jteee Loc: Montana

I am an LR/PS subscription holder, and have used LR for a few years now. After watching a demo of PS, I realize I now need to add PS to my workflow on occasion. In doing so, I don't think my Clone Stamp tool is working, but am not smart enough to know for sure, and/or, know what to do about it. All the tutorials indicate that all you do is alt click a sample area, then paint that over the area to be repaired. First I couldn't get the tool to select a sample area, then, after looking in the Preference pull down(but not really changing anything), it seemed to work (but not really like I had thought it would). Yesterday, when I went to use the tool again (on a different photo), no matter where I attempted to select a sample area, I wound up with a sample from the photo that I had used yesterday. That sample still wouldn't paint on the photo. So, I'm hoping that someone here, can shed some light on this. I have to assume that the tool isn't working, but don't know what to do about it. Thanks for any help.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Reset the tool. Sometimes they get confused and need to be reset. Select the clone stamp tool. Go to the top of the tools and click on the little down facing arrow until a dialog box opens click on the gear, another dialog box will open and select reset tool.

Also, always try to reboot your computer if things don't work. 90% of the time a reboot fixes things.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

You should be able to "alt click" and paint. Can you post a screen shot of the settings along the top. Most important I think are opacity and flow.

Once in awhile I'll read posts here and elsewhere that when Photoshop is having strange behavior, it is necessary to "reset" the preferences. I've not done it. (Yet!) I might have to look it up, but I think you can do Edit > Preferences > General and find the tab that says "Reset Preferences on Quit".

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

That sounds better than my suggestion.

fish2live Loc: Fla keys

Sometimes if you are trying to clone on an adjustment layer you are Alt/clicking on a basically empty layer. just a mask over the background, there will be nothing there to sample.

jteee Loc: Montana

Jeep_daddy and fish2live seem to be spot on. Thank you. I think that both situations were present. I needed to reset the tool, which got it to work (although there seem to be some quirks that will require some practice to get used to). But I also believe that I was attempting to clone on a masked layer, which seems to have been clarified by fish2live. Thanks for your help. I will continue on into the deep dark abyss of PS!!

fish2live Loc: Fla keys

Glad I could help. Happy Cloning

Jim-Pops Loc: Granbury, Texas

Here are basic rules. If they don't make since please ask for more information. You can always find more information using YouTube.com, my go to source for better understanding of a problem area I might be having. Jim

(Download)

jteee Loc: Montana

Thanks much. Your screen shot was also helpful. I had kind of ignored this UHH Category since I can get around in LR pretty well, but will now be a more devoted follower of these threads.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

jteee,

Not being anything close to an Elements expert, I have many times experienced "clone failure", and only after some time with considerable discussion of the tool's ancestry, realized that I was trying to clone from a layer.

With practice and remembering some advice an Army Sargent gave me years ago, I have learned to come to terms with Elements' "quirks"."Don't let it bother you, Lt, if everything worked right the first time, it wouldn't be any fun!"