Nov. 2000
President's
Message
Portrait of Kathleen Berhalter
Lindsey's Digital Notes
Lindsey's Digital Notes
- Bill Lindsey
The Clone Tool...
This time, I’ll cover a special tool that is in every full-function image editing program. There are several image editing programs available today, and most are very similar. Typically, they will have tools for painting, for changing contrast and brightness and for copying and pasting. Going through all of these tools will take some explaining, but they are well worth taking the time to learn. First up is the clone tool. This is my favorite and most frequently used tool. This versatile tool can be used to duplicate eyes, clean out backgrounds, add hair to portraits of the unfortunate, straighten teeth, straighten eyes, repair torn clothing and many other tasks.
If you are using Photoshop, for instance, look for the little tools on the side of your screen and you will notice a small picture of a rubber stamp. Click on this with your mouse and the program will know you want to duplicate a portion of the image you are working on. You can select a portion of an image to duplicate simply by holding down the ALT button on the keyboard while clicking the part that you want to clone with the mouse. The next step is to move the mouse over into an area where you want to place the copied image. Position the mouse pointer over the spot where you wish to place the copy and click. By clicking repeatedly, you can place multiple “clones” of the original image as many times as you want.
You can also vary the size of the cloned area to suit your needs. This is where the associated “brush” tool comes in handy. It displays different sizes of brushes that you can use to place the chosen portion of the image on the screen. Just click on the brush size that you want, and the clone tool will paint a brush-sized image wherever the mouse is placed. A large brush might be used to add faces in group shots, while a smaller brush size might be used for adding eyes or repairing a bald spot.
There are a few more adjustments that you should know about for the clone tool. Using the "CAPS LOCK" button, you can change the little rubber stamp icon to a crosshair icon. I much prefer the crosshair since this allows me to see the target area better. Also, there is an adjustment that allows different degrees of pressure while placing the cloned image on your screen. This adjustment will allow you to vary the amount of opacity to the image and allow the image to be opaque or translucent to achieve the results you are looking for. This is the "transparency" tool and it permits varying degrees of image pressure with the clone tool.
While you are using the clone tool, you may find that you would like to see an enlarged portion of the image so you can be more precise. Well, there is such a tool made just for this purpose. It is called the magnifying tool. Yes, it even looks like a magnifying lens complete with a handle. Click on this tool, and each time you click on a designated portion of your image; it will magnify that area. If you hold down the ALT key and click, it will zoom out of the area selected.
We have only covered two tools this time, but next time I will discuss more tools that are very useful and creative. Remember, all image editing programs are similar.
Contact Bill Lindsey by e-mail at: lindsey@magpage.com