Adobe Adds Curves and Apple Pencil Pressure Sensitivity Adjustments to Photoshop for iPad

When Adobe introduced Photoshop for iPad back in November, it promised to provide regular updates to add missing features that are available on the desktop but not in the tablet version of the software.

photoshopipadcurves
Adobe is making good on that promise and today has a Photoshop for iPad update out that introduces two useful features: Curves and Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity adjustments.

Curves are designed to allow ‌iPad‌ Photoshop users to make adjustments to the color and the tone of the image, editing contrast, exposure, saturation, highlights, shadows, and color balance in a non-destructive way. The initial version of the Curves tool includes adjustments of total curves for all channels, multi-node selections, and a feature that lets the app recognize when you want to tap and drag a node or select it.

As for ‌Apple Pencil‌, Adobe is adding options to adjust the pressure sensitivity of the ‌Apple Pencil‌ for more precise brushing and effects when using brush-based tools. A new pressure sensitivity slider provides greater pressure values applied with less force at the end of the range and greater force for maximum pressure at the higher end of the range.

photoshopipadapplepencil
Adobe is also updating Adobe Fresco today, adding a multicolor eyedrop for selecting multiple colors, capture shapes, vector trimming tools for cleaning up vector art, support for Photoshop Mixer brushes, advancements to the ruler tool (pinning and pixel-length measurements), better blending for Live Oil brushes, new keyboard shortcuts, and more, with full details available in Adobe's blog post covering the update.

adobefresco1
Adobe Fresco and Adobe Photoshop can both be downloaded from the App Store for free, but there are subscriptions required to use the software. Adobe Photoshop for ‌iPad‌ is available for all Creative Cloud plans that include Photoshop access, while Adobe Fresco is $9.99 per month after a 7-day free trial on a standalone basis or available through Creative Cloud plans.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
crossbody strap

iPhone 17's 'Crossbody Strap' Accessory to Feature Magnetic Design

Thursday August 28, 2025 7:49 am PDT by
Apple's cases for the iPhone 17 lineup will be accompanied by a new Crossbody Strap accessory with a unique magnetic design, according to the leaker known as "Majin Bu." Apple's Crossbody Strap reportedly features an unusual magnetic design; it likely has a "flexible metal core" that makes it magnetic along its entire length. At the ends, "rings polarized oppositely to the strap close the...
Awe Dropping Apple Event Feature

Five Things to Expect From Apple's 'Awe Dropping' September 9 Event

Tuesday August 26, 2025 4:17 pm PDT by
Apple today announced its "Awe Dropping" iPhone-centric event, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. There are a long list of products that are coming, but we thought we'd pull out five feature highlights to look forward to. That Super Thin iPhone - Apple's September 9 event will see the unveiling of the first redesigned iPhone we've had in years, ...

Top Rated Comments

ikir Avatar
69 months ago
Just use Affinity Photo, ditch Adobe.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cfurlin Avatar
69 months ago
Meh. Moved on to Affinity products a couple of years ago.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2013.1 Avatar
69 months ago
This is as if Ford would say, hey, we added windshield wipers to our smaller cars.
Affinity has the full feature set in Photo and Designer.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
richpjr Avatar
69 months ago

Meh. Moved on to Affinity products a couple of years ago.
If Affinity ever comes out with a good DAM, I would consider it. I already have both the iPad and desktop version, but the cross platform access that Lightroom and Creative Cloud provides is just way too convenient for my workflow.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shaun3000 Avatar
69 months ago
I’m late to the party, here. Curves weren’t present at release? Seriously?? They’ve LITERALLY been part of Photoshop since version 1 ('https://creativeoverflow.net/history-of-photoshop-journey-from-photoshop-1-0-to-photoshop-cs5/'), way back in 1990, yet they didn’t include them on the iPad version?!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cupcakes2000 Avatar
69 months ago
This is great news, and it will be a solid app. Two things make it still unusable for the most part for me.

1) No RAW support ? This is ridiculous.
2) No round tripping from lightroom CC. This will be a key feature, for me. To be able to link lightroom classic to lightroom CC using smart previews like normal, and then be able to round trip those previews between Lightroom and Photoshop on the ipad, and then have them sync back to classic with the edits applied to the raw.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)