a new layerEvery fix on its own layer, easy to undo.
  • ReshapeGently push, pull and smooth shapes, with a face-aware mode.

Generative tools

Describe it, and it appears.

  • Generative fillSelect an area and describe what should be there.
  • Remove with nothingLeave the description empty to simply clear an area.
  • Generative expandWiden the frame and fill the new space to match.
  • VariationsChoose from several results, or ask for more.
  • Generate a backgroundA new setting behind your subject, lit to match.
  • Generate an imageStart from a description and refine it with layers.
  • Generated layersEvery result lands on its own layer, never on the original.

Restore and enhance

Old photos, new life.

  • Photo restorationRemove scratches, tears, dust and fading.
  • ColorizeNatural color for black-and-white photos, which you can adjust.
  • Face recoveryClear, natural faces from soft or old photos.
  • Reduce noiseClean grain from low-light shots.
  • SharpenBring back crisp detail without halos.
  • Enlarge with detailMake small photos bigger and keep them sharp.
  • Compression cleanupRemove blocky artifacts from web images.
  • Before and afterCompare the original and the result side by side.

Transform and warp

Fit anything into place.

  • Free transformMove, scale and rotate in one move.
  • Skew, distort and perspectiveFit a layer onto a wall, a screen or a sign.
  • WarpBend a layer around a curve, with ready-made shapes.
  • Flip and rotateMirror or turn any layer or the whole image.
  • Crop and straightenFrame the shot and level the horizon.
  • Image sizeResize with care for fine detail.
  • Canvas sizeAdd room around the image on any side.
  • Guides, grids and smart guidesPlace everything exactly.

Type, shapes and styles

Words and graphics that look designed.

  • Point and paragraph textShort titles or flowing paragraphs.
  • Type on a pathText that follows a curve or fills a shape.
  • Warp textArcs, waves and bulges, still editable.
  • Character and paragraph controlsKerning, tracking, leading and alignment.
  • ShapesRectangles, ellipses, polygons, lines and custom shapes.
  • Pen toolsPrecise paths for shapes and cut-outs.
  • GradientsLive gradients you can drag and reshape on the canvas.
  • Layer stylesShadows, glows, strokes and overlays that stay editable.
  • Copy and paste stylesGive many layers the same look in one move.
  • BrushesSoft, hard and textured brushes with pressure for size and opacity.

Filters

Classic effects, always reversible.

  • Editable filtersFilters stay live on a layer and can be masked or changed.
  • Gaussian blurSoft focus for backgrounds and glows.
  • Motion blurSpeed and movement in a still image.
  • Add noiseTexture and grain to match a photo.
  • MosaicPixelate a face or a detail.
  • Develop as a filterLight, color, curves and grading from Darkroom, on any layer.

Files, export and history

From the first open to the final file.

  • Open what you havePhotos from cameras, phones and the web, and layered files from other apps.
  • Drag and dropDrop images straight onto the canvas as new layers.
  • Quick exportOne click to a ready-to-share image.
  • Export many sizesSeveral sizes of one image in a single step.
  • Export layers and artboardsEvery layer or artboard as its own image.
  • Screen-ready colorImages converted for every screen on export.
  • Strip private detailsRemove location and camera details when you share.
  • Print-ready colorColor spaces for print as well as screens.
  • History and snapshotsStep back through every change, or save a moment to return to.
  • Auto-recoveryYour work is kept safe if something goes wrong.
  • Background saveKeep working while large files save.
  • ActionsRecord a series of steps and replay it on any image.

Lab Partner in Lumen

Your partner, at the retouching desk.

  • Cut it outAsk for a subject on a clean, transparent layer.
  • Clean it upRemove distractions, dust and blemishes on request.
  • Composite from a descriptionYour AI arranges layers, masks and blends for you to refine.
  • Match the lightBalance color and shadow so every piece belongs in the scene.
  • Restore a memoryA careful restoration you can adjust step by step.
  • Explain any featureAsk how to do something, and it shows you.
  • Always yoursEvery change is reviewable, and you can undo it.
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Lumen

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