Adobe Photoshop for iPad is getting an update that adds two key features: the Refine Edge brush and the ability to rotate the canvas.

“Because precise pixel selection is fundamental to achieving realistic results, we’ve placed extra attention on bringing this feature to life on the iPad to make it sing with pencil and touch,” Adobe’s Pam Clark writes. “In addition, we continue to focus on the unique ergonomics of adding a touch interface to Photoshop. Today, we also release the ability to rotate the canvas while editing.”

Here’s what’s new.

Refine Edge brush. This brush lets you precisely refine the border area of tricky selections, brush over soft areas such as hair, or fur to add fine details, Adobe says. “This is required to achieve realistic, professional quality selections of objects with a mix of sharp and soft edges,” Clark notes. “Some examples include, lots of flyaway hair or removing subjects from complex backgrounds and many more everyday selection scenarios. Look how beautifully it removed the background behind the veil above, which I did with just a few brush strokes.”

Rotate canvas. Now, you can rotate the canvas with a two-finger gesture, and you can zoom in and out at the same time. The rotation snaps at 0, 90, 180, 270 degrees, Adobe says, and you can reset your rotation and zoom by doing a quick zoom out pinch gesture.

Tagged with Adobe, Adobe Photoshop