Luminar NEO: How to use the Clone Tool

The Clone Tool is a powerful feature in Luminar NEO that allows you to remove unwanted elements from your photos, retouch imperfections, and more. In this article, we're telling you all about it.

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In this article:

• What is Clone Tool
• Introducing Clone Tool Sliders
• Getting started with the Clone Tool
• Video tutorial
• Luminar NEO

What is Clone Tool

The Clone tool in Luminar NEO makes it easy to replace unwanted or flawed pixels with preferred pixels. You can choose a source point and apply it to other areas of your image to hide imperfections. The tool includes feathering to blend brush strokes seamlessly. It's great for duplicating precise details and colors and transferring them to other parts of the image. You can use it not just to remove unwanted elements, but also to replicate objects and place them in different locations within the image canvas.

Introducing Clone Tool sliders 

Size

This setting lets you adjust the brush size you'll use for the cloning and stamping.

Softness

Use this option to adjust the softness of the brush edges.

Strength

This slider allows you to adjust the strength of the brush. Slide it towards 0 to copy and replicate exactly the pixels, or towards 100 to apply a minimal effect.

Getting started with Clone Tool

Getting started with the Clone Tool in Luminar NEO is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to begin using this powerful tool:

1. Open your image and move it into the Edit module.
2. Apply essential development with the Essentials tools.
3. Navigate to the Professional section of the toolbar and open the Clone tool.
4. After selecting the Clone Tool, you'll see a circular cursor on your image. This cursor represents the source point. Click on the area of the image from which you want to clone pixels. This is typically an area with the details or colors you want to replicate. To adjust the location of the source point, hold the Alt/Option key on your keyboard and select the desired location.
5. In the Clone Tool panel, you can fine-tune your brush settings. You can adjust the brush size, softness (feathering) and strenght to achieve the desired effect. These settings control the size and intensity of the cloning brush.
6. With the source point selected and your brush settings adjusted, click and drag the cursor to start painting over the area you wish to edit. The Clone Tool will replace the pixels in the target area with those from the source point. You can make precise strokes to cover up blemishes, remove objects, or replicate elements.
7. As you work with the Clone Tool, keep an eye on the results. You can zoom in for finer detail and adjust the source point as needed to maintain consistency in the cloned area.
8. The Clone Tool may take a bit of practice to master, so don't be discouraged if your initial attempts aren't perfect. Experiment with different source points and brush settings to refine your cloning technique.
9. Once finished, close the tool and continue editing your image with other tools available in the application.

Clone Tool video tutorial

Watch the full video tutorial covering all controls in this tool.

Luminar NEO

Luminar Neo is the latest editing software from Skylum. It was announced back in September 2021 and has been highly anticipated.

Luminar Neo is an AI-powered photo editing software. Skylum has said that Neo isn’t replacing their previous release—Luminar AI. But Neo sets out to fix some of the issues users faced with Luminar AI.

We were impressed with the AI tools in Luminar AI. But like many others, we encountered performance issues. Luminar Neo uses the same AI tools, but the new high-speed core engine improves speed and performance.

Luminar Neo isn’t just more of the same. We’re happy to see Skylum has taken Neo in a different direction, adding layer and mask AI tools to the program. This broadens Neo’s appeal, taking it in an Adobe Photoshop direction.

Learn more about Luminar NEO here.

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