Understanding the Healing Brush tool

[LucasBS]

I'm trying to figure out the exact behavior of the Healing Brush tool.

- HOW does the texture we pick up with Alt key influences on the brush ?

- How can I control the strength, if the hardness is already zero and it completely "replaces" the target texture ?

- It seems like the pixels around and far from the brush get "sucked in" on the brush. How can I control the radius that this tool seeks for these pixels ?

- How does the Spacing influences on the brush ? It seems like a continuous tool, not discrete.

[Sahil.Chawla]

Hi there,

You may have alook at this article & the video to know how the Healing Brush Tool works: https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/retouching-repairing-images.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2aRd3VFs68

Regards,
Sahil

[War Unicorn]

In addition to what Sahil said:

-If you make a new layer above and set "Sample" in the options bar to "Current & Below," Photoshop will use the layer beneath as a reference for healing but keep it entirely separate on the new layer. (Just be sure to target the new layer first.)

-Spacing is self-explanatory: The higher the percentage, the less Photoshop will make an instance of a sample. (Try using the above "Current & Below" method to see this in action with various percentages. Target the new layer, use the Healing Brush, then turn the original layer off to see the results.)

-You're free to use the various blend modes (whether it be in the Options bar or in the Layers panel). Using something like the "Soft Light," "Screen," "Multiply," or "Overlay" blend modes can help dial in the effect, depending on need. (e.g., If a particular image has light and dark areas, you could try painting with "Screen" on a dark area; sometimes, it can look better than if the blend mode was set to, "Normal."

[jane-e]

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@LucasBS wrote:

How can I control the strength?

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The only way I know to control the strength is to go to Edit > Fade and drop the opacity. You can also change the Blending Mode in this dialog. This has to be the very next thing you do after using the Healing Brush or it won't be available.

Jane