How to Cite an Adobe Firefly Image
Updated July 2026
Citing an image from Adobe Firefly? Here's the format in APA, MLA, and Chicago.
List Adobe as the author, describe the image, add the model version (e.g. Image 3), the [AI-generated image] label, and the link from Firefly or Creative Cloud.
The format
Adobe → date → image description → (version) → [AI-generated image] → link. Build it in the generator under Manual Entry → AI-generated image.
Adobe. (2026, April 2). Minimalist geometric travel poster (Image 3) [AI-generated image]. Adobe Firefly. https://firefly.adobe.com/share/a4d2-poster
In-text(Adobe, 2026)
Adobe. "Minimalist geometric travel poster." Adobe Firefly, 2 Apr. 2026, https://firefly.adobe.com/share/a4d2-poster. Accessed 1 June 2026.
In-text(Adobe)
Adobe. "Minimalist geometric travel poster." Adobe Firefly. April 2, 2026. https://firefly.adobe.com/share/a4d2-poster.
In-text(Adobe 2026)
What Adobe Firefly is — and why citing it matters
Adobe Firefly is Adobe's family of generative-image models, built into Photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Express. Adobe markets Firefly as trained on licensed and public-domain content and designed to be commercially safe — which is exactly why it's popular in classrooms and design programs, and why instructors still expect it to be disclosed and cited.
Even "commercially safe" AI imagery needs a citation: it records the tool, version, and date so your use is transparent.
Firefly-specific tips
- Author is Adobe. Firefly is the product/model; Adobe is the maker and goes in the author slot.
- Note the model version (e.g., Firefly Image 3) — Adobe iterates these, and the version pins your result.
- Generated inside another app? If you made it via Generative Fill in Photoshop or in Adobe Express, say which app in a note — the underlying model is still Firefly.
- Commercial-safe ≠ uncited. The licensing story is about usage rights, not attribution; you still cite it.
Keep every citation you make.
A free account saves your citation history and organizes sources into projects with notes and tags.
Create a free account →Find the sources you should be citing.
Premium searches 250 million scholarly works by topic, recommends citations for your claims, and flags statements in your writing that need support.
Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- Who is the author of a Firefly image?
- Adobe. Firefly is the model/product name (use it as the version or container); Adobe is the company, so it's the author.
- Do I still cite Firefly if it's 'commercially safe'?
- Yes. Firefly's licensed-training claim is about usage rights, not attribution. You still disclose and cite AI-generated images.
- How do I cite a Firefly image made with Photoshop's Generative Fill?
- Same format, with Adobe as author and the Firefly model version; note in your text that it was created via Generative Fill in Photoshop.