Beta Build 30.5.41 Release Notes

Hello :) 

Latest Beta Build 30.5.41 is now available on CCD.

We’re excited to introduce two new features in the Illustrator (Beta) app. Both are available now for testing — your feedback will help shape these features before general availability.

Remove Background
Quickly isolate subjects in raster images without leaving Illustrator. Remove Background uses AI to automatically detect and separate the foreground subject from its background, giving you a clean, transparent result in a single click.
Why it matters: Until now, removing a background from a placed image in Illustrator required multi-step workarounds — tracing with the Pen tool, building clipping masks, or bouncing over to Photoshop. Remove Background eliminates that friction and keeps you in your vector workflow.
How to use it: Select any placed raster image on your canvas and choose Remove Background from the Contextual Task Bar, Illustrator will process the image and return it with the background removed. Your original image is kept intact. From there, you can continue refining your composition as usual.
Good to know:

• Works on placed raster images (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD).
• The output is a raster image with transparency — not a vector conversion.
• For best results, use images with clear contrast between the subject and background.

Generative Expand for Images
Extend the boundaries of placed raster images using AI-generated content that blends naturally with the original. Powered by Adobe Firefly, Generative Expand for Images analyzes the colors, textures, and composition of your image and fills in new areas that look like a seamless continuation of the original.
Why it matters: Designers frequently need to adapt images to different aspect ratios or extend an image edge to fill a layout. Previously, this meant cropping creatively, sourcing a new image, or painstaking manual retouching. Generative Expand for Images handles this directly on the canvas — resize an image boundary, and the AI fills in the rest.
How to use it: Select a placed raster image and choose Crop  from the Contextual Task Bar. Drag the handles outward to define the new area you’d like to fill. You can also choose to both expand and crop the image simultaneously. Select Expand to produce variations, preview them, and pick the result that works best for your design.
Good to know:

• Generates content that matches the style, lighting, and color palette of the original image.
• Multiple variations are generated so you can compare and choose the best fit.