Rubber Stamp is a great tool for removing unwanted parts of an image, or adding something that wasn't there. It can clone from one part of the image (the source) to another part (the destination). It can even clone from one image into another.
First, after you select the Rubber Stamp tool, you have to select the Source. This is the origin from where you want to start cloning. You can always select the origin with a Right mouse click on the praticular section of the image, or when using it the first time after selecting the Rubber Stamp icon, even a left-click will select the origin.
The origin (Source) will be marked by a small cross. The next step is to click with left mouse button somewhere else on the image - this location becomes the Destination. Next, as you hold the mouse button down and move, the cross will move along with it as well. You will clone the part under the Source (the cross) to the Destination location.
In this manner, you can cover one area of the image with another part of the image.
Rubber Stamp has a few options:
Aligned - the cross (the Source) will remain its distance from the mouse cursor (the Destination) even after you release the mouse. If you uncheck this option, the source will return to its original position as soon as you release the mouse. (that is, to the position where you right-click it)
Feedback - this option controls whether the source will also see the pixels you are painting at the moment, or the Source will not see it untill you release the mouse. See example.
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| We paint a line and then select the source in the middle of the line. Now we move the Rubber Stamp cursor on the right, click and drag to the right. |
With Unchecked Feedback, the cursor copy what is under the source, but without picking up the new pixels we are painting. | With Feedback on, the Source also sees the pixels we are painting right now - so it performs the feedback, painting in a loop as we drag the mouse. |
Wrap - When the source goes outside of the image and Wrap is off, nothing will be drawn in the destination. If we set Wrap On, the source cross will appear on the other side of the image.
What is Rubber Stamp good for ?
Rubber Stamp is an excellent tool for retouching. Since everything repeats in nature - we can always find something to cover unwanted parts of an image without the image appearing retouched. The easiest patterns are in nature, a bit more complex patterns are man made - like bricks - where we have to align the Source and Destination very closely.
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| Removing people from backgrounds is easy, there is usually plenty of material around. Don't forget the reflections in the water! | If we do the job right, no trails of retouching will be discernable even in extreme close up. |
Photo Montage
We can also use stamp to clone from one image into another. This is the best way to bring something from one image to another. We work the same way generally, but we choose the Source on one image and the destination on another.
For this retouching method to look natural, we have to choose images with simillar light conditions and the same direction of light.
A Photo-Montage done with Rubber Stamp. We cloned the image from the left to the image on the right.
Using Stamp and Brush Cloning
This is different than normal clonning. See more info in Clone Tool.