• What you learned: 

Use Content-Aware Fill to remove objects

When to use Content-Aware Fill

Content-Aware Fill analyzes the image to find the best detail to intelligently replace a selected area, and it gives you controls for fine-tuning the result. This makes it an excellent method for removing large objects and people, even against a complex background.

Begin with a selection

Working with Content-Aware Fill always begins with making a selection. You can use any of the selection tools to create the initial selection. The Object Selection tool is a good choice for selecting a single object when there are multiple objects in a scene.

• Select the Object Selection tool in the Toolbar and drag a loose rectangle or lasso around the item you want to remove. The tool automatically identifies the object inside the area you define and shrinks the selection to the object edges.

• The Object Selection tool usually makes a tight selection at the edges of an object. Including some of the area around the object in the selection will help Content Aware Fill create a better fill. Choose Select > Modify > Expand and enter a few pixels—just enough to create a thin border between the edge of the object and the selection. In this case, we entered 8 pixels.

• Choose Edit > Content-Aware Fill to open the Content-Aware workspace. The view on the left displays a green overlay that identifies the sampling area Photoshop is considering as it chooses source detail to create the fill. The view on the right is a live preview of the fill, which will change as you refine the result using the tools and controls in this workspace.

Experiment with the Sampling area options

If the preview doesn’t display the result you want, experiment with the Sampling area options on the right to control the area from which Photoshop is sampling details to create the fill.

• The Auto option intelligently determines which areas to sample based on color and texture.

• The Rectangular option creates a rectangular sampling area around your selection.

• The Custom option lets you manually specify which areas of the image to sample. Click the Custom button to remove the current green sampling area. Select the Sampling Brush tool in the Toolbar and, in the view on the left, brush over the areas from which you want to sample. In some situations, this option may allow for more control and create a better fill.

With any of these options, you can use the Sampling Brush tool, with its add or subtract option, to further change which image details are used as source material for the fill.

Output and save your work

• In the Output settings on the right side of the workspace, choose Output to > New Layer for maximum flexibility. Click OK to close the Content-Aware workspace. Your changes appear on a new layer in the Layers panel.

• Save the document in .PSD or .TIFF format to retain the layer created by Content-Aware Fill. 

When Finished With Part 1, Save As With Following Name/Format

• Save As:"Act 4.1 Last Name Done".psd

• Save A Copy:"Act 4.1 Last Name Done".jpg

What you learned: 

Use the Spot Healing Brush tool to remove distractions

When to use the Spot Healing Brush

The Spot Healing Brush tool analyzes the areas surrounding where you brush and finds the best ways to convincingly blend that surrounding detail to remove an object. It is ideal to use for removing minor imperfections or smaller details.

Use a separate layer for retouching

• With the Background layer active, choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to make a copy of the Background layer and keep your retouching separate from the main image.

• Another way to create a separate retouching layer is to add a new layer and, in the Options bar for the Spot Healing Brush, click the checkbox for Sample All Layers.

Adjust the size of the Spot Healing Brush tool

1. With the tool selected, tap the right square bracket key several times to enlarge the brush pointer, or the left square bracket key to make the brush pointer smaller. (The square bracket keys are next to the letter P on most English keyboards.)

2. Simply brush over the area you want to remove. There is no need to sample new detail with the Spot Healing Brush tool.

Experiment with different Spot Healing options

The Content-Aware option works best for areas that contain elements of a pattern, such as rippled water.

Proximity Match can be effective for areas that contain more uniform and uncomplicated detail and color.

When retouching close to similar areas of contrasting brightness or color, the Spot Healing Brush tool may inadvertently include some unwanted surrounding detail. To restrict the tool, try making a lasso selection to exclude the areas you do not want it to copy.

Save your work

• Save the file in PSD or TIFF format to retain the separate retouching layer you created.

When Finished With Part 2, Save As With Following Name/Format

• Save As:"Act 4.2 Last Name Done".psd

• Save A Copy:"Act 4.2 Last Name Done".jpg

What you learned: 

Remove objects with the Healing Brush tool

When to use the Healing Brush

The Healing Brush tool is similar to the Spot Healing Brush, but it allows you to choose where to sample the detail that will be used to retouch an area. It creates a smooth blend between the sampled detail and the area you are retouching, making it an excellent tool for tasks where seamless color blending is important.

Use a separate layer for retouching

• With the Background layer active, choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to make a copy of the Background layer and keep your retouching separate from the main image.

• Another way to create a separate retouching layer is to add a new layer and, in the Options bar for the Healing Brush, set the Sample menu to Current and Below.

Learn how the Healing Brush tool works

1. The Healing Brush tool copies detail and blends the brightness and color qualities of the area you retouch.

2. With the Healing Brush tool selected, tap the right square bracket key several times to enlarge the brush pointer, or the left square bracket key to make the brush pointer smaller. (The square bracket keys are next to the letter P on most English keyboards.)

3. Choose a brush size that matches the size of the area you want to retouch.

4. To set the sample point, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (MacOS) an area of detail you want to copy.

5. Brush over the element you want to cover or remove in the image.

Correct unwanted color spill

With some larger objects that have color or brightness values different from the surrounding area, some of the original colors may spill through into the healed area. To help with this, you can first cover the object with a color that more closely matches the surroundings, and then add the detail with the Healing Brush tool.

1. Use the Eyedropper tool to sample colors from the surrounding area.

2. Use the Brush tool to paint these sampled colors over the area where original colors spilled with the Healing Brush tool.

3. Use the Healing Brush tool to copy desired detail over the recolored areas to create a better healing result.

Save your work

• Save the file in PSD or TIFF format to retain the separate retouching layer you created.

When Finished With Part 3, Save As With Following Name/Format

• Save As:"Act 4.3 Last Name Done".psd

• Save A Copy:"Act 4.3 Last Name Done".jpg

What you learned: 

Remove objects with the Clone Stamp tool

When to use the Clone Stamp tool

The Clone Stamp is effective when you need to copy exact detail and color from one part of an image to another area.

Use an empty layer for the Clone Stamp retouching

With the Clone Stamp tool, you can use an empty layer to keep your retouching separate from the main image.

1. Click the Add New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers panel.

2. With the new layer active, click the lock position button at the top of the Layers panel to keep the new layer aligned with the Background layer.

3. In the Options bar for the Clone Stamp tool, set the Sample menu to Current & Below to copy detail from the underlying layer and place it on the new layer.

Define a sample area, and brush new detail over the object

• With the Clone Stamp tool selected, Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (MacOS) an area of detail to set the sample point. A preview inside the Clone Stamp pointer shows the detail you will use for the retouching. The preview is useful for aligning sampled detail with other parts of the image.

• Brush over the area where you want to add the sampled detail to cover an object.  As you work, a crosshair indicates where the detail is copied from.

Inspect the results to check for repeating detail

Removing objects with the Clone Stamp tool can sometimes result in detail from the sampled area repeated where you used the tool.

• Use the Clone Stamp tool with a smaller brush size to cover up obvious, repeating details.

Save your work

• Save the file in PSD or TIFF format to retain the separate retouching layer you created.

When Finished With Part 4, Save As With Following Name/Format

• Save As:"Act 4.4 Last Name Done".psd

• Save A Copy:"Act 4.4 Last Name Done".jpg

What you learned: 

Hide unwanted content with the Patch tool

When to use the Patch Tool

The Patch tool is very effective for patching areas with a selection. It uses content-aware technology to create a smooth blend between the selection and the rest of the image.

Use a separate layer for retouching

With the Background layer active, choose Layer > New > Layer Via Copy to make a copy of the Background layer and keep your retouching separate from the main image.

Begin with a selection

The Patch tool works from a selection of the area you want to patch. You can use the Patch tool just like the Lasso tool to create the selection. You can also use any of the selection tools. The selection does not have to be precise; it can overlap into areas outside the object you want to remove.

Create a patch, or copy detail to another area in the image

The Patch tool works by dragging the selection to another area of the image. The Patch tool uses content-aware technology to create a convincing blend.

• • In the Options bar for the Patch tool, choose Normal, and select either Source or Destination.

To patch the Source (the selected area), drag the selection to an area that contains matching detail that will cover the object you want to remove.

To patch the Destination, drag the selection to another part of the image. The selected pixels are copied there.

• • Check if the patch created any repeated details that need to be touched up with the Clone Stamp tool.

Save your work

• • Save the file in PSD or TIFF format to retain the separate patch layer you created.

When Finished With Part 5, Save As With Following Name/Format

• Save As:"Act 4.5 Last Name Done".psd

• Save A Copy:"Act 4.5 Last Name Done".jpg