Licenced Stock images won't update in PS once purchased

[Avenue Potter]

This has been an ongoing problem for me. I asked in this forum before and was given a workaround that is no longer available.

I'D LIKE TO TEST OUT A STOCK IMAGE IN A PROJECT FIRST ... do a lot of adjustments to it, etc. to make sure it works ... AND THEN BE ABLE TO LICENCE IT WITHOUT STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN because once I buy it, I can only "place" the original image again - it does not update the watermarks in the layer I've already worked with it in. I've shared a very simple example below:

It says on this website (in more than one place) that if you just licence the image and wait for your Cloud Libraries to update then the image in all of your files will update too (ie - the watermark will be removed). THIS IS NOT THE CASE. See first picture above. I am forced to "place" a fresh copy of it and start my adjustments over.

It still functions like this after confirming I'm logged in to both Adobe Stock and Photoshop through Creative Cloud (and my libraries are up to date) AND even after a reboot and login in to both all over again.

This is getting very frustrating to have to CONSTANTLY start projects over after toiling away and trying many different images to see which ones will fit before I buy them.

Like I said, the work around I had been given (Licencing images from the layers panel, converting them to Smart Objects, and then re-linking to a library graphic is no longer an option - you can't licence images from the layers panel anymore - just the library).

Couldn't this very basic feature just work from the start? It seems like a no brainer. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to try out an image before buying it.

[Brad Lawryk · Accepted solution]

Your open image isn't a 'Smart Object'. It will only update if it is a smart object.

Open a new blank document and drag your image (even before you license it) into your new document while holding the shift key. This will make the image a smart object and will update when your license it.

Also if you make any 'destructive' edits to the image it will no longer update. Make sure any edits you do to tje image are 'non-destructive'.

[Avenue Potter]

Thank you. I will give that a try! 🙂

[Avenue Potter]

That worked! Thank you so much. 🙂