How to remove unwanted objects from photos using Adobe Express’s Remove Objects feature

There are few things worse than realizing a trash can has ruined the only Instagram- worthy photo you ever took. Luckily, most editing apps now offer object removal features, saving you the trouble of taking a second shot.

Use the Remove Objects tool in Adobe Express.

Adobe Express is Adobe’s all-in-one content creation tool and is essentially an intermediate platform between Photoshop and basic mobile editing apps that only have filters.

While Express is the go-to tool for artists and digital creators, it also has features that cater to everyday users. The cloud-based editing app’s Remove Objects tool is one such feature, not only performing the job well but also being incredibly easy to use.

Here’s how you can use Adobe Express to remove an object from an image:

1. Access the Adobe Express website or mobile app and tap the purple plus (+) icon. On the mobile app, the icon will be in the bottom right corner of the screen. On the web, you’ll see the icon in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Click on Upload media , then choose one of the following options: Photo Library , Take Photo , or Choose File .
3. Upload the image from which you want to remove the distracting object.
4. On mobile devices, select Remove object from the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. On the web, you’ll need to select the image in the editor for the toolbar to appear.
5. Click on Remove object .
6. Draw over the distracting object you want to remove.
7. When you feel you are ready, press Ready .
8. Wait a few seconds, then Express will automatically generate three different image results in the Results header .
9. If the image meets your expectations and you’re ready, press Keep . Otherwise, you can press Discard to go back.
10. If you want to try Express again, swipe through the results and tap More .
11. Once you are satisfied with the image’s appearance, click the Download icon in the upper right corner (or the Download button on the website).
12. Expand the File format drop-down list and select PNG , JPG, PDF Standard , or PDF Print .
13. Click on Download and you’re ready!

What makes Adobe Express better than other applications?

There’s nothing wrong with subscribing to premium apps. But when it comes to apps with features you don’t expect to use every day, it’s hard to justify a monthly subscription fee. The best thing about Remove Object is that it’s practically free to use. In the free version of Adobe Express, you get 25 generative credits monthly, which are deducted each time you use a Firefly-provided feature like Generative Fill or Remove Object.

For Premium subscribers, although you receive 250 generative credits per month, using the Remove Object tool doesn’t make a difference and is essentially unlimited. Frankly, unless you’re editing images on a professional scale, 25 generative credits are more than enough for the average user.

Of course, things will change if you decide to use other AI-powered features in Express, as those will also deduct from your generative credit. However, if you choose not to use them, you can still remove objects from 25 images. Since most tools typically limit free users to 5 to 10 free images per month, that’s actually quite generous.

Ignoring the cost, the main reason people prefer Adobe Express’s Remove Object tool even over Apple’s Clean Up tool (which is free) is that it delivers better results than most existing applications.

Before deciding to use Adobe Express, people tried many different applications, and the results were always similar to the image below.

There’s always some kind of color shift in an image, which makes it obvious that you’ve removed an object. What’s the point of editing when it’s so obvious?

The results from Adobe Express are not always perfect.

Ultimately, Adobe Express is just a tool. While the number of times you get unexpected results is limited, it’s not nonexistent. But even in those cases, the result isn’t entirely wrong. It’s simply not perfect, which is predictable with Express. The good thing is that it’s usually nearly perfect, so just a few tweaks here and there should suffice.

Sometimes, the results tend to look a bit messy and untidy, with some discoloration. While you might be able to post such results on Instagram without anyone noticing, they can be really annoying. The fix is ​​always the same – adjust the brush size! Although it sounds obvious, the more precisely you paint on the object, the better the result tends to be.

Increasing or decreasing the brush size allows you to paint more carefully over the object you want to erase. And since discoloration tends to appear on solid surfaces (like beds and floors), simply changing the brush size and painting more carefully over the distracting area will usually work.

Sometimes, the object doesn’t completely disappear, even after you’ve drawn over it. In such cases, the common approach is to select the best result from the first attempt, then run the Remove Object tool again on that new attempt. It doesn’t always fix it immediately, but the second attempt almost always yields a perfect result. If that doesn’t work, simply zoom in and draw over the remaining parts with a smaller brush, and you’re done!

In the rare instances when overlaying the Remove Object tool isn’t effective, the best approach is actually to camouflage the remaining areas. People often do this by painting over the area with a similar color that blends better with the surroundings. This requires a bit of manual effort, but it’s so effective that the imperfection becomes almost invisible.

Express’s Remove Objects tool is one of the features powered by Adobe’s Generative AI model , Firefly, and this certainly plays a big role in why it works so well. But at the same time, tools like Clean Up are also AI-powered, and they still can’t get it right. As mentioned above, free users can use the Remove Objects feature at least 25 times for free, so you really have nothing to lose by trying it.