Affinity Photo healing Brush not working as it did

[Percy Hill]

The Affinity Photo Healing Brush worked fine when I first started using the program. Now, when I click Alt/left on the spot I want to use, then click the places I want to 'Heal' it just doesn't replace or blend like it used to. Something is very wrong with this, and I have found myself having to go back to an old copy of Photoshop which is SO annoying when I have paid for this program and expect it to do a most basic function!!

Edited January 1, 2023 by Percy Hill
Missed out a word in main Text

[markw]

Hello Percy and welcome to the Affinity forums😀
Suffice to say the Healing Brush should be working for you, but I think we need more info from you…
Which version of Photo are you using?
Which OS are you on?
Dose this problem occur in all documents or just one specifically?
Can you provide any screenshots or recordings of the problem?, (preferably showing the entire Photo UI with the Layers panel and Context Toolbar visible)

 

[Percy Hill]

Hi Markw, Seems I was using the wrong Tool for the job. I should have been using the Clone Brush Tool.  I have only used Photoshop Healing Brush and the Healing Brush in Affinity Photo behaves differently. I just don't know what is going on with it!  I only want to make very small adjustments and the Clone Brush seems to work like the Healing Brush in Photoshop, so I'm happy with this now.

[Bynah]

I am finding that the healing brush produces a swath of another section but it is lighter than it's source and does not look right. sometimes it is darker and sometimes

it is blurry. I am using Affinity photo v1 on Mojave, Macbook mid 2012

[walt.farrell]

5 minutes ago, Bynah said:

I am finding that the healing brush produces a swath of another section but it is lighter than it's source and does not look right. sometimes it is darker and sometimes

it is blurry. I am using Affinity photo v1 on Mojave, Macbook mid 2012

My first question would be whether you really want Healing, or whether you might instead want Cloning?

I seldom use the Healing Brush, probably because I don't yet have a good understanding of what it actually does, and what to expect, and when it should be used.

Cloning copies the pixels from the Source to the Target, and is often what I want. Healing blends the two together. From the Help:

Quote

The Healing Brush Tool paints samples from one part of an image onto another. It's useful for removing defects and for general photo retouching. In many respects it works like the cloning, however, it blends the target pixels with the sample pixels by matching the texture, tone, and transparency of the sample pixels with the target pixels.

Thus, the effects of Healing should not (I think) "look like" the source. It should look like the target, with some defects removed.

[Bynah]

Oh, that is interesting. Hmm. I am not sure I understand. I just took to using the healing brush and then touching it up with the clone.

I took some telephone poles and wires out of this photo by selecting the large poles, in sections with the selection brush and then

used the Patch tool! sorry, not the healing brush, to fill in from another section of the photo. But it was lighter and less quality

so had to then touch it up with the clone tool

[walt.farrell]

26 minutes ago, Bynah said:

to fill in from another section of the photo. But it was lighter and less quality

23 minutes ago, Bynah said:

used the Patch tool! sorry, not the healing brush,

The Patch Tool works differently from either the Clone Tool or the Healing Brush, though it is more similar to the Healing Brush, from the help: 

Quote

Patching, like healing, blends the target pixels with the sample pixels by matching the texture, tone, and transparency of the sample pixels with the target pixels. For effective results, colors in the source and target areas should vary slowly to help create a seamless boundary that blends into the target's surroundings.

I would need to see the original, as well as the result, to comment further. Sorry.

[Bynah]