Figma launches AI image editing tools for object removal, isolation, and background expansion
Figma’s new erase, isolate, and expand features aim to reduce app-switching for visual edits
Figma is finally jumping into precision AI image editing with its latest feature drop. This article explores the new Erase object, Isolate object, and Expand image tools, how they work, and why they could streamline visual design workflows for marketers, product teams, and creative leads.
These new tools, now available in Figma Design and Draw, are designed to minimize the common friction of jumping between platforms like Photoshop and Figma for minor visual tweaks. Whether you're building a campaign mockup or refining a product shot, the aim is clear: do more from within Figma.
And with competitors like Adobe and Canva long offering object removal, this update also signals Figma’s intent to catch up on critical features that design teams now consider baseline.
Short on time?
Here is a table of content for quick access:
- What's new in Figma's AI image editing suite?
- Context: why this launch matters now
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
What's new in Figma's AI image editing suite?
Figma has rolled out three new AI-powered tools:
- Erase object: Select and remove unwanted elements from an image.
- Isolate object: Select and separate a subject to move or apply effects like blur, lighting, or desaturation.
- Expand image: Extend an image's background to fit new formats, such as turning a square product shot into a landscape web banner.
The tools are powered by AI but don’t require text prompts, making them more accessible for designers who want fine-tuned control without relying on generative language models. They also work directly on the Figma canvas, so there's no need to export assets for editing and re-import them.
Figma also revamped its image editing toolbar, consolidating older features like Crop and Remove background with the new tools. The Remove background option now gets prominent placement, acknowledging its frequent use among designers for brand consistency and UI mockups.
Why this launch matters now
Figma’s update arrives the same day Adobe announced similar AI-powered image editing features inside ChatGPT. This highlights a growing push among creative software vendors to embed AI where users already work.
While platforms like Nano Banana offer generative image creation, Figma’s latest play isn’t about AI generation. It’s about editing control — removing visual clutter, adjusting individual elements, and reformatting images for campaigns across multiple touchpoints.
And that’s a pain point marketers know well. Visual tweaks often require handing off files to design teams or using multiple platforms to align with ad specs, social formats, or CMS constraints.
This move positions Figma as more than a wireframing or prototyping tool. It’s building toward a full-stack visual design hub, with AI quietly handling the tedious, manual parts of the job.
What marketers should know
These new AI features may seem like incremental upgrades, but for B2B marketers, brand managers, and creative ops teams, they unlock measurable efficiency. Here’s how:
1. Streamlined asset adaptation
With Expand image, marketers can repurpose a single product shot for multiple ad sizes without calling in a designer. This is particularly useful for rapid campaign iteration across web, mobile, and social.
2. In-house edits, fewer dependencies
Erase and Isolate object remove the need to ping the design team for every background cleanup or object reposition. For performance marketers and content teams, that means faster turnaround on test variations.
3. Design-stage optimization
By enabling contextual editing directly in the design mockup, Figma cuts down on back-and-forth between draft and final assets. That’s especially helpful in cross-functional reviews where stakeholders want to visualize small edits on the fly.
4. AI where it helps, not where it hijacks
Unlike some AI tools that flood your workflow with suggestions or force prompt-based generation, Figma’s update keeps control with the user. It’s quietly functional, more “assistive” than “disruptive.”
With this update, Figma isn’t just playing catch-up. It’s playing smarter. By embedding surgical image editing tools directly into the design canvas, it’s betting on a future where context-aware AI replaces multi-app chaos with fast, focused execution.
For marketers, that translates to fewer blockers, faster creative production, and tighter campaign control, all without needing to become a Photoshop power user.
As the lines blur between design and execution, Figma’s move could be a template for how martech tools quietly evolve to meet real creative bottlenecks, without the hype.
