Photoshop Elements 7.0

[Ric]

I installed the new version of Elements 7.0 about a week ago. And tonight was editing a couple pictures trying to use the cloning or healing tool and for some reason its not working right. The earlier version I had did work. When installing the new version do those setting need to be adjusted somehow? I tried a couple different brushes but still nothing. I'm sure there is something that is not clicked or adjusted right. Any ideas I can try?

[Barb O]

I installed the new version of Elements 7.0 about a week ago. And tonight was editing a couple pictures trying to use the cloning or healing tool and for some reason its not working right. The earlier version I had did work. When installing the new version do those setting need to be adjusted somehow? I tried a couple different brushes but still nothing. I'm sure there is something that is not clicked or adjusted right. Any ideas I can try?

Ric,

I have seen some posts with similar complaints about "tempermental" clone stamp or healing tool that are over on the Adobe forum and frequently they mention v7.

The following are standard troubleshooting actions when a tool fails rather than specific to the clone and healing tools. However, I have seen these actions recommended for v7 with symptoms like yours. First use the "Reset Tool" at the extreme left of the Options Bar which is above the photo when the tool is active. If that does not work, exit PS Elements and restart the Editor while holding down the Ctrl+Alt+Shift keys ad you should see a dialog box asking if you want to delete the Elements settings - say yes.

Post back with your results.

[Steve Grisetti]

Also, make sure you're actually on the clone tool and not the pattern clone tool.

Click and hold your mouse button down on the clone tool icon and you'll see both options.

The brush tool is like that too. Sometimes, without knowing it, you'll have accidentally switched to one of the other brush tool options (either by clicking on the tool or accidentally using a shortcut key) and the results won't be what you'll expect.

With the clone tool, pressing the S key can toggle between the two tools.

The healing tool also has two options.

[Ric]

Thanks guys and gals. When I get home tonight I will try you request. I'm sure it is something little that maybe I miss clicked.

[Bill Hunt]

Along with the other suggestions, make sure that you have the image Layer active. Do not know the structure of PSE, but in PS, it's all too easy to have, say and Adjustment Layer active. I also do not know how PSE handles the Background Layer, but in PS, I almost always convert it to a regular Layer, so that all "locked" features, specific to the Background Layer, will be unlocked.

Spent 5 mins. with the Clone Stamp the other day, and couldn't figure out why I wasn't seeing my work. I was in an Adjustment Layer's Mask!

Hunt

[Ric]

I have been missing with the clone and healing tools. I had the wrong brush picked I guess. I changed to some different shape and the cloning tool started cloned kind of weird. Hard round was the default and did not work. So I changed to hard mechincial 36 and the clone tools work. Is the a certain brush or size that should be used?

[RJ Johnston]

I suppose there will be different techniques based on what you are trying to cover up. For a telephone line, the clone size should just cover the diameter of the line, which is very small. The smaller the better, I say. The larger you go, the more problems you'll have with variations in textures and shadows and highlights and such.

[Barb O]

I usually use a soft brush for the Clone Stamp but I doubt that there is just one correct choice. Also be aware of what is set for Aligned when using the Clone Stamp or the Healing Brush. I referenced pages 259 and 261 of the PSE 7 Missing Manual for descriptions of Aligned:
Aligned
...If you turn on the Aligned checkbox, Elements keeps sampling new material at a uniform distance from your cursor as you clone.
...If you leave Aligned turned off, all the material comes from the area where you first defined your source point. .. (However) you can still change your source point by Alt+clicking another spot...

Which setting to use does depend on the nature of the modification. The Missing Manual does mention that often you can get better results with aligned turned off and controling when the source point changes yourself.

[Bill Hunt]

Each subject will have its own requirements, as to brush size, shape and other aspects of its design. For general work, I have a brush with softer edges, but not the full range of softness. As for size, I wear out my [ and ] keys, changing as I go. Same for the Opacity of the Clone.

Prior to CS (IIRC) Opacity was the only numerical control on the brushes, but now with Flow, one still has to toggle between those two boxes to use the keypad numbers. The addition of Flow is nice, but I wish I could lock into Opacity and keep it there by default. I use the keypad for the Opacity settings, like the [ and ] keys for brush size. These increment up and down. One can pick, say a 10 pxl. bursh, then hit [ a few times to drop it down, or ] to size it up.

Also, be a ware of the differences in exactly how the Clone Tool works vs the Healing Tools. Again, the subject matter will often dictate when to use one, as opposed to the other. An example would be a power cord, running over a carpeted area, but behind a table leg, and over a baseboard. For most of the length of the cord, the Healing Tool would work best, with samples taken on the carpet. (I sample a lot). When one gets near the table leg, or the baseboard, however, the Healing Tool starts to pick up adjoining lightness/darkness and contrast from these other objects. I'll switch to Clone and run it down the table leg, just large enough to extend to some of the carpet. Same for the baseboard. Then, in the now "cloned" carpet, I'll go back with the Healing Tool. With the inclusion of the cross-hairs in the brushes, it is so much easier hitting the right pixels for both the sample and the subject, and still seeing the brush size.

I also use Selections all of the time, when using the Clone Tool to keep areas safe. In general, I find that a 1 pxl. feather on the Selection works well, though sometimes that gets changed to 0, or up to 2-3 pxls.

Hunt