Composite AI layers in Photoshop for realistic jewelry edits

Step-by-step

1. Place the original and AI-generated images on separate layers in Photoshop.
2. Select both layers and go to Edit > Auto-align Layers if they are not perfectly stacked.
3. Drag the 'shiny' AI layer to the top of the layer stack.
4. Add a layer mask to the top layer and click Invert in the Properties window to turn it black.
5. Select the Brush tool and set the foreground color to white.
6. Paint over the specific parts of the jewelry where you want to reveal the AI-generated shine.
7. Press X to toggle between white (reveal) and black (hide) to refine the mask edges.
8. Lower the brush opacity when painting over the main body to keep the effect subtle and avoid unwanted AI artifacts.

Options

• Use Photopea.com as a free alternative to Photoshop for these steps.
• Use square bracket keys to quickly resize the brush.

Watch out for

• AI-generated layers may include unwanted text or brand changes that must be masked out.
• The 'Structure Match' setting must be set to restrictive during the initial AI generation for layers to align correctly.

Tips

• Double-click layer names to rename them to 'Original' and 'Shiny' for better organization.
• Even in the age of AI, knowing fundamental Photoshop skills like layer masking is essential for fixing tricky situations.
• Work on a separate duplicate layer when masking the main body of the product to maintain more control.

Highlights

“it's going to be very easy why because when we generated the new version... we had enabled the structure match to be as restrictive as possible”