The Importance of the Clone Stamp Tool
The Clone Stamp Tool is one of the most important Tools that Photoshop has to offer. It allows you to copy areas of an image and i very useful for getting rid of Distractions or Skin blemishes.
In this episode we show you how to master the clone stamp tool in Photoshop. You will learn how to navigate the settings and preferences for the Tool. We also show you how we use the tool through several examples.
Using the Clone Source Dialog
The Clone Source Dialog is available by going to Window > Clone Source. Here you will see options for Clone Source, Transformation options, as well as Overlay options. We go through each of these options and show you how we set up our Clone Stamp Tool.
Photoshop has the “Show Overlay” option checked by default however we prefer to keep it unchecked. The Overlay can get in the way and is always available by hitting OPTN+SHIFT.
Adjusting Clone Stamp Selections
After using the Clone Stamp Tool to cover the lapel microphone there are still some Adjustments that need to be made. It is best to use the Clone Stamp tool on New Layers so you can Transform the selection afterwards. To do this hit CMD+T then right click on the layer. You will be able to rotate, skew, Transform and Warp the selection so it fits with the image better.
After getting the Clone Stamp selection in place we use a great technique to blend Exposures. Some areas of this layer need to be lighter and some need to be darker and we accomplish this using a combination of a Brush Tool set to blending mode “Soft Light” and the “Lock Transparency” Option in the layer dialog; This will allow you to only paint over non-Transparent pixels.
We then paint Black and White over the layer to brighten or Darken it accordingly.
Use Clone Stamp with Different Brushes
Many people think that you are limited to a soft round Brush when it comes to the Clone Stamp tool. The Clone Stamp tool can use any custom Brush the regular Brush Tool can use. Try adjusting your Brush shape or creating your own custom brush to best complete your project.
