The New Content-Aware Fill In Photoshop CC 2019 – Complete Guide
141K views 3,339 likes 167 comments
Your choices stick across every tutorial on this device.
The content-aware fill workspace in Photoshop removes an unwanted object from a photo by analyzing the pixels around your selection and generating new pixels to fill it in.
Photoshop 2019’s biggest and best feature is perhaps the New Content-Aware Fill.
First introduced in Photoshop CS5, the Content-Aware Fill analyzed the areas around a selection to figure out what pixels to generate to fill the selection and remove an unwanted object.
In some cases, the fill did an amazing job, in others not so much. The biggest issue was that you couldn’t tell Photoshop what areas to sample from or how the fill should be generated.
The only workaround was a layer mask hack, which let you control the sampling area indirectly.
The content-aware fill workspace in Photoshop debuted on October 15, 2018, in Photoshop 2019, version 20.0, and it still works the same way in the current version.
Key Takeaways
- The Content-Aware Fill workspace replaced the old one-click dialog with full control over what Photoshop samples and how it blends the result.
- The Sampling Brush Tool lets you paint pixels in or out of the sample area, instead of accepting whatever Photoshop picks on its own.
- Rotation Adaptation, Scale, and Mirror only help with repeating or symmetrical patterns. Turning them on by habit can distort a random background.
- Sending the fill to a New Layer or Duplicate Layer keeps the original pixels intact, so you can mask back in anything the fill gets wrong.
- A layer mask hides pixels from the fill itself, not just from view, so a masked area never gets used as source material.
- The old Edit > Fill dialog with its Content-Aware option is still in Photoshop, but it gives you none of the workspace’s new controls.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Content-Aware Fill Workspace in Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
- Content-Aware Tool Bar
- Sampling Brush Tool
- Lasso Tool or Polygonal Lasso Tool
- Hand Tool and Zoom Tool
- Content-Aware Sampling Options
- Content-Aware Output Settings
- Full-Resolution Preview
- Content-Aware Fill and Layer Masks
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to open the Content-Aware Fill workspace and read its live preview
- How to control the sampling area with the Sampling Brush, Lasso, and Polygonal Lasso tools
- How to use Color Adaptation, Rotation Adaptation, Scale, and Mirror to match tricky patterns
- How to send the result to a new layer for a non-destructive workflow
- How a layer mask changes what the fill can and cannot use
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2019 (version 20.0 or later) or the current version
Content-Aware Fill Workspace in Photoshop Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Undo | Ctrl Z | Command Z |
| Flip Add/Subtract on the Sampling Brush Tool (or zoom out with the Zoom Tool) | Alt | Option |
| Open the old Fill dialog | Shift Backspace | Shift Delete |
| Deselect | Ctrl D | Command D |
| Create a clipping mask | Ctrl Alt G | Command Option G |
| Temporary Pan tool | Space Bar | Space Bar |
This all changed with Photoshop 2019. Now the Content-Aware Fill gives you complete control over what pixels to sample from, and how to apply the algorithm.
In Photoshop 2019, the new content-aware fill allows you to define and exclude source areas. You also get output settings to help you work in a non-destructive workflow.
To activate the new content-aware, select anything in your image that you would like to remove.
Then go to Edit > Content-Aware Fill…
Note: The old Edit > Fill dialog with its Content-Aware option is still in Photoshop. It just does not give you any of the new controls below.
Content-Aware Tool Bar
Once you are in the Content-Aware Fill Workspace, you can modify how the fill behaves by using the following tools and options:
Sampling Brush Tool
You can use the Sampling Brush Tool to add or remove the areas from your image that Photoshop will use to sample to generate the fill.
Note: Current Photoshop also offers Auto and Rectangular sampling area options above the toolbar. This tutorial uses the manual approach shown here, which today is the Custom option, and it still works exactly this way.
By default, a green overlay covers the areas that Photoshop 2019 uses to sample pixels to generate the fill.
To add or remove from the sampling area, paint directly on the overlay. The results will appear on the Preview panel as soon as you release your mouse.
You can use the Add or Subtraction buttons on the Options bar to control how the brush behaves.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) as you paint to temporarily switch to the alternate option (add or subtract depending on your current setting).
You can use the slider to adjust the size of the brush.
Lasso Tool or Polygonal Lasso Tool
You can modify your original selection by using the Lasso Tool or Polygonal Lasso Tool, available in the toolbar.
Lasso Tool: Click-and-drag to draw a freehand selection.
Polygonal Lasso Tool: Creates straight-edged selections.
Expand or Contract Buttons: when either the Lasso Tool or the Polygonal Lasso Tool is selected, you see the Expand or Contract buttons. These buttons either contract or expand the selection by the number of pixels set in the corresponding popup slider.
Hand Tool and Zoom Tool
The Hand Tool and The Zoom Tool work as you would expect. They allow you to Zoom and Pan the image.
- Hand Tool: Moves (pans) the image within its window.
- Zoom Tool: Magnifies and reduces the view of an image.
Content-Aware Sampling Options
The settings in the Sampling Options control the overlay that indicates the sampling areas.
- Opacity: Changes the strength of the visibility of the green overlay. 50% is default.
- Color: Changes the color of the overlay from green to any other color you like.
- Indicates: Selects what the overlay targets. The sampled areas, or excluded areas.
Change the Fill Settings in the Content-Aware Fill panel to get the best results:
- Color Adaptation: Allows contrast and brightness to adapt for a better match. Good for filling content with gradual color or texture changes.
- Rotation Adaptation: Allows content rotation for a better match. Good for filling content with rotated or curved patterns.
- Scale: Allows content resizing for a better match. Good for filling content with repeating patterns of different sizes or under perspective.
- Mirror: Allows content to be flipped horizontally for a better match. Useful for images with horizontal symmetry.
Content-Aware Output Settings
One of the best additions to the new content-aware is the output settings which allow you to work in a non-destructive workflow if you prefer.
- Current Layer: Performs the fill in the currently selected layer.
- New Layer: The fill generates the new pixels in a new layer for a non-destructive workflow.
- Duplicate Layer: generates the fill in a duplicate of the original layer.
Full-Resolution Preview
The Preview panel provides a full-resolution preview of the changes that you make. The full resolution preview is generated immediately after the initial low-resolution preview.
Any time a preview is generating, you will see the spinner icon on the bottom, right corner of the Preview panel.
Once the initial, low-resolution preview is displayed, an additional warning icon appears next to the spinner. Once the full resolution preview is generated and displayed the warning icon disappears.
Below is an example of the UI when the low-resolution preview is ready, and the full resolution preview is being generated.
Content-Aware Fill and Layer Masks
If you have a layer mask active, the Content-Aware Fill will disregard those areas, and they will appear as transparent pixels in the Fill.
Tip: For a faster, one-click removal on a simple object, try the Remove Tool instead. Content-Aware Fill still gives you more control when the result needs fine-tuning.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Content-Aware Fill workspace is a dedicated panel for removing objects from a photo. You open it from Edit > Content-Aware Fill, and it gives you a toolbar, a live preview, and settings for exactly what Photoshop samples and how it blends the result.
Make a selection around the object you want to remove. Then go to Edit > Content-Aware Fill to open the workspace, or use the older Edit > Fill dialog with Content-Aware chosen as the contents.
The Sampling Brush Tool controls which pixels Photoshop uses to generate the fill. Paint to remove an area from the green sampling overlay, or hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) to add pixels back in.
Yes. The original Edit > Fill dialog with its Content-Aware option is still in Photoshop. It just does not give you control over the sampling area or the fill settings the workspace adds.
Rotation Adaptation lets Photoshop rotate the sampled content to line up curved or angled patterns. Scale resizes the sampled content instead, which helps with patterns that repeat at different sizes or sit under perspective.
If a layer mask is active, the Content-Aware Fill will not sample from the masked areas, and it fills those areas with transparent pixels instead. Remove or deactivate the mask first if you want the whole layer available as source material.
Choose New Layer or Duplicate Layer under Output Settings to keep the fill non-destructive. The original pixels stay untouched underneath, and you can mask the result if part of it needs fixing.
The sampling area is the part of the image, marked in green by default, that Photoshop analyzes to build the fill. You control it with the Sampling Brush Tool, or with the Lasso and Polygonal Lasso tools to redraw the selection itself.
Conclusion
The content-aware fill workspace in Photoshop puts every part of the old one-click fill under your control, from what gets sampled to how it adapts and where the result lands.
Start with the Sampling Brush Tool on a simple background, then try Rotation Adaptation and Scale once you are comfortable removing objects from clean, empty areas.
Watch the full video above for every example, and comment on the video if you have a question.
Selections and Masking Mastery
Complete course includes 2.5 hours of step-by-step lessons, 6 structured modules, downloadable practice files, and custom Photoshop brushes. Everything you need to master selections and masks in one place.
Keep going
Next, learn how to remove and replace objects with Generative Fill.
