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imagenry_b
Known Participant
August 4, 2023
Answered

How to restore back erased areas using the eraser

  • August 4, 2023
  • 3 replies
  • 15204 views

Hello I'm on Windows 10, my question

how can I restore erased elements the way I want (without using history).

In other words I want to use the eraser to trace some areas back just like the stamp clone feature but without cloning the area insteade recovering back the original part that was erased.

Should I use 2 layers in here? how many ways can I achieve that?

 

 

    Correct answer D Fosse

    I'm hesitant to say this, because I don't want to encourage bad habits, but you can use the History brush. It will do what you want, up to the number of history states you have set - but onlly as long as the document remains open.

     

    Still, the proper and sensible way to do it is with layer masks.

    3 replies

    J
    junaidi_2042
    Participant
    March 25, 2025

     

    I
    imagenry_bAuthor
    Known Participant
    August 6, 2023

    Ok is there any tool similar to eraser that can restore the erased part.

    EG. a brush that is dedicated to brings back what I'v delete by painting the erased material.

    I agree with you that create mask is essential but what about a specific toll that can heal the erased area?

    EG. instead of using the brush tool to paint a specific color instead I can use it to restore the erased area?

    Chuck Uebele
    Community Expert
    Chuck UebeleCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    August 6, 2023

    As @D Fosse mentioned, you need to use layer mask. You can use color range to make a selection of the image, then use a brush to either mask that color out or to paint it back in.

      I
      imagenry_bAuthor
      Known Participant
      August 24, 2023

      I created this file with a layer mask and I just brushed an area. However, I want to bring back the leaves in the tree.

      So now I hold the shift key and click on the layer mask. This shows the entire image. A red X appears on the layer mask.

      Then I choose Color Range, from the Select menu and click on the colors that I want to select. In this case the green of the leaves.

      The I get the marching ants for my selection. I press shift and click on the layer mask again, but this time it turns on the mask, and I can see where I painted that masked out the area.

      To see better what I'm doing, I press ctrl/cmd-H to hide the marching ants. Then I use the paint brush with white to paint back in the leaves.


      Thanks Chuck Ubele for your illistration. I follow with you until the 3d step where you opened the "Color Range" so you mentioned the green color. In here did you used the "Sampled Color" then you brushed the earased part?

      I use it but the color isn't the same because it was sampled from closer color.

      also in the 4th step you mentioned the marching ants for selection what is this is used for? 

      D Fosse
      Community Expert
      D FosseCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      August 4, 2023

      This is why we use layer masks instead of erasing pixels.

       

      You can't go back except via History as long as the document is still open. Once closed, it's gone.

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