Retouching

Retouching can be performed with a soft brush, the size of which  can be set using the slider or the mouse wheel + [Ctrl]  key. Also, you can create a custom brush via polygon selection which can be made soft and/or transparent as required.

Retouching is performed using the left mouse button. The right button serves to restore retouched areas to their original state, using the same sized brush. You can use the arrow keys to position the brush exactly.


Brighten

The image area covered by the brush is lightened. By going over an area more than once you can increase the effect.


Darken

The image area covered by the brush is darkened. By going over an area more than once you can increase the effect.


Draw

After selecting a color using [Shift] + left mouse button or via the color dropdown list you can draw freehand on the image.

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Duplicate and Repair

The functions Duplicate and Repair enable you to copy parts of an image to other parts. In each case a source area must first be defined. Select the reference point, i.e. start point, by pointing at part of the image while pressing [Ctrl] + left mouse button. Checking the fixed box ensures that the same fixed reference point is used. I.e., every time the brush is reapplied the function draws from this same reference point. Otherwise, it always uses the stretch between the reference point and the first point of application of the brush. In this way larger areas such as an expanse of grass can be retouched.

As an alternative to the round brush, the free brush is well suited for cloning or repairing large irregular areas.

The program stores the last used reference point after the Retouch dialog is closed, so you can transfer image elements from one image to another. However, it is not retained from one PhotoPerfect session to another.


Duplicate

The duplicate function allows you to copy image areas 1:1 to another part. Color, brightness and texture are fully maintained.


Repair

This function differs from Duplicate in that you can copy areas  without leaving visible transition edges. Only the texture of an image area is transmitted to another. The color and brightness, on the other hand, flow from the edge of the target area into the clone area.


Tip:

The Repair function is especially useful for reducing skin blemishes and wrinkles or to eliminate image errors.


Note

This function requires a great deal of processing, so it may take some seconds for larger areas to be treated.


Remove

Removes objects within the brush area by simple stamping out. Color and brightness flow from the edge of the remove area inwards, so that seamless brightness transitions result. However, existing structures are completely removed.


Tip:

Remove is well suited for covering small or very narrow elements such as scratches and other blemishes on old photos or electricity cables.

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Sharpen

The area covered by this brush is sharpened. The effect can be increased by going over the area several times.


Soften

The area covered by this brush is softened. The effect can be increased by going over the area several times.

Red eyes effect

This brush converts the areas covered to grayscale. It can be used to correct red eye effect exactly or remove color fringes.


Free brush shape

Uses the last brush to be created using Define Brush.


Define Brush

To perform special tasks, a custom brush can be defined via polygon selection. Frequently used brushes can be saved for re-use. It helps to reserve a folder specially for brushes, which can then be entered into the Path Favorites so that it can  be accessed quickly and easily.

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Soft

Normally, custom defined brushes draw a hard edge. As such an edge can be inconvenient, e.g. for cloning, you can specify soft edges by checking this box.

Transparent

You can set a custom defined brush to 50% transparency so that it is only partially applied. The transparency becomes less and less the more often you apply the brush to the same area.


Visible

This option can be checked to enable you to keep track of the current content of the brush, e.g. to aid in positioning.

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Accept

Saves the retouching operation which you have just carried out. In this way you can continue with another operation without having to close and reopen the dialog.

Undo/Redo

Resets or restores the changes which have been taken on.

see also:

Keyboard Assignments