The Patch Tool

In this Photoshop tutorial, Karsten Franke gives step-by-step instructions regarding image repair with the patch tool.

The patch tool is another Photoshop repair tool that combines the selection behavior of the Lasso tool with the color blending properties of the healing brush tool. In a previous Photoshop tutorial with the healing brush tool, Franke worked with empty layers for his adjustments, but here with the patch tool, empty adjustment layers are not possible, therefore a copy of the background layer must first be made.

Franke shows that repairing parts of an image takes only a few seconds by following two simple steps. First select an area that you want to use as the area to be fixed. Then, drag the patch tool selection to another part of the image that has about the same color and texture as the area you want to replace. Release the mouse button and the patch tool completes the job.

In conclusion, this tool is ideal if your image has cracks, or stains, or blemishes etc. It is very similar to the healing brush tool except with the patch tool you can define a selection where you want the effects applied.