How to Retouch Photo Using Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop

The Clone Stamp tool is a powerful tool in Adobe Photoshop that allows you to copy pixels from one part of an image and paste them onto another part of the same image. This can be extremely useful for editing photos, as it allows you to remove blemishes, objects, and other imperfections from your images.

In this tutorial, we will show you how to use the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop to retouch your photos. We will cover how to select the Clone Stamp tool, how to set your options, and how to use the tool to clone areas of your image. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a good understanding of how to use the Clone Stamp tool to retouch your photos and improve their overall quality.

Here is the step by step detail on how to retouch photo using Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop :

1. Open the photo in Photoshop you want to work with for the tutorial (go to the file menu in Photoshop and select open, from the open dialogue box select your desired file and click open.

2. Make a duplicate layer of the image by going to the layer palette and clicking & draging the background layer into the "Create a new Layer" box (located at the bottom of the layer palette and 2nd one from the right hand side). Take off the original background layer by clicking on its visibility icoon. This way we can preserve the original layer and will be working with the duplicate one. Look at the picture below to get a live view.

3. Select the "Clone Stamp Tool (S)" from the tool box (if you can't see the tool box, go to window menu and select "Tools"). Click right button on your mouse and a window will pop up where we can resize the clone tool depending on the spot size we are going to remove and as well as the hardness we need to select into 0% in this case. Now we are ready to start retouch and cleaning the spots.

4. Keep in mind that we have to clean every single spot one by one. Not all spots we can remove at a single click. So, decide which perticular spot you are going to touch up first, then press "Alt" on your keybord and click on the fresh portion of the image nearest to the spot where you think the color density is very similar. Release the "Alt" key and click on the spot. You are successfully removed the spot. Take a look at the image below.

5. In the same manner, touch up all the spots within the image. One thing I want to notice that, make your tool size perfect (a little bit bigger than spot) and choose the appropriate hardness of the tool. If these things are not choosen appropriately, your image may not look professional after you have done.

Hopping the above tutorial helps you to handle retouching in photoshop.

Why You Need to Retouch a Photo?

There are several reasons why you might need to retouch a photo:

To improve the overall quality and appearance of the image. This could include removing blemishes, smoothing out skin, and enhancing colors and contrast.

To remove distracting elements from the photo. This could include removing clutter or unwanted objects in the background, or removing blemishes or scratches on the subject of the photo.

To create a specific aesthetic or look for the photo. This could include adding filters or effects to create a certain mood or style.

To prepare the photo for a specific purpose, such as printing or posting online. This could include resizing or cropping the image to fit a specific aspect ratio or resolution.

Overall, retouching a photo can help to make it look more polished and professional, and can help to enhance the overall message or storytelling of the image.