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Alt-click not working for clone stamp. Frustration ++++

Community Beginner ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Ridiculous levels of frustration.

Alt-click has stopped selecting area of image when using the clone stamp. Any image, any layer and in images with ony background layer.

I am using a yoga 12 with wacom digitizer, Win 10 x64, i5 with 8gb Ram

Problem occurred previously and a rollback of an apparently unrelated software installation cured it.

Have tried (as per plethora of suggestions):

  • reset tool
  • reset preferences
  • uninstall recent software x3
  • reinstall Photoshop CC
  • in Clone source box "clipped" is selected but layer title does not appear when trying to select.
  • Brush dynamics set to off
  • target does appear when alt-clicking but on trying to subsequently clone error message pops up

"Could not use the clone stamp because the area to be cloned could not be defined. (Alt click to define a source point)"

Any other ideas??? All assistance greatly appreciated.

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Community Beginner , Mar 13, 2017 Mar 13, 2017

Hi everyone,

If you are having same problem. On Photoshop CC at least. The solution as given to me from Adobe is if you get this problem.

With clone stamp selected - press alt key by itself and release. Then try to select clone area,(alt-click) you should find that it works. It has worked for me after trying every other possible solution.

(From reading various forums the problem seems to be that other software associates itself with the alt key making it unavailable to photoshop, perhaps the sing

...

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Community Expert ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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In your options bar you have the tool set to current layer. However, you have the bottom layer active with 2 layers above turned on. Change the setting to all layers...Screen Shot 2017-03-10 at 12.22.23 PM.png


Melissa Piccone | Adobe Trainer | Pluralsight Author | Fine Artist

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Hi,

Not the problem I am afraid

Same problem with background image, no layers.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Thought for sure that was it! I don't know what else could be the problem...


Melissa Piccone | Adobe Trainer | Pluralsight Author | Fine Artist

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Thanks anyway

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New Here ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Does your Atl key work with other software?

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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yes - no problem.

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Community Expert ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Just a thought.

Right click on Windows Start button and choose Control Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access Centre > Set up Sticky keys.

If  "Turn on Sticky Keys" is checked - uncheck it

Dave

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 13, 2017 Mar 13, 2017

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Thanks but Sticky keys not activated.

Cheers,

Mark

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New Here ,
Mar 10, 2017 Mar 10, 2017

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Well, you didn't exact state that you've tried this, so the only thing I would suggest is to reset all tools (not just the clone stamp tool). Sorry for your aggravation.

Good luck

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Community Beginner ,
Mar 13, 2017 Mar 13, 2017

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Hi everyone,

If you are having same problem. On Photoshop CC at least. The solution as given to me from Adobe is if you get this problem.

With clone stamp selected - press alt key by itself and release. Then try to select clone area,(alt-click) you should find that it works. It has worked for me after trying every other possible solution.

(From reading various forums the problem seems to be that other software associates itself with the alt key making it unavailable to photoshop, perhaps the single alt key press re-associates it)

This does not appear to be documented anywhere on forums or elsewhere.

Thanks to those above that made helpful suggestions.

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Explorer ,
Oct 27, 2018 Oct 27, 2018

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This solution doesn't work with Elements 19. I tried closing 19 and and opened Elements 10, which I kept in case version 19 had problems. The Alt button still works with Clone as it should in Elements 10, but not in 19.

(BTW, I've also had problems with Elements 19 not "Auto Creating" a collage or something from my photo files. I added about 72 a couple of weeks ago, and still nothing.) 

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Explorer ,
Oct 27, 2018 Oct 27, 2018

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Oops, spoke to soon!

Opened Elements 19 after closing my earlier post, and the Atl key now captures the clone as it should. Don't know why.

(The "Auto Creation" problem still exists, though.)

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New Here ,
Apr 16, 2019 Apr 16, 2019

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Hello,

I stumbled on your post because I had the same issue. I just installed the driver to my wacom and thats when the issue popped up. In the
Wacom Tablet Properties there's an option in the Express Keys that utilises Alt. I just disabled that one and it fixed the problem for me!

Hope this helps

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 09, 2024 Jan 09, 2024

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Just found this answer which works.  Yeay!!!
 
 
 
Rozzar1_0-1704835865927.png

 

New Here , 
Jun 11, 2017

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I've been having that problem and just realised that if I use the Alt key left of the space bar vs the right Alt key next to the space bar, it works....

Simple solution hopefully

 

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New Here ,
Jun 11, 2017 Jun 11, 2017

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I've been having that problem and just realised that if I use the Alt key left of the space bar vs the right Alt key next to the space bar, it works....

Simple solution hopefully

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New Here ,
Mar 07, 2020 Mar 07, 2020

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wow that solved the problem for me! except the right alt key worked for me, and not the left

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 11, 2021 Jun 11, 2021

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Yay! That worked for me too. Awesome!

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Community Beginner ,
Jan 09, 2024 Jan 09, 2024

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That is extraordinary.  IT WORKS!  My goodness, I've spent hours trying to figure it out.  Thank you so much.

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New Here ,
Feb 04, 2024 Feb 04, 2024

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LATEST

It worked! Thank you 🙂

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New Here ,
Nov 21, 2017 Nov 21, 2017

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Hi,

Give this a try:

We found a temporary solution at work that gets rid of this annoying issue.

Go here: https://code.google.com/archive/p/apssistant/downloads

And download the latest version: APssistant 0.8.0.0.7z

Unpack the zip file -> run config -> disable the things in the hotkey tab (I don't know what they do) -> make sure "disable alt menu" is checked in the "anti-disturb" tab -> In the general tab, press "browse" and find photoshop 2018 (program files -> adobe -> photoshop cc 2018 -> photoshop) and select it.

And there you go, it works as normal again. At least I haven't run into any issues yet.

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Participant ,
Sep 03, 2018 Sep 03, 2018

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Here we are four years down the pike from when this issue first raised its ugly head and folks are still being tripped up. Like me. I fixed it with a fluke keyboard combination. I pressed both alt keys and then pressed them again while clicking and I got a sample area like I was supposed to. But I cannot reproduce the effect. I can only clone from the one source spot where I got lucky. I think we could use a well understood fix. I can't use Ps the way it is.

P.S. I know for certainty that Ps sees the Alt press. I know because I see the lifesaver when I left click. Actually, for a moment after, I see the new sample under the brush, but it is back to the old sample in less than a second. It is not another application.

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New Here ,
Apr 10, 2019 Apr 10, 2019

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Just in case this works as a fix for anyone who has tried the above solutions and still cannot get alt + click to work (like myself), try alt option + alt + click.

This works for me.

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New Here ,
Apr 25, 2019 Apr 25, 2019

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go to

setting - Ease of Access  -  Narrator  -  (Use the narrator to read and interact with your device) OFF

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New Here ,
Jun 29, 2020 Jun 29, 2020

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Finally cracked it! Drove me crazy It's as simple as using Command-Click instead of Alt-click)

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