Practical_Photoshop__Issue_77__August_2017

1
MAKING A
SELECTION
You can make a
lasso-like selection
with the Patch tool
over the problem
area, or use another
selection method
then switch to the
Patch tool. With the
selection made, drag
the patch to a similar
area nearby to
sample it. Where you
drag is important:
look for a similar
but clear area, and
follow the lines and
shapes in the scene.
PHOTOSHOP
ANATOMY
2 3
1
4 5
6
6
BLEND A PATTERN
Click Use Pattern
and your selection
is filled with the
current pattern in
the pattern picker.
This might seem to
have limited use,
but it can be helpful
if you need to add
a texture to part of
your image. More
possibilities open
up if you define an
image as a pattern
then sample it.
2
CONTENT-AWARE
PATCH MODE
Set the tool to
Content-Aware and
it will analyze the
surrounding pixels
to deduce what to
keep in the area
being patched. It’s
handy when details
around the selected
area need to be
preserved. It lets
you patch onto an
empty layer when
Sample All Layers
is ticked.
3
CONTROL THE
STRUCTURE
Structure
determines how
strictly the tool (in
Content-Aware
mode) preserves
details. It’s not
always easy to
figure out which
level is best for your
image. If in doubt,
try it at 7, then undo
and try it at 1 to see
which works better.
Here, a low setting
worked best.
4
NORMAL
PATCH MODE
Content-Aware
Patch mode isn’t
always best: Normal
mode can be just as
useful. When Normal
mode is selected,
the tool behaves
much like the Clone
tool, in that the
main part of your
selection is simply
copied across,
but the edges are
blended with the
surrounding pixels.
5
SOURCE OR
DESTINATION
In Normal mode, you
can choose Source
or Destination. This
affects how your
initial selection is
used. With Source,
you select the
problem area then
drag to a clean area
nearby to fix it. With
Destination, it’s vice
versa: the selected
area is preserved,
while the draggedto
area is affected.