Figma has significantly expanded its creative capabilities with the introduction of several AI-powered image editing tools that allow designers to manipulate images directly within the platform. These new features—including object removal, isolation, and image expansion—eliminate the need for designers to constantly switch between multiple applications during their workflow.
While generative AI models like Nano Banana excel at creating images from scratch, Figma recognized that designers frequently need precise editing tools that don’t require text prompts. The company has addressed this need by enhancing its existing toolkit with sophisticated AI capabilities that streamline the image editing process.
Enhanced Selection and Object Manipulation
At the core of Figma’s update is an improved lasso tool that offers greater functionality beyond simple selection. Designers can now use this tool to select specific objects within an image and either remove them entirely or isolate them for repositioning. What makes this feature particularly valuable is that when moving objects, the image preserves critical elements such as background integrity and color consistency.
The object manipulation capabilities extend beyond simple movement. Once an object is selected, designers can adjust various attributes including lighting effects, shadow properties, color values, and focus parameters—all without leaving the Figma environment. This granular control allows for precise refinements that previously would have required exporting to dedicated photo editing software.
Intelligent Image Expansion
Perhaps one of the most practical additions is Figma’s new image expansion feature. This tool solves a common design challenge: adapting existing visuals for different format requirements. For example, when transforming a square 1×1 image into a rectangular web banner or mobile format, designers often struggle with maintaining visual integrity while filling new space.
The expansion feature intelligently extends the background and surrounding elements of an image, effectively eliminating the tedious process of manual cropping and element adjustment. This capability saves significant time when creating variations of the same design for different platforms or display formats.
Streamlined Toolbar Integration
Beyond adding new functionality, Figma has thoughtfully consolidated all image editing tools into a single, accessible toolbar. This unified interface provides quick access to selection tools, background color adjustments, annotation capabilities, and text insertion options. The company specifically highlighted background removal as one of the platform’s most frequently used functions, giving it prominent placement in the new toolbar arrangement.
This consolidation reflects Figma’s commitment to maintaining an intuitive user experience despite the addition of complex new features. By centralizing these tools, designers can maintain their creative flow without hunting through multiple menus or remembering complex keyboard shortcuts.
Competitive Landscape and Availability
While these features represent significant advancements for Figma, they arrive somewhat later than similar capabilities offered by competitors. Adobe and Canva have included object removal tools in their platforms for several years, putting Figma in a position of catching up rather than leading innovation in this particular area.
Currently, these new image editing features are available on Figma Design and Draw products. The company has announced plans to extend availability across its entire suite of tools in 2024, suggesting a phased rollout approach.
Interestingly, Figma’s announcement coincided with Adobe making similar features available within ChatGPT. While Figma was among the initial partners for ChatGPT’s app integration in October, it remains unclear whether these new image editing capabilities will be accessible to users utilizing Figma through OpenAI’s platform.
Real-World Applications
For design teams working on multi-platform campaigns, these tools offer tangible workflow benefits. Consider a marketing team creating assets for both social media and website banners. Previously, they might start with a square Instagram post in Figma, export to Photoshop for background expansion to create a website banner, then reimport the modified image. Now, this entire process happens within Figma, potentially saving hours across multiple iterations.
Similarly, e-commerce designers frequently need to isolate products from backgrounds for different display contexts. With Figma’s new object isolation tools, a product photographer can provide a single image that designers can quickly adapt for various website placements, promotional materials, and catalog layouts—all without leaving their design environment.
These capabilities particularly benefit organizations with integrated design systems, as they can maintain visual consistency across deliverables while adapting to different format requirements more efficiently than ever before.