Spot and patch an image

You use the Spot & Patch adjustment controls when you need to modify a Spot & Patch adjustment that was applied using a previous version of Aperture.

Note: Aperture provides two sets of retouching controls: Retouch and Spot & Patch. In the vast majority of cases, the Retouch controls will best serve your image-repair needs. The Spot & Patch controls are included in Aperture 3 to retain the integrity of images adjusted with earlier versions of Aperture. You can often improve image repairs by removing an existing Spot & Patch repair and replacing it with a Repair or Clone adjustment performed with the Retouch tool. For more information, see Retouch an image. In a few situations, Spot & Patch is the adjustment of choice. For example, an artifact on or very near a curved edge may be more effectively removed using the Angle parameter.

The Spot & Patch adjustment provides two methods of correcting your images. When the area around the blemish is continuous (such as a solid color) and doesn’t contain a distinct texture, you can use the “spotting” method to obscure the blemish by integrating the pixels that surround it. You fix a blemish by placing the Spot & Patch target overlay over the blemish in the image and then adjusting the size of the target overlay so that it just barely covers the blemish. By keeping the target overlay small, you minimize the chance of a visual aberration in the final image.

Figure. Image before and after a Spot adjustment.

When you need to clone pixels from a different area of an image to fix the area where the blemish is, you use the “patching” method. Patching is similar to spotting, except that there are some additional steps. You first place a Spot & Patch target overlay (yellow) over the blemish, and then you place a source target overlay (white) over the area you want to clone. The pixels in the Spot & Patch target overlay are replaced by the pixels copied from the source target overlay.

Figure. Image before and after a Patch adjustment.

For both spotting and patching, Aperture provides additional parameter controls to allow you to adjust the softness, opacity, and amount of detail in the cloned pixels, so that the corrected area looks as natural as possible.

Spot an image

Select a photo.
To display the photo at full size, click the Zoom Viewer button in the tool strip or the full-screen view toolbar (or press Z).
Setting the photo to appear at full size (100 percent) prevents image scaling from obscuring details.
Choose Spot & Patch from the Add Adjustment pop-up menu in the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD.
The pointer changes to a target, and the Spot & Patch HUD appears.
Change the size of the Spot & Patch target using the Radius parameter control in the Spot & Patch HUD, or use the scroll gesture.
It’s best to adjust the size of the target overlay so that it fits the area around the blemish as tightly as possible. A tight fit minimizes visual aberrations.
Click the blemish area to place the Spot & Patch target overlay on it.
The yellow Spot & Patch target overlay is placed over the blemish, and the blemish disappears.
Note: You can always adjust the size of the target overlay and other parameters.
Repeat step 5 until all of the blemishes in your image are removed.

To view the corrected image with Spot & Patch overlays turned off, select the Selection tool in the toolstrip or the full-screen view toolbar (or press A). To turn the Spot & Patch target overlays on again, click the Spot & Patch Tool button in the Spot & Patch area of the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD.

Patch a blemish in an image

Select a photo.
To display the photo at full size, click the Zoom Viewer button in the tool strip or the full-screen view toolbar (or press Z).
Setting the photo to appear at full size (100 percent) prevents image scaling from obscuring details.
Choose Spot & Patch from the Add Adjustment pop-up menu in the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD.
The pointer changes to a target, and the Spot & Patch HUD appears.
Change the size of the Spot & Patch target using the Radius parameter control in the Spot & Patch HUD, or use the scroll gesture.
It’s best to adjust the size of the target overlay so that it fits the area around the blemish as tightly as possible. A tight fit minimizes visual aberrations.
Click the blemish area to place a Spot & Patch target overlay on it.
A yellow target overlay is placed over the blemish, and the blemish is replaced by the pixels that surround it. This yellow target overlay is the destination target overlay.
Do one of the following:
- Select the Patch checkbox in the Spot & Patch area of the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD, and drag the white source target overlay to the area you want to clone (the source area).
- Option-click the area you want to clone.
  A white source target overlay appears and is placed over the source area.
The pixels within the source target overlay are copied and replace the pixels within the destination target overlay, patching the blemish.
Note: You can always adjust the size of the target overlay and other parameters.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until all blemishes are removed from your image.

Change the size of an existing Spot & Patch target overlay

To display the image at full size (100 percent), click the Zoom Viewer button in the tool strip or the full-screen view toolbar (or press Z).
Click a Spot & Patch target overlay to select it.
A hand icon appears to indicate that you can select the Spot & Patch target overlay rather than place a new one.
In the Spot & Patch area of the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD, use the Radius parameter controls to adjust the size of the Spot & Patch target overlay.

Modify a Spot & Patch overlay’s settings

You can change the settings for a Spot & Patch target overlay using controls in the Spot & Patch area of the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD.

To adjust the softness of pixels in a Spot & Patch target overlay: Use the Softness parameter controls.
The Softness parameter controls the blending of pixels between the center of the Spot & Patch target overlay and the circumference. The higher the Softness parameter value, the closer to the center the pixel blending occurs. The lower the parameter value, the less pixel blending occurs, resulting in a “hard edge.”
To adjust the opacity of cloned pixels in a Spot & Patch target overlay: Use the Opacity parameter controls.
The Opacity parameter controls how much the original pixels are hidden by the cloned pixels. The higher the Opacity parameter value, the more the cloned pixels obscure the original pixels.
To adjust the amount of detail in cloned pixels in a Spot & Patch target overlay: Use the Detail parameter controls.
The Detail parameter controls the amount of detail, such as texture or grain, that is preserved in the cloned pixels.
To adjust the angle of the cloned pixels within a destination target overlay: Use the Angle parameter controls.
The Angle parameter controls the angle of the cloned pixels within a destination target overlay (for patch adjustments only). This is particularly useful if you’re cloning an area that has a visual element, such as a pattern or line, that is at a different angle from elements in the destination area. The Angle controls allow you to match the angle of the pixels within the destination target overlay.

Move a Spot & Patch target overlay

Make sure the Spot & Patch HUD is shown, and place the Spot & Patch target over the Spot & Patch target overlay you want to move until a hand icon appears.
Drag the Spot & Patch target overlay to reposition it.

Delete a Spot & Patch target overlay

Do one of the following:

Select a Spot & Patch target overlay in the image, and click the Delete button in the Spot & Patch area of the Adjustments inspector or the Adjustments pane of the Inspector HUD.
Command-click the Spot & Patch target overlay.