Adobe® Photoshop® CS2 Studio Techniques

Opacity Settings

Sometimes you don't want to completely cover something up; you may just want to lessen its impact (Figure 16.43). For example, you might not want to completely wipe out a recognizable feature (such as Gorbachev's birthmark) for fear that it'll be obvious the image was enhanced. To do this, lower the opacity on the Clone Stamp tool (Figure 16.44). You can also press the number keys on your keyboard; pressing 1 will give you 10%, 2 will give you 20%, and so on. To get it all the way up to 100%, just press 0 (zero). This will allow you to paint over an area and partially replace it, so that the area you're applying blends with what used to be in that area.

Figure 16.43. You might want to play down some recognizable feature. (©Stockbyte, ...