How to Face Swap in Photoshop using AI Generative Fill
Learn how to seamlessly face swap in Photoshop using AI Generative Fill for realistic and creative edits in just a few steps.
Photoshop | Software | By Judyth Satyn
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This guide will give you the easiest ways to face swap using AI Generative Fill in Photoshop.
I’ve been using Adobe Photoshop for many years, and occasionally need to face swap for clients.
Face swapping allows you to take the face from one photo and switch it onto another.
Photoshop’s AI makes it possible to change a model’s age, ethnicity, or expression. Of course, this should always be used within ethical bounds.
Let’s dive into the tutorial.
Download a free copy of Adobe Photoshop to follow along with this simple tutorial.
How to Face Swap in Photoshop using AI Generative Fill
Face swapping is when a face from one image is switched to replace the face from another image.
This has been popular since the creation of Photoshop, particularly when it comes to family and wedding portraits.
A perfect photo is ruined when one family member pulls a face. One wayward expression can distract the viewer’s eye and spoil an otherwise beautiful composition.
Rather than ditch the photo, photographers can conduct a face swap, exchanging the unruly culprit’s face with their face from another image. Problem solved—no more distracting grimaces.
Another reason people use face-swapping is because it’s fun. It’s a creative way to make interesting birthday cards or novel posters.
Stitch your grandad’s face onto the body of a boxing champion or your niece’s face onto the body of a famous ballerina.
These days, there are a bunch of face-swapping apps out there, but not all of them work that well. That’s where Photoshop comes in.
Replace Faces Using AI Generative Fill
The amazing thing about using AI to replace faces is that it calculates the editing process for you. Therefore, resizing the new face to match the old face shape is unnecessary.
There’s no need to worry about finding photos with the same lighting or trying to match skin tones. Photoshop’s AI Generative Fill will automatically create a face to suit the image.
AI Generative Fill is particularly useful when you wish to create an entirely new face. This makes it incredibly useful for people when making material for an advertising campaign.
For example, you might have a photo where the models are ideally positioned, perfectly representing your product’s theme.
But their expressions contradict the theme, being too serious or, alternatively, too comical.
Using AI Generative Fill, the faces can be swapped out and replaced with new expressions.
Another reason you might want to face swap is because you want the age of the model to be older or younger.
Although AI is powerful and generates quick replacements, it does have some quirks, but we will discuss them and possible solutions.
So, let’s get to it.
(For instructions on how to manually face swap in Photoshop without AI, follow this tutorial.)
Step 1 – Open the image
The first step is to upload the image you wish to face-swap into Photoshop.
Open up Photoshop and head to the main menu bar.
Select File > Open. A dialogue window will pop up; locate the image you wish to use and click Open.
We will use a wedding photo of the bride posing with two of her bridesmaids.
We want to use this image to advertise a bridal product. The models are in the ideal position, and the dresses are perfect.
The only issue is the models’ expressions are too serious. To sell our product, we need gregarious smiling faces.
So, we have decided to swap the somber expressions and replace them with happy, smiling faces.
Step 2 – Create a Selection
Once the image is open, you can use a selection tool to create a selection around the first bridesmaid’s face.
Don’t include the hair and accessories in the selection if you wish to keep the hair and accessories intact.
Anything that is included in the selection could be altered.
We cannot use the Subject Selection tool as it is only the face we wish to select. So, instead, we will use the Lasso tool.
Head to the toolbar to the left of your canvas workspace and select the Lasso tool.
Alternatively, click L for the keyboard shortcut.
When the lasso tool is active, click on the canvas and draw a line around the model’s face.
Making precise, intricate selections will be nearly impossible unless you are a Lasso tool wizard.
When using the Lasso tool, the selection has to be created in one sweep, but we don’t need a precise selection for this technique.
As you can see in the image below, we created a loose selection, not a precise one.
If you want to make a more detailed selection, use the Quick Selection tool.
Step 3 – Enter Text Prompts
When you have created an active selection, the Contextual Task Bar will appear below the selection.
This is where you will enter the text prompts to generate the new face. Click the Generative Fill button.
When the button is clicked, the Generative Fill bar will open.
Enter the text prompt in the text box.
Enter text words to prompt the creation of the face swap.
For instance, if you want the face to smile, have blue eyes, or be old, enter these words as prompts.
We will first enter the most simple prompt – “face.”
Once the text prompt is entered, click the Generate button.
Can’t find the Generative Bar?
If the Contextual Task Bar hasn’t appeared, head to the main menu bar and select Windows.
Scroll down the drop-down menu and at the bottom of the menu to find Contextual Task Bar.
Click it, and a tick will appear beside it.
The Contextual Task Bar will now appear below your selection, and you can use it to enter the prompts for a face swap.
Another way to access the Generative Fill Bar, if it hasn’t appeared, is from the main menu bar.
Head to the main menu bar and select Edit; from the drop-down menu, select Generative Fill.
Once selected, the Generative Fill prompt text bar will appear.
Step 4 – After Generation
When the Generate button is clicked, a pop-up box will appear. You can click the cancel button or wait for Photoshop to complete the task.
Photoshop’s AI will take a few moments to generate a new face.
In the image below, you can see the face Photoshop’s AI generated using only a one-word prompt: ‘Face.’
When the face has been created, a new layer containing the AI-generated face will appear in the Layers panel.
This layer can be switched off if you wish to reveal the original face.
Step 5 – Select an Alternative Face
Photoshop will always generate more than one fill option.
To view and see if there is a more suitable face for your project, head to the Properties panel.
Click on the arrow beside Variations, and up to five alternative fills will be displayed.
To try out the different faces, simply click on one of the faces.
Once clicked, the face in the canvas window will be switched.
Step 6 – Using a Larger Selection
When creating a selection using the AI Generative Fill tool, you won’t have to be too particular about perfecting it.
As you can see below, the selection includes the model’s hair and an area of the bed behind her.
When an extra area is included in a selection, Photoshop’s AI will endeavor to fill this area with the face.
Let’s see what happens.
In the Generative Fill text prompt box, we will be more specific and enter extra words. This time, we will request “Blue Eye Face.”
The Generate button is clicked, and Photoshop’s AI is set to work.
As you can see in the image below, Photoshop added a headscarf to the hair, as this area was included.
The new face has blue eyes, and her cheek is turned to fill the area of the included background.
Another text prompt we tried was Asian Face. As you can see, sometimes Photoshop misses the mark. This generated face doesn’t look particularly Asian.
This time, we create a new selection using the Quick Selection tool.
Using the Quick Selection tool, we can make a more precise selection of the face, not including any hair or surroundings.
If you would like to learn more about Photoshop’s selection tools, check out this tutorial – 13 Photoshop Selection Tools (How & When to Use Them).
Now, we enter the same text prompt: “Asian face.”
The results are spot on. Possibly, Photoshop’s AI can concentrate more easily on creating the face, as there is no excess area to fill.
The only issue with the three freshly generated faces is that each of them has their eyes closed.
Photoshop sometimes decides not to follow a prompt if it suspects that it goes against its guidelines.
When this happens, a pop-up box will appear to inform you of an issue with your prompt.
For example, the pop-up box appeared when the word ‘black’ was added to the prompt box.
Any text that hints at adult content or content that is possibly racist flags Photoshops, prompting it not to generate the image.
Another text prompt entered is to face swap for an older face. The text prompt entered was “Happy Old Face.”
But for this project, we wanted to swap the original serious faces for happy faces, so we tried “smiling face” as a text prompt.
You can switch between options when the face is generated by clicking the arrows in the Generative Fill bar.
The image above is the first in a sequence of three faces.
The image below is the second image in the sequence of three.
The last is the third. Photoshop gives you a few choices and the option to regenerate.
Step 7 – Swap the Brides Face
Photoshop AI has difficulties locating and generating faces when the face is positioned horizontally, not vertically.
It will usually muddle up the perspective and distort the face.
For example, the image of the bridesmaid below is positioned horizontally in the photo. A rough selection was made using the Lasso tool.
A text prompt, ‘Smiling Face,’ was entered in the Generative Fill text box, and the Generate button was clicked.
As you can see below, the face swap that the AI generated is very distorted.
When zoomed in for a close inspection, you can clearly see that the mouth and nose look deformed.
Another attempt at generating a face using only the word ‘face’ as a prompt.
However, instead of a more realistic result, the resulting image is even more warped, as you can see below.
There is a solution if you are determined to use a horizontal face for your face swap.
Simply rotate the image. To do this, head to the main menu bar and click Image > Image Rotation.
A drop-down menu will appear. You can select to rotate the image 180 degrees, 90 degrees clockwise, 90 degrees counter-clockwise, or arbitrarily.
Select a rotation to swirl the face upright; we selected 90 degrees Clockwise for our face.
When the face is upright, enter the prompt in the text box and hit the Generate button.
As you can see below, Photoshop’s AI now has no trouble creating an accurate image of a face.
For the image below, a new text prompt, “smiling face,” was entered, and again, the AI-generated face swap is acceptable.
When you have finished generating a face, return the image to its original position.
Click Image > Image Rotation, and select the appropriate rotation angle from the drop-down menu.
Step 8 – The Final Face Swap
The last face is of the second bridesmaid, and she is also positioned horizontally in the photo.
Entering a text prompt when she is horizontal isn’t going to bear good fruits. As you can see in the example below.
To rotate the photo, we head to the main menu bar and select Image > Image Rotation > 90 Clockwise.
As you can see in the image below, Photoshop has created a more realistic, suitable face.
Photoshop has created this even though the selection is large and unconcise.
Using the Quick Selection tool, a more precise selection is made.
A new face is generated with the hair left intact.
And now, we will create our final face swap image. We have swapped the serious faces for two smiling bridesmaids and a smiling bride.
All we need to do is decide which combination of faces to use.
Step 9 – Select the Perfect Face Swap Combination
Each face has a layer. Click on a face’s layer to activate the Generative Fill options for this face.
When the layer is active, the layer’s Generative Fill bar will appear.
You can flick through the different face options by clicking on the arrows in the bar.
Do this until you find the combination that compliments the photo’s composition and the purpose of the project.
Now, you are equipped with all you need to make face swaps in Photoshop using AI Generative Fill.
Enjoy making fun and creative compositions.
If you liked this tutorial, why not check out – Photoshop AI Generative Expand Tool (Tutorial & Tips)
Tip:
Generative Fill can have a mind of its own, so it is better to be relaxed about the final result.
You will likely be disappointed if you have a vision of an exact outcome.
However, if the first face isn’t your liking, you can generate it again using different prompts.
Creating fresh selections can be a good idea instead of using the same selection for each new generation.
Photoshop tends to remember the prompt words used and incorporate them into the new generation.
If you would like to give Photoshop feedback to help it improve its AI feature, click on the three dots at the end of the Generative Fill bar.
You can add a quick reaction here by clicking Good, Poor, or Report Variation.
Double-click on the bar to give a more detailed review, and a dialogue window will appear.
Adobe MAX 2024 Update
Since its release in 2023, the Generative Fill tool has greatly improved. Since the Adobe MAX 2024 update, it runs with the latest version of Adobe Firefly and it creates more realistic results with a wider variety.
The Generative Expand tool is powered by the same technology and allows you to seamlessly extend your images in any direction.
The Remove tools also got better with its new feature Distractions Removal. Now, you can delete cables and wires with a single click. You can also select and remove people from the background quick and easily.
FAQ
How to do face swap on Photoshop?
To make a face swap in Photoshop without AI, open the image of the body and the face in Photoshop.
Using a selection tool, create a selection of the face, then copy and paste it onto the body image.
Resize the face and adjust its tones to match the background image.
To successfully merge the two images, you may need to cut excess areas of the face layer.
How do I use Generative Fill in Photoshop?
To use Generative Fill in Photoshop, first make a selection using any selection tool.
A Contextual-Task bar will appear below the selection. Select Generative Fill.
The Generative Fill text box will open. Enter the prompts for your image in the text box and click Generate.
Photoshop’s AI will now generate an image based on your prompt.
How do you take a face from one photo and put it on another?
To take a face from one photo and put it on another image, you can use Photoshop.
When both images are open in Photoshop, select the face, then copy and paste the face onto the second image.
You can now reposition and resize the face to merge it with its new background.
How do I replace a face in Photoshop Express?
To replace a face in Photoshop Express, make a selection around the face you wish to replace the original face with.
Copy and paste the face and reposition it on top of the old face.
Can Photoshop do face swap?
Yes, you can use Photoshop to do face swaps. Follow this face-swap tutorial for detailed steps on how to do this in Photoshop without Generative AI.
Why can’t I use Generative Fill in Photoshop?
If you can not use Generative Fill in Photoshop, it could be because you are not using the correct version of Photoshop.
Generative Fill is available in Photoshop Beta. Other versions of Photoshop do not come with this tool.
The other reason you cannot use Generative Fill is that you have not created a selection.
Create a selection, and the Contextual Text bar will appear below the selection.
Judyth is an experienced studio photographer and glass artist. When she isn’t Photoshopping comedians into the bellies of sharks, you can find her cooking delicious treats for her guests.
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