Feature summary | Photoshop on the iPad (December 2021 release)

Blend with the Smudge tool 

While working on a creative design on your iPad, do you want to create the effect of a finger running through wet paint? Do you want to smudge lines in your artwork? Do you want to blend colors in your images? Then look no further! 

Use the Smudge tool, a blending tool now available in Photoshop on the iPad, to smudge lines and colors. Use the Apple Pencil for best results, or even your finger.  

To work with the Smudge tool, do the following: 

1. Tap the Adjustment tools icon from the toolbar to reveal the tool options and select the Smudge tool. 
2. Now choose your brush settings - Size, Strength, and Hardness.
3. Next, tap on the three-dot icon to go to Smudge settings and make selections for Mode (Normal, Darken, Lighten, Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity), Roundness, and Angle.

4. Brush over the image area where you want to smudge or blend the colors.

To learn more, check out Smudge areas in your images with Photoshop on the iPad. 

Make your image areas color rich with the Sponge tool

The Sponge tool, a retouching solution, is now available in Photoshop on the iPad.

Use it to achieve your desired vibrancy and shade of colors, saturate or desaturate areas, and intensify or remove color.

To work with the Sponge tool, do the following: 

1. Tap the Adjustment tools icon from the toolbar to reveal the tool options and select the Sponge tool.
2. Now choose your sponge settings - Size, Flow, and Hardness.
3. Next, tap on the three-dot icon to go to Sponge settings and make selections for Mode (Saturate/Desaturate), Angle, and Roundness.
4. Brush over the image area you want to turn up, or down, the intensity and vibrancy of colors.

To learn more, check out Saturate or desaturate areas of your image with the Sponge tool. 

Other enhancements

Achieve white balance in Camera Raw images

Adjust the white balance in your Camera Raw images while working in Photoshop for the iPad.

Follow these steps to do so: 

1. Tap on the eyedropper   tool from the Color control. 
2. Tap an area of the image to control the white balance and Temp and Tint will adjust accordingly.

To learn more, see Achieve white balance in Camera Raw images. 

View labels added to tool icons in the Workspace

Photoshop on the iPad has added labels to the tool icons, which are visible when you hover over them. This way you can see what the icons mean.

To learn more, see View labels for tool icons in the workspace. 

Fixed customer-reported issues

This month's update brings enhancements and fixes for some customer-reported issues. 

For detailed information, see Fixed issues in Photoshop.