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Stop wasting your AI credits! This tutorial demystifies Adobe’s credit system, revealing which Photoshop and Lightroom tools are totally free and which cost you. We’ll even show you how to track your balance, master monthly resets, and use AI strategically.
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Image Source
We use a FREE Adobe Stock image in this tutorial. The download folder includes a PDF guide with direct link to it.
Image sourced from Adobe Stock.
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AFTER
BEFORE
AI Credits Explained
Trying to keep track of AI credits can feel like a guessing game. With different rules for Photoshop and Lightroom, it’s frustrating to watch your balance disappear without knowing why. This tutorial ends the confusion, giving you the complete breakdown of exactly how credits work so you can create with confidence.
Free AI Tools
Many AI features in Photoshop and Lightroom use zero credits because they don’t generate new pixels. Tools for Select Subject, Remove Background, and Object Selection allow you to isolate elements or create complex masks for sky and vegetation without touching your balance. Even advanced AI features like Lens Blur and Denoise are currently free to use.
Generative Credit Costs
Once you begin creating new image data, you will start spending credits. Generative Expand and Generative Fill typically cost one credit per variation when using Adobe’s Firefly models. Because these tools often provide three variations at once, a single “Generate” click usually consumes three credits from your monthly balance.
The Remove Tool
The Remove Tool is unique because its cost depends on your settings. If you toggle “Generative AI” to Off, it uses traditional technology for free. If you turn it On, it uses AI but only generates one result, costing you just one credit. This is a strategic way to save credits compared to using Generative Fill.
Premium Partner Models
Adobe now offers “Partner Models” like Flux or Google Gemini, which are significantly more expensive. Depending on the model, a single generation can cost anywhere from 10 to 40+ credits. Always hover over the model icon in the Properties panel to verify the cost before clicking generate, as these high-end models drain your balance quickly.
Managing Your Balance
Your credits reset every month based on your Creative Cloud plan and do not roll over. You can check your remaining balance through your Adobe account or the Creative Cloud desktop app. Remember that credits are spent the moment you generate, and they cannot be refunded even if you dislike the AI’s results.
