Ben Alder Posted June 11, 2010 Share Posted June 11, 2010 Can anyone suggest a simple editing package that has a cloning option? I don't do much to published pictures here beyond straightening, if required, and cropping to suit, but due to hidden tracks, some backscenes are removable, and the joins are painfully obvious.These are blended in with an airbrush ATM, but I watched my local copyshop magician tidy up some pictures I took of 70013 at Waverley recently, removing unwanted intrusions with the cloning tool, and it seemed a useful addition to the digital workbench. There are lots of options out there, and I tried two or three downloads, which did many things, but not what I wanted, so any help gratefully accepted. Would it be too mean of me to look for a free version Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold DaveF Posted June 11, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11, 2010 GIMP which is a free download has a clone tool, in fact it is very versatile indeed once you have found your way round it. If you Google GIMP you will find full details of it, its features and how to download it. I did try it once on my laptop while I was waiting for work to put a copy of Photoshop on it. If I had persevered I think I would have been happy using GIMP, but as I sometimes use Photoshop for work naturally I use it now for everything. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 Another vote for the GIMP here. You won't find a better free photo editing solution. The following photo was doctored with the GIMP clone tool. Bob Moore who produces the lining pens is a superb engineer and one of his loco's - a Johnson Compound is displayed in the NRM. Unfortunately it's displayed in a cabinet with a dirty great bar obscuring the loco. This is the original shot and close up of the tender After a little bit of playing with the GIMP clone tool I ended up with this. However if you are going to do any photo manipulation - cloning / masking / brushing etc. then you need to have a Wacom pen tablet. You simply cannot do it justice with a mouse. Don't waste any money on any other tablet as they frequently work by having batteries in the pen which make it heavy. The Wacom pen tablets do not have batteries in the pen and so they are as light as a normal biro. The tip of the pen is pressure sensitive so for photo's when you are applying gradient masks or clones you can feather in the effect, which is not possible using a mouse. Regards Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I'm also happy to recommend GIMP. It has all the really useful tools of brand name photo editing software and considerably fewer useless ones There's also quite good resources as to how to use it online. I think there might be a few books as well. However if you are going to do any photo manipulation - cloning / masking / brushing etc. then you need to have a Wacom pen tablet. You simply cannot do it justice with a mouse. I'd completely disagree with that. A graphics tablet is a nice tool, but in no way essential for photo editing. Maybe you have to zoom in a bit closer and take things a bit more carefully, but practise makes perfect and it's what I and many, many others do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I'd completely disagree with that. A graphics tablet is a nice tool, but in no way essential for photo editing. Maybe you have to zoom in a bit closer and take things a bit more carefully, but practise makes perfect and it's what I and many, many others do. OK maybe it's not "essential" for you and I agree photo editing is entirely possible without it - but why try doing it with one hand tied behind your back so to speak. A lot of the tools in GIMP are pressure sensitive, so using the clone tool or creating masks with the pen tablet makes it really easy to feather and blend in etc, something the mouse can't do. After getting the software for free, £50 for a pen tablet isn't that much to make full use of the software. Plus I use the tablet instead of the mouse for my normal day to day computer use as it reduces the problems of RSI for me. Decades of clicking on a mouse has meant that I've ended up with circulation problems in my right index finger, using the pen tablet instead like a normal pen is so much more comfortable. I'm not saying it can't be done but having used a tablet I wouldn't like to contemplate photo editing without a tablet now. So for me it is essential, although your mileage may vary. Regards Adrian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwestdivide Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 If you're on a mac, can I put in a word for Graphic Converter, from lemkesoft.com. It calls cloning "stamping", but the same sort of thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 12, 2010 Share Posted June 12, 2010 I haven't used it but this is freeware and has a clone tool http://www.snapfiles...hotofiltre.html More suggestions on this page http://graphicssoft....reephotoedw.htm and yet more http://www.guidetoartschools.com/tips-and-tools/free-photo-editing Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 12, 2010 Author Share Posted June 12, 2010 Thanks for all your suggestions- I've now got plenty to go on, and I'm sure I'll find something for my basic needs amongst these. I'll report back when I've settled on one. Cheers, Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 13, 2010 Author Share Posted June 13, 2010 Photofiltre seems to suit my limited needs adequately, and is simple to understand and use. I have been playing with it yesterday and today and am pleased with the results- I have looked at Gimp, and will try it out also, but it appears to be more complicated, at least to my mind. Thanks once again to all. Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 Glad to have been of help, Richard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeTrice Posted June 13, 2010 Share Posted June 13, 2010 I appreciate this might be too late for you but I use Paint.Net a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpster Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 For quick and easy photo editing, I often use Pixlr. It has a nifty 'clone stamp tool'. Cheers, Arp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 Arpster - seems good - thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mike Bellamy Posted September 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2011 Bring back an old topic - at least it proves I did try to search first I have just started a short evening class in basic digital photography at a local school where they have Photoshop loaded onto the PCs. For home use we have been recommended to download paint.net but I have seen that others above recommend gimp. Does anyone know enough about both products to give an informed overview pros/cons of each - or do I spend £190 on Photoshop (student version) - would this be a waste of money if the others are just as good Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted September 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2011 I would doubt if a basic evening class in digital photography is going to utilise functionality in Photoshop CS that isn't available in cheaper programs; the trouble is it's the de facto standard program so lots of teaching / tutorials are based round it. Option 1 would be to use Photoshop Elements, this operates much the same way as CS, the differences are outlined here:- http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photoshop/f/elementscompare.htm I did try out GIMP for a while, from memory it does have a similar way of doing things to Photoshop. If I was considering a career based around use of Photoshop CS I'd buy it, as a hobby tool it's not worth paying the huge premium for 'pro' features IMHO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
£1.38 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Why not try RMWeb's own? this has a cloning facility and seems intuitive to use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium spamcan61 Posted September 23, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 23, 2011 Why not try RMWeb's own? this has a cloning facility and seems intuitive to use. Or Google Picasa, which is my main tool for basic photo editing and indexing these days. The trouble is, if you are being taught how to do something at college using Photoshop CS, then you need something that operates much the same way to practise, or it does your head in; that why I'm suggesting Elements as the way forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
21C4 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 The GIMP does it for me. Been using it for years at no cost whatsoever. Give it a go Richard, you can't lose, but don't download their manual, it fills two lever-arch files. Other tutorial books are available, but if stuck, ask a question here; I'm sure you'll get help. Good luck, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Corel has just released PaintShopPro X4 which will probably be my Christmas present - currently using X3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Nevard Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 The forum's own online editing package is pretty powerful (Image Editor in the tool bar at the top of this page), you'll need a good broadband connection though. It looks and functions very much like Photoshop. Best of all it's free. <<edit, sorry for duplicate answer>> Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium keefer Posted December 20, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 20, 2011 as an aside, i used to really like microsoft picture it!. version 8 came with a clone tool, then they took that out for version 9, but it was still something i found easy to use for a lot of tidy-upping, basic editing etc. now you don't get it at all (windows 7). v. annoying as it seemed to be a good compromise between 'basic' software and others with so many functions, i wouldn't know where to start! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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