Healing Brush and Patch On The Spotlight
 by: Blur Loterina

Want a better way to edit your image? Photoshop offers you better tools you can use to remove flaws on your image.

Images are not that perfect, but the graphics world does not have a room for imperfections. So, computer graphics programs have tried and are still trying to create special tools that will help users in editing their work.

Image imperfections refer to flaws, such as blemishes, scratches and other unwanted spots. These are the things that you would not want your image to have. You would probably resort to editing tools.

One of the most widely used tools to fix such problem is the Clone tool. Clone tool takes the pixel of the sample area onto the part or flaw that you are correcting. Sample area, by the way, refers to that part that you want to replace the flaw with. For example, you want to correct your own photograph because it has dark spots on the right cheek. You can use the other cheek as a sample area. It’s like copying the left cheek and pasting it on the right cheek to cover the spots. Clone tool, however, has a drawback. Clone area is easy to spot because, sometimes, the color of the sample area and the area around the flaw does not match. This can also happen even if they have the same texture.

There is a tool that deals with this kind of problem, Photoshop’s Healing Brush. This tool is a lot better because it does not only drop the pixel of the sample area to the flaw; it also uses the texture of the sample area and applies its tonal characteristic around the flaw. The tool identifies the flaw, the area near the flaw and the sample area. To access this tool, you can either select the icon that looks like a bandage from the Toolbar palette or press the J on the keyboard. In getting the sample, hold down Alt and click on the area. To paint over the flaw, simply click and drag the sample.

Patch tool is just like the Healing Brush. It uses the same technique, but is simpler. It is designed to remove large flaws. If you want to use this, the first thing you have to do is to select a flaw area. Then, click and drag that area over to the sample area. When you let go, the texture of the flaw area will be replaced by the texture of the sample area.

The Patch tool has two sets of options, the Patch tool Option and the pattern option. The patch tool option includes source that determines the behavior of the tool, and the destination, which reverses the behavior of the tool. The second option enables you to use a pattern to fill an area. It works on the tone and hue.

Photoshop’s Healing Brush and Patch tools allow you to make images close to perfect.

About The Author

Blur Loterina

You may wonder why I write articles. Besides from the fact that it’s my job, I used to write short stories when I was younger. I think it would be helpful if I said I’m a big fan of Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against the Machine. This would explain my own views about a lot of things. Their songs were about national issues, politics and human rights. They support the American Indian Movement and Che Guevara, the face you see on t-shirts. Not that it concerns me. I only like their music and idealism.

I like to read anything that contains words in the old English form, though I can’t understand it. You know, the King James Version of the Bible with words like thou, thy, thine, wilst, etc. The words used are different. The construction of the sentence is different, too, which makes sentences sound artistic. I also like gothic metal, a music genre, because most of the lyrics contain such words. It is not only the words that fascinate me; it’s the hidden meaning it contains. It’s like an abstract painting; you don’t get the real picture until you see through it.

I’m not an artist, I’m not a poet. I just love writing anything I want. I wasn’t born a genius, I just want to know and understand something I don’t. I like to find the difference between similar things. It’s like counting birthmarks on each identical twin.

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