Adobe Photoshop 2021 -version 22.2- |link| May 2026

Title: Adobe Photoshop 2021 (Version 22.2): The “Neural Filters” Update That Changed the Game

Published: February 2021 Category: Software Review / Creative Tech Adobe Photoshop 2021 -Version 22.2-

If you blinked, you might have missed it. While the world was focused on the jump from CS6 to Creative Cloud, or the recent AI explosion of 2023, the February 2021 release of Photoshop (Version 22.2) sits as a quiet landmark in the software’s history. It wasn’t just a bug-fix patch; it was the moment Adobe stopped treating AI like a magic wand and started integrating it into the bones of the workspace. Title: Adobe Photoshop 2021 (Version 22

Let’s unpack why Photoshop 22.2 remains one of the most underrated updates of the last five years. Preferences > Performance:

Overview

Adobe Photoshop 2021 (v22.2) is a point release within the Photoshop 2021 (v22.x) series. It continued Adobe’s focus on AI-driven features, cloud integration, performance improvements, and workflow refinements introduced across the 2020–2021 releases. Version 22.2 delivered incremental feature updates, bug fixes, and workflow improvements aimed at photographers, digital artists, and designers.

9. Performance Optimization (v22.2)

• Preferences > Performance:
  • Set memory usage to 70-80% of RAM.
  • Enable Use Graphics Processor (for Neural Filters).
  • Cache levels: 4–6 for photo editing, 2–3 for UI/graphic design.
• Scratch disks: Set to fastest SSD, avoid main OS drive.
• Purge cache: Edit > Purge > All if slowdown occurs.

1. Neural Filters

This was the flagship feature of the 2021 release. It is a new workspace inside Photoshop that utilizes Adobe Sensei (AI) to generate complex pixel alterations.

• Skin Smoothing: Automatic retouching of skin textures.
• Style Transfer: Applying the artistic style of one image (like a painting) to your photograph.
• Smart Portrait: An AI tool allowing you to change facial expressions, age, hair thickness, and head direction after the photo was taken.

Notable workflow changes and UX touches

• Refined Discover panel: Improvements to the Learn/Discover experience to surface tutorials, quick actions, and relevant features based on user context.
• Quick Actions: Addition and improvement of Quick Actions in the Properties/Discover area to automate common tasks (e.g., remove background, colorize image) using integrated filters or scripts.
• Layer and Properties improvements: Small UX updates to Layer Comps, Properties panels, and more contextual controls making common adjustments quicker.
• Enhanced support for hi-DPI displays: Better UI scaling and clarity on 4K/retina displays, reducing UI artifacts and improving icon legibility.

Performance and Stability (The 22.2 Context)

Reviewing specifically version 22.2, it is important to note that this was a stability patch.

• M1 Mac Support: The initial 2021 launch ran on Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2 emulation. It worked, but it wasn't native. Version 22.2 was a stepping stone toward better optimization, though full native M1 support officially landed in version 22.3. However, 22.2 ran significantly smoother on Intel machines compared to the launch 22.0 version.
• Speed: On standard hardware (Intel i7/i9, decent GPU), the brush lag was minimal. The AI features (Neural Filters) required an internet connection to process initially, which caused occasional slowdowns depending on Adobe server load.