Adobe Camera Raw | ver. 18.5 Adds AI Retouching and Workflow Controls
Adobe Camera Raw 18.5 expands its editing workflow with AI-assisted portrait retouching, more control over generative features, improved color analysis, and a new way to create rendered DNG files. The August 2026 update gives photographers and visual editors more options for deciding when AI should assist the edit and when a finished result should be converted into a new working file.
Camera Raw 18.5 adds more control to AI-assisted photo editing
One of the main additions is an AI-powered Blemishes option inside Distraction Removal. Camera Raw can automatically detect blemishes, moles, freckles, and other marks across one or multiple faces, reducing the amount of manual retouching needed when working with portraits.
The tool also keeps the editor involved in the final result. Amount controls the removal of temporary blemishes, while Fade adjusts how visible permanent marks such as moles and freckles remain. Individual areas can then be restored or removed manually with the Refine controls, making the workflow useful when automatic cleanup goes further than intended.
Generative AI features can now be disabled in Camera Raw
Camera Raw 18.5 also introduces a preference for controlling whether generative AI features are available during editing. Generative Expand, Generative Remove, and Distraction People Removal are enabled by default, but creators can now disable the generative feature set from Camera Raw Preferences.
This gives editors a clearer choice over how AI fits into a particular workflow. A traditional raw-processing session can remain focused on conventional adjustments, while generative tools can stay available for projects where extending a composition, removing content, or reconstructing visual areas is appropriate.
Vectorscope gains more precise color analysis options
The Vectorscope introduced in earlier Camera Raw releases receives additional display controls. Editors can rotate the scope so red appears at the familiar 3 o'clock position and enable Lab color readouts alongside the existing visualization of hue and saturation.
These additions are especially useful for workflows where color consistency needs more than a visual judgment. The Vectorscope can display the color distribution of the entire image or a selected mask, while its Skin Tone Indicator can help evaluate portrait color during grading and correction.
Render to DNG creates a new flattened editing starting point
The new Render to DNG option creates a non-raw DNG with the current edits permanently applied. This can include masking, lens profiles, Lens Blur, and other adjustments, providing a new file that can be used as a clean starting point for additional editing.
That can be particularly relevant when a workflow has reached a stage where the previous raw adjustments no longer need to remain independently editable. Adobe also highlights the option for Generative Expand workflows, where an editor may want to continue working from an already expanded composition rather than the original camera frame.
IMPORTANT: Render to DNG creates a new non-raw DNG with the current edits locked into the rendered result. Keep the original raw file when you may need to return to the untouched capture or modify earlier edits.{alertWarning}
Daisuki's Take: What This Means for Designers
Camera Raw 18.5 is interesting because its AI additions are accompanied by more editorial control. Automatic blemish detection can reduce repetitive portrait cleanup, but Adobe still provides controls for deciding which marks should disappear and which should remain part of the subject.
The ability to disable generative AI is equally useful. Not every image workflow needs generated content, and separating that choice from the availability of conventional raw adjustments makes Camera Raw easier to adapt to different production requirements.
For designers who use Camera Raw before moving an image into a larger Photoshop composition, the combination of cleaner retouching, more measurable color analysis, and Render to DNG creates several practical checkpoints between the original capture and the final design asset.
Sources and Recommended Links
- What's New in Camera Raw | Adobe Camera Raw Official Documentation
- Remove Blemishes from a Photo | Adobe Camera Raw Official Documentation
