What to Check After Scaling or Rotating a Clone Source
By ImgHeal · Updated
A clone source can retain scale, rotation, alignment, or offset settings in a separate editor. Check those settings and the source overlay before repairing a different region. Transformed sampling may help align a suitable pattern, but it can also change texture scale or geometry and should not be mistaken for original detail revealed beneath damage.
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Inspect the current source state
Before painting, check the selected clone source and any scale, rotation, flip, or alignment values the tool retains. Adobe's Clone Source panel documents these controls and an overlay for previewing the sample. A setting useful for a tilted wall may be inappropriate when you move to clothing or a face. Make a small trial on a separate retouch layer rather than assuming a new sample resets every transform automatically.
Compare the sample with its destination
Look at grain size, pattern direction, edge thickness, and light falloff in the overlay and trial stroke. Keep the transformed region small enough to inspect meaningfully. Rotating or stretching a source can make it fit one line while distorting nearby marks. Do not borrow a facial feature from another region simply to complete a damaged likeness without labeling that interpretive choice. A transform changes the contribution of the sampled data.
Review repetition and reset deliberately
Toggle the repair and check the whole image for repeated motifs or mismatched texture. Record useful nondefault source settings in the project notes and reset them before an unrelated repair. Keep an editable document and a source-linked output. Inspect the final export at intended display size. If the only convincing patch requires extensive reshaping of uncertain content, consider a more restrained repair rather than treating the tool's flexibility as evidence of faithful recovery.
Before you accept this working copy
- Retained source transforms were inspected.
- Texture scale and geometry match the destination.
- Settings are reset before unrelated repairs.
Sources and further reading
- Adobe: Clone Source panelExplains source overlays, alignment, scaling, and rotation controls.
Questions about this restoration task
Will selecting a new clone sample reset its rotation?
Do not assume so. Check the editor's current source settings and preview the sample. Tool-state behavior should be verified before a new repair.
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