How to use the photoshop patch tool
The Patch Tool is a tool that lets you clone pixels from one location on an image to another. It’s only available in the Image Editor (which can be accessed by clicking “Image” on the top navigation menu).
This tool, like the Healing Brush and Clone Stamp, will require some practice before it feels natural. You might want to use this method for photo touch-ups or even recreating part of an image if you had no original reference material at all. The key to using this tool is selecting the right source area first. If you’re not careful with your selection, then what’s left after cloning could look more like a smudge than anything else. Keep in mind that you cannot undo changes made with this tool, so it’s a good idea to duplicate the layer first with a control+J or control+Shift+J shortcut before you start cloning.
Once you’re finished with your edits, click “File” and select “Save as.” You can choose to save this image as a .psd file if you want to work on it again later, but for now, we’ll just save it as a .jpg. Be sure to keep your original files in case something bad happens! Making duplicates of your originals is always a good idea if you have the hard drive space available. Once that’s done, then fix up all those fixer-uppers using our guide above! 😀
The Patch Tool and Healing Brush and Clone Stamp, or “Healing Tools” can be found in the toolbar under the Spot Healing Brush. The keyboard shortcut for the Patch Tool is [J]. This specific tool requires a bit more precision than some of Photoshop’s other tools because it replaces pixels rather than just deleting them. If you’re working on a larger image, then try to start this off with 1:1 viewing by pressing control+0 or command+0 to zoom your preview up to 100%. For smaller areas though, make sure that you have a 1:4 preview by pressing control+’or ‘ command+. Your cursor will change from a circle to a crosshair while using the patch tool. Be careful not to use the Patch tool on anything besides skin tones or things like green grass. If you want to fix up a different area (for example shadows, clothes, etc), use the Clone Stamp Tool.
The Patch Tool spots differences very well and also can be used in one click with Auto Mode. It is good for removing objects from an image that won’t fit into the perspective of your scene and it can create natural-looking scenes when applied correctly (useful for green screen scenes). It’s also great for changing backgrounds quickly- if you’re tired of working with green screens
then simply change them to something else! Just copy another
background texture or an object in front of different background and remove your old one using the patch tool, all without having to buy new backgrounds! Activate the patch tool on your layers palette or toolbar. Double click anywhere on your image to open up the Patch Options window. Here you can choose the source area that Photoshop will copy from, then decide where it will be placed. The third option “Source” is where you want to select an area on your image for Photoshop to use as a source of “pixels” for cloning. The second option “Destination” is where you would like this new “source of pixels” to be relocated after it has been closed. Be sure not to make any part of the destination larger than 1 pixel because otherwise, this could pixelate your image (making it look bad). You may also need to adjust the size of the clone brush before you begin to ensure that the size of your source area is accurate. The first option “Auto” can be used if both width and height are equal, otherwise, it won’t work correctly. You should use this for copying objects or textures that don’t fit into your scene’s perspective (like a tree branch).
The Patch tool works great when you want to remove something from an image, but there are also times when sometimes you might not need to delete anything at all! This is where the Healing Brush Tool comes in useful! Activate the healing brush by pressing [J] or finding it under the spot healing brush on your toolbar. Now press alt+click anywhere on your image. The next step will vary depending on whether you’re using a mouse or a tablet. If you are using a mouse, then click anywhere on your source image to select it as the area that will be copied to replace the current tool’s selected area. If you are using a tablet, press down once on your active brush to open up options for customizing your brush. Choose an appropriate size for your brush and then alt+click somewhere on your image that should serve as the “source of pixels” This is where Photoshop acquires its information from when sampling surrounding areas for cloning purposes. Now simply paint over any flaws in your image with this new source! Your healing strokes will look like small dots which can make them difficult to see at first but remember they will disappear after you’ve let go of the Alt button.
It is best to have a 1:4 preview in the document when using the patch tool because this will allow you to blend your mistakes seamlessly. Remember that it is important to click on your source point when using the healing brush otherwise, it won’t work correctly! When you’re painting over flaws with the healing brush, make sure that there isn’t anything of importance underneath where you’re painting (if there is something of worth under where you’re painting and the area was replaced, then it would be covered up and thus useless). The pen can be used like a pencil drawing onto an image or like a paintbrush depending on what settings you choose. If you only want one color, then choose either foreground or background color by pressing [X] to swap them. If you’re drawing anything elaborate, it might be best to create a new layer underneath your original image and then use the pen tool on this new layer instead (this way you can erase mistakes without deleting pixels or make changes later on by simply editing the “original” layer). To choose between creating paths or pixels when clicking with the pen tool, open up your preferences window (cmd+k) and find “use pressure” in the settings (or load your tablet’s software if there is any). After doing this, be sure that overlay mode is enabled in your toolbar. This will allow you to see what you’re drawing. Make sure that your brush settings are appropriate for what you’re trying to draw.
