Adobe Photoshop 2026 January Update: Clarity and Dehaze Tutorial,
Therefore,ย in the January/February 2026 update (version 27.3), Adobe officially moved Clarity and Dehaze from being hidden inside the Camera Raw Filter to being fully functional, non-destructive Adjustment Layers.
Adobe Photoshop 2026 January Update: Clarity and Dehaze,
In other words,ย this is a significant workflow shift for photographers and designers who previously had to jump into a separate interface or duplicate layers to use these tools.
๐ Key Updates: Clarity & Dehaze:
Therefore,ย previously, if you wanted to add punch or remove fog in Photoshop, you had to use Filter > Camera Raw Filter. Now, they live directly in your Layers Panel.
1. New Adjustment Layers:
Non-Destructive: Therefore,ย you no longer need to convert layers to Smart Objects to keep these adjustments editable. They sit as a separate layer above your stack.
Built-in Masking: Each new Clarity or Dehaze layer comes with a Layer Mask by default. You can now easily “paint out” the effect from skin or specific background elements without complex workarounds.
Opacity & Blend Modes: Since they are layers, you can lower the opacity or change the Blend Mode (like Overlay or Luminosity) to fine-tune how the contrast interacts with your colors.
Adobe Photoshop 2026 January Update: Clarity and Dehaze,
2. Clarity: Midtone Contrast:
What it does: Increases contrast specifically in the midtones, adding “structure” and “pop” to textures.
2026 Tweak: The algorithm has been optimized for the layer stack to minimize “haloing” around high-contrast edges when pushed to extremes.
3. Dehaze: Atmospheric Correction:
What it does: In other words,ย Uses AI to identify and remove (or add) atmospheric haze, fog, or smoke.
2026 Tweak: It is now more “geometry-aware,” meaning it does a better job of maintaining natural lighting and depth in the distance rather than just darkening the entire image.
๐จ Also New in the 2026 Update:
In other words,ย while Clarity and Dehaze are the headlines, the update included a few other major features:
Adobe Photoshop 2026 January Update: Clarity and Dehaze,
| Feature | Description |
| Grain Adjustment Layer | Adds film-like texture non-destructively; much better than the old “Add Noise” filter. |
| Dynamic Text (Beta) | Allows you to warp text into circles, arches, or bows with a single click in the properties panel. |
| 2K Generative Fill | AI-generated content (Firefly) now outputs at 2048 x 2048 pixels (up from 1024), providing much sharper results. |
| Reference Image (Object) | You can now pin a reference image to tell Generative Fill exactly what scale, rotation, and lighting to use for a specific object. |
Pro Tip: Use the Clarity adjustment layer at about +20 for landscapes, but use the mask to hide it from the sky to prevent noise, and hide it from skin in portraits to avoid making people look “crunchy.”
In conclusion,ย would you like me to walk you through how to create a custom action for these new adjustment layers?
