Adobe Photoshop 2020: Essential Features, Tools, and Why It’s Still Useful for Creatives
Released in late 2019 as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud 2020 suite, Adobe Photoshop 2020 marked a significant step forward in intelligent editing and user experience. While newer versions have since emerged, Photoshop 2020 remains a reliable choice for designers, photographers, and educators who value stability, performance, and core creative functionality and buy.
Key Features That Defined Photoshop 2020
Object Selection Tool
One of the standout additions in Photoshop 2020 was the Object Selection Tool. Powered by Adobe Sensei AI, this tool allowed users to automatically select people, cars, animals, or other distinct objects with a simple click or drag. It dramatically reduced the time needed for complex selections—making compositing, masking, and background removal far more efficient, especially for beginners.
Enhanced Transform Warp
The Warp tool received a major upgrade in 2020, offering a customizable grid with up to 32 control points (up from 9). This gave designers unprecedented precision when distorting text, logos, or images to fit perspective or curved surfaces—ideal for packaging mockups, vehicle wraps, and 3D-like effects.
Cloud Documents & Improved Preset Management
Photoshop 2020 introduced deeper integration with Adobe Cloud Documents, enabling users to save, access, and sync PSD files across devices—including the iPad version of Photoshop. Additionally, Adobe overhauled the Preset Manager, making brushes, gradients, and patterns easier to organize, search, and share via Creative Cloud Libraries.
Performance and Interface Improvements
Adobe focused heavily on speed and usability in this release. Startup times were reduced, and the interface felt more responsive, even with large, multi-layered files. The Properties panel was refined to surface relevant controls contextually—such as layer effects, text settings, or adjustment options—reducing menu diving and streamlining workflows.
Font management also improved: users could now preview fonts directly in the document by hovering over font names in the dropdown menu, speeding up typography decisions without constant trial-and-error.
Why Photoshop 2020 Is Still Relevant Today
Lightweight and Stable
Compared to newer versions that demand more system resources, Photoshop 2020 runs smoothly on older hardware and operating systems (including Windows 7 and macOS Mojave). Its stability makes it a favorite in schools, small studios, and legacy workflows where constant updates aren’t feasible.
No Dependency on Generative AI
For users who prefer manual control over AI-generated content, Photoshop 2020 offers a clean, predictable editing environment. It includes smart tools like Content-Aware Fill and Object Selection—but without the cloud-heavy generative features introduced in later versions, ensuring offline reliability.
Ideal for Learning Core Skills
Photoshop 2020 covers all foundational skills: layers, masks, selections, color correction, and typography. Students and new designers can master these essentials without being overwhelmed by advanced AI workflows, making it an excellent educational version.
Tips to Optimize Your Photoshop 2020 Workflow
- Use the Object Selection Tool for quick cutouts—combine it with Select and Mask for refined edges.
- Enable GPU acceleration (Preferences > Performance) for smoother brush strokes and zooming.
- Organize presets into folders within the Preset Manager to avoid clutter.
- Save frequently to Cloud Documents if you switch between desktop and iPad.
Final Thoughts
Though it’s been several years since its release, Adobe Photoshop 2020 remains a capable, efficient, and user-friendly version of the world’s leading image editor. Its blend of AI-assisted tools and traditional precision strikes a perfect balance for creatives who value control, speed, and reliability.
Whether you’re on a limited budget, using older hardware, or simply prefer a focused editing experience, Photoshop 2020 continues to deliver professional results—proving that innovation doesn’t always require the latest update.
✔ Tested: This software was tested on Windows 10 & Windows 11 and works smoothly without issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this software free?
Yes, it can be downloaded and used for free. - Does it support Windows 11?
Yes, it works perfectly on Windows 10 and 11. - Is it safe to use?
Yes, the software was scanned and tested before publishing.
Last updated: January 2026