Photoshop® CS5 Bible

Chapter 15. Using Cloning and Healing to Restore Digital Images

IN THIS CHAPTER

• The Healing Brush tools

• Content Aware fill

• The Clone Stamp

• Advanced cloning techniques

Even the best photos can have common problems that keep them from being perfect: dust and scratches, unsightly backgrounds, or just the presence of an ex-boyfriend. Even the most beautiful photo models can have blemishes, bulges, or cellulite. Family pictures are only as good as the family member talking or the person with his eyes closed. The Healing Brush tools and the Clone Stamp are designed to correct these problems and make bad photos good and good photos great.

You can use these tools to create artistic effects as well, adding elements to your photos that wouldn't normally be there and blending images together seamlessly. I show you how these tools work in depth, and before you know it, your ex will be history.

The Healing Brush Tools

I wish I had a Healing Brush that worked in real life. From acne to carpet stains, my life would sure be much easier. The idea behind the Healing Brushes is to take a flaw—such as acne, lens spots, or even unknown people—and remove it by covering it with a patch made by subtly copying and blending the surrounding areas of the image. The Healing Brushes blend the pixel information of the sampled area with the lighting, texture, and transparency information of the target area, so the finished product is an area that blends better than a straight clone. This is especially useful for areas ...