question on healing tool

[pjb]

When you are using the healing tool and get close to the edge of one object and try healing but it leaves a black or white mark. Like on a face next to the hair line. What can be done to help stop this? I have tryed using the lasso around the object but you can't always get right on the mark. Any suggestions or help whould be loved for ever.


Thank you

[clare]

Hi Pjb,

Make the selection that you are copying along the same line in the photograph. Then click to restore the area you want - this has to be very precise or you will get strange results, but practise and your get the hang of it

Hope this helps!

Clare

[Doug Nelson]

Sounds like the patch tool might be more appropriate in this particular instance.

Ordinarily I'd suggest making a selection of the area you want to heal, and it will constrain the action of the healing tool, but it sounds like you already tried that.

[jeaniesa]

Try using the patch tool. Make a selection that includes the edge, then when you move the patch selection in place, make sure that the edge definition of the patch lines up with the area of the photo you're patching. It might take a little practice, but it does work.

Jeanie

[Mike Needham]

Another method (tried and tested but kooky) is to position your cursor exactly over the join (or difference in tones) and then try with a small heal brush to cover the differences that leaves. If you want to get close to a contrasting area but not touch it make sure your brush is a few pixels or more away.

Other than that I would be tempted to use the clone tool ( like in the old days)

However advice on selections is probably the safest method too. Thats Photoshop never short of solutions!

[Stephen M]

A link to further links on healing:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#H

The Russel Brown video on the patch tool is worth a look, but so are all of Russell's videos. <g>


A link to further links on clone/rubber stamping:

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~binaryfx/PSTV_links.html#R

Have fun,

Stephen Marsh.

[pjb]

wow! I want to thank everyone for there help. I am going to copy and paste all the information in to my learn folder. I have only been doing the healing tool for about 2 months, so I still have a lot to learn about it. Thank a bunch you all are great. Paula

[CJ Swartz]

Paula, I don't know if this would help in your particular situation, but one of the Russell Brown tutorials that Steve M. linked to, shows how the Patch tool can be used without leaving any problem discolored pixels bleeding in from a nearby object -- by using a layer mask to hide the object until after using the patch tool -- the patch tool is affected ONLY by VISIBLE pixels. Not sure about the healing brush -- gotta run that tutorial next. I don't have V7 yet, so don't have any experience with the patch tool or healing brush, but LOVE Russell Brown's tips on everything that I do use.

[phili1]

PJB I have come accross that problem with the healing tool, what I do is I change to thew clone for that problem. It only happens on certain images. Or Like Cj said use the patch tool. This might be one of those things we need to let Adobe know about.

[Stephen M]

Happy new year from Australia!

With the beauty of the new healing tools, one may forget the good old clone stamp tool that has been a mainstay many years.

Just the simple lighten/darken and reduced opacity when cloning can make people jump for joy, thinking that only healing would do the job (which is nice if you do not have access to v7).

If you encounter a problem, perhpas try the old methods after healing fails, rather than attempting complex healing work arounds. The old float n move a section or clone stamp works well and in many cases it is preferred to have the human judgement take priority, rather than healing math screwing things up. Healing can then be performed to cover the older methods joins if required.

Just a thought.

Finding healing work arounds is great - like the layer mask to hide unwanted data from healing math.

Sometimes healing can be overkill - or the math may not do the job right for a simple edit that works with clone. Other times nothing beats healing. The problem is finding out when to use each and to let go and try something else when your favourite method is not behaving as expected.

Stephen Marsh.

[MoonFizz]

Never used the healing brush in Photoshop, but I use the clone
brush, especially the soft clone brush in painter 6 which is very
easy to use and extremely accurate to boot.

Gary

http://moonfizz.com