The Healing Brush works by borrowing or sampling image information from one spot, and then using that information to neatly cover or repair an unwanted blemish or region in another area. The healing brush gets its name from its ability to blend (heal) the texture, shading, and colour of the borrowed data into its new destination. Aside from this characteristic, the healing brush is much like the Clone Stamp.

 

To use the Healing Brush, first select it from the toolbox. The symbol for the healing brush looks like a small bandage.

 

 

 

 

The next step is to configure your options for the healing brush in the options bar. You can set up your brush by clicking the small down pointing arrow in the Brush section of the options bar

 

This will reveal the set of options shown above. You may notice that this set of brush options is slightly different from what you have seen before.

 

You can adjust the size and hardness of your brush with the slider switches, or enter values directly in the fields provided. The Spacing slider will control the brush coverage when you make a stroke. If you use a large spacing (greater than 30%) you may see gaps in your stroke or bubbles at the edge of your stroke.

 

You can change the roundness of your brush tip and the angle of the brush by mouse-dragging the circle and cross graphic that is located in the white square. If you drag the arrowhead part of the cross, you can rotate the circle and cross to change the angle. If you drag the circle by the black dots where the line crosses the circles edge, you can change the roundness of the circle. You can also enter values for the angle and roundness directly into the fields provided if you wish. The drop list at the bottom of the box labelled Size is for use with a graphics tablet if you have one.

 

In the Mode section of the options bar, you can click the drop list arrow to reveal choices for the blending mode the healing brush will use. Next to the mode section, you will see two radio buttons; one called Sampled, and one called Pattern. If you select Sampled, the image data for your brush strokes will come from a specific area of the image that you sample from. If you select Pattern, you can choose from a preset list of patterns for your image data; or you can specify your own pattern.

 

If you place a check in the Aligned checkbox, the sample area that is used as your source (indicated by a cross hair) will move uniformly with your mouse pointer when you drag it around the image. If the aligned box is clear, the sample cross hairs will return to the original spot you sampled (Alt + clicked) whenever you release the left mouse button.

 

The basics of using the healing brush are fairly straightforward. First, select the healing brush and specify your brush size and blend mode (normal for smooth blending). Next, press the Alt key and click your left mouse button on a spot in the image that you want to sample. The image data under your mouse pointer when you sample (Alt + click) will then be used to paint or cover the image region that you drag your mouse pointer over. The healing brush will blend the sampled image data with the rest of the surrounding image, based on the pixel values.

 

If you put a check in the Use All Layers checkbox, you will be able to apply the Healing Brush to a single layer. This can be helpful as it enables you to create and alter a layer with the healing brush tool, without affecting the underlying photo. However, the sample data for the cloning process can be taken from multiple layers.

 

 

In the image on the left, the hat and the doorknob were removed with the healing brush tool.

 

Be careful when using the healing brush on or near edges or other high contrast areas. The healing (pixel blending) effect can leave strange results around edges and areas with strong colour differences.

 

When you first sample some image data, a cross (+) will appear over the sampled spot. As you drag your mouse pointer, the cross will move in the same directions that you drag. The image data under the cross will be what is painted under your mouse pointer. It is a good idea to keep an eye on this cross as you use the healing brush, to see what data you are painting with.

 

You do not have to sample your data from the same image that you are retouching. If you have two images open, you can sample from one and paint to another if you wish, just so long as the images have the same bit depth and colour mode. If you are using two images, it is advisable that the colour and content of the two images is at the least similar. If the images are too different, the blending may create strange results.  

 

When you use the healing brush, you can first make a selection around the region that is being retouched with one of the many selection tools. When you paint with the healing brush, your strokes will be confined to the selected area.