Spot Removal Tool in Lightroom Classic – Used to Work Better, Now Leaves Visible Artifacts

[José3386996042lw]

Hello, I’d like to report a technical issue with the "Remove" (Spot Removal) tool in Lightroom Classic.

Until a few versions ago, this tool worked quite well — even in challenging areas like skies. However, recently, when I try to remove objects like a softbox in the sky, the result leaves visible patches or smudges that don’t blend correctly with the background. This happens even after manually adjusting the sample source, switching to Clone mode, lowering the feather, or splitting the selection into smaller parts.

I’ve tested all possible settings, but the tool seems to have lost accuracy. These kinds of defects do not occur when using Photoshop’s Generative Fill, which performs the task intelligently and seamlessly.

I would like to know if this is a known issue that will be addressed, or if there are any plans to integrate Generative Fill (Firefly) into Lightroom Classic, as this would solve the problem without needing to leave the application.

Thank you for your attention — I look forward to a response or a solution.

[Ian Lyons · Accepted solution]

Your screenshots indicate that you've applied or Edited the Remove tool after the masking tool. The recommended order is Remove before Masking.

To fix the issue select the images displaying the artefacts, then choose 'Update AI Settings' from the Develop module Settings menu Cmd+Opt+U  (Mac)  Ctrl+Alt+U (Windows)