Just What Are Adobe Credits and How Do They Work?
/
Hey folks. Many questions coming up about Adobe credits, the new mechanism introduced on November 1st, 2023 pertaining to the use of Generative AI functions, Adobe Firefly, Adobe Express and Adobe Stock.
I have been an Adobe Stock customer for some time, and wanted to know what was going to happen to my chunk of image counts that were available to me. I left Adobe Express for Canva because I like it better, and only ever did some experiments with Adobe Firefly that were sort of interesting but imho of little practical use to me. I have used generative fill exactly once, to expand the edges of an image deemed too tight. I don’t see myself using these tools much at all.
However, you are not me and I am not you, so let’s see if we can figure this out.
Adobe Credits
Adobe is adopting a credit usage system for the consumption of Generative AI, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly and Adobe Stock. According to Adobe as of this writing, (Nov 6), generative credit limits will not apply to paying customers of Creative Cloud, Adobe Stock, Adobe Firefly and Adobe Express until January 1, 2024. What that means in real life, Adobe does not say, only to check back on January 1, 2024.
Here’s the word straight from Adobe :
“We’re starting with images, text effects, and vectors, with Generative Fill and Generative Expand in Adobe Photoshop, Text to Image in Adobe Firefly, Generative Recolor in Adobe Illustrator, Text Effects in Adobe Express, and more. Next, we plan to bring generative AI powered by Firefly to 3D, animation, and video. Each groundbreaking generative AI feature unlocks new creative possibilities, empowering users to play, experiment, dream, and create the extraordinary.
Since generating content with AI models requires significant computational resources, we have updated our plans to include a monthly allocation of “generative credits.”
Ok so far, what I read is that Adobe does some cool stuff and because some of that stuff is computationally demanding on Adobe’s own servers, there will be a surcharge in the form of credits. Adobe paying customers will get a monthly allocation of credits with their subscription. The next question is when do I get these credits and how long do they last, specifically, do credits expire? Let’s see what Adobe has to say.
Credit Lifecycle
For customers with a paid subscription, generative credits renew each month based on the plan’s initial billing date (For example, if the plan started on the 15th of the month, the credits would renew on the 15th of each month).
For Free users without a paid subscription, generative credits are allocated upon the first-time use of a Firefly-powered feature. For example, a free user logs into the Firefly website and uses Text to Image. At that time, the user is allocated 25 generative credits. Their generative credits will expire one month from that allocation date. If first-time use is on the 15th of the month, the credits will expire on the 15th of the next month. For any subsequent months, generative credits are again allocated upon the first-time use of a Firefly-powered feature, and those credits will expire one month from the new allocation date. If first-time use in month two occurs on the 19th of the month, their credits will expire on the 19th of the next month. This gives the user a full month for each allocation of generative credits.
Unused credits expire at the end of each allocation period, so there is no carry-forward. However if you are a non-subscriber to Adobe Firefly, you will get 25 credits that will be available for use for a month, after which they will expire. Once the credits on a free plan are gone, the only way to get more is to purchase a subscription.
How Are Credits Consumed by Use
Subscribers want to know how credits get consumed. That makes sense. The following set of statements from Adobe, sort of, kinda, answer that question.
The consumption of generative credits depends on the generated output's computational cost and the value of the generative AI feature used.
Examples of actions where you are debited generative credits:
Select Generate in Text Effects
Select Load more or Refresh in Text to Image
Examples of when you're not debited generative credits:
Using generative AI features defined in the rate table as "0.”
Selecting View samples in the Firefly gallery since opening the art isn't a new generation. But you'll be debited generative credits if you select Refresh, which requires a new generation.
Generative credits usage rate table:
* Outputs from beta features can be used commercially unless otherwise designated in the product or elsewhere, but aren't eligible for indemnification while in beta.
The credit consumption rates are for standard images of up to 2000 x 2000 pixels. To receive the above-listed consumption rates, you must use the latest version of the software. Usage rates may vary. Plans are subject to change.
Adobe Firefly is evolving rapidly. The rate card will be updated as we add more features and services. We plan to offer higher-resolution images, animation, video, and 3D generative AI features in the future. The number of generative credits consumed for those features may be greater.
Note that when Adobe says Firefly, they mean their generative AI processing in this instance, which does not imply the direct use of Adobe Firefly. Again, Adobe takes naming to a new bucket of muck.
| PRODUCT | FEATURE | GENERATIVE CREDIT USE |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Photoshop | Generative Fill | 1 |
| Generative Expand | 1 | |
| Adobe Express | Generative Fill | 1 |
| Text to Image | 1 | |
| Text to Template (*beta) | 0 credits for a limited time. Check back after January 1, 2024, for more information. | |
| Text Effects | ||
| Adobe Illustrator | Text to Vector Graphic (*beta) | 1 |
| Regenerative Colour | 1 | |
| Adobe Stock | Text to Image | 1 |
| Expand Image | 1 | |
| Adobe Firefly Web App | Text to Image- Firefly Image 1 Model and Firefly Image 2 Model (beta*) | 1 |
| Generative Fill | 1 | |
| Generative Recolour | 1 | |
| Text Effects | 0 credits for a limited time. Check back after January 1, 2024, for more information. |
How Many Credits Do I Earn Each Month
Now that we understand how credits get consumed, we all want to know how many credits we get with our paid subscriptions. Please see the table below that I have created based on Adobe information, leaving out some subscriptions by personal choice.
| ADOBE PLAN | MONTHLY CREDITS ALLOCATED |
|---|---|
| Creative Cloud All Applications | 1,000 |
| Creative Cloud Photography Plan 20GB | |
| Subscribed prior to November 1, 2023 | 250 |
| Subscribed on or after November 1, 2023 | 100 |
| Adobe Stock | 500 |
| Adobe Express Premium | 250 |
| Adobe Firefly Premium | 100 |
How Do I Find Out How Many Credits I Have Left?
That’s going to be a common question, particularly after January 1, 2024 when generative credits start counting down.
To find out, you will sign into your Adobe account on the web, and when you do, you will see the credits available to you. This is still rolling out, so your Adobe account page may or may not show your generative credits as of now. I checked and both my Adobe accounts do show when I click on the icon for my account.
Adobe Stock Clarity
When you have a subscription to Adobe Stock, you are purchasing a number of asset credits per month. Those credits carry-over. So while I pay for a subscription for 10 assets per month, I presently have 120 asset credits in my pool. Each image or video has an asset credit cost. Most are 1 asset credit for stills but videos cost more asset credits. However, I also get 500 Generative Credits each month that are allocated to my Adobe Stock account for Text to Image or Expand Image generative services. The credit naming is confusing so I have to remember to distinguish which is which.
What If I Run Out of Credits?
For those on the Creative Cloud All Apps, and Creative Cloud Photography plans, if you run out of Generative credits in a period. you can still use the generative services, but your work will have a lower priority, which in English means that the process will take longer. Remember that each run of a service consumes credits, so for example if you do a generative fill on something and refresh it 12 times, that costs 12 credits. Planning ahead is going to be really important.
Why Is Adobe Doing This?
Plainly the generative services are going to require compute resources on Adobe’s end and that service has a cost. It will also drive free users to purchase a paid subscription because there will be no way to purchase credits. If I were Adobe, I would ensure that the company costs were covered fully. I would expect that the monthly allocations will not impact Adobe’s profitability.
What If I Don’t Like This System?
If that is the case, pay for a different company’s tools. This is like boatng. You are either aboard or you are in the water. There’s no middle ground.
Summary
I am not surprised that Adobe is doing this. They have an edge at the moment with generative services done in their own data centres and should do everything that they can to keep customers and grow the base. There will be those who regularly run out of generative credits. That will be determined by how much and how often that they use the tools. Perhaps at some point in the future, Adobe will sell generative credit packs as offerings to subscribers, but I would expect that they would expire after a period. Adobe hasn’t said anything about such a thing, so I am speculating, and can already see that doing so would be an administrative and operational nightmare.
By the way, don’t expect Adobe to be the only company. While the folks that make Luminar and ON1 are also going down the AI rathole, if they are not yet charging for their own versions of data centre AI generation, they will. Either in the form of increased license costs, or the availability of purchasable add-on packs. Those things are not hear yet, but as Radar O’Reilly used to say in the TV show MASH, “wait for it”
Thanks for reading. Please subscribe to be notified of new articles and podcast episodes. If you particularly liked an article or podcast, click the BUY ME A COFFEE button on the main page to help support the channel. When you shop at B&H Photo Video, please use the link on the main page which pays me a small commission and costs you nothing more. Until next time, peace.
