Tool manual

How to use the Spot Healing Brush tool

The Spot Healing Brush removes small spots, dust and blemishes. Paint over the mark and it is filled from the texture around it, blended to match.

Where to find it

It is in the toolbar, in one slot with Remove, Healing Brush, Patch, Content-Aware Move and Red Eye. Right-click the slot, or press and hold it, to choose between them. Press J to pick it, and Shift+J to step through the other tools on that key.

How to use it

1. Choose the tool. Press J, or click the plaster in the toolbar.
2. Size the brush. Set Size a little larger than the mark.
3. Paint over the mark. Click on a dot, or drag along a scratch or a stray wire.
4. Let go. It heals when you release. Press Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on a Mac) if the result picked up the wrong texture, and try a smaller stroke.

Options bar settings

• Size: The brush diameter in pixels.
• Hardness: How sharp the edge of the brush is. Softer edges blend better on skin and sky.
• Sample all layers: Take texture from the whole picture, so you can heal onto an empty layer above the photo and keep the original untouched.

Tips and common mistakes

• Work in short strokes. One long stroke across different textures gives a smeared result.
• For something larger than a spot, the Remove tool is usually better.

Related

• How to use the Healing Brush tool
• How to use the Remove tool
• How to use the Clone Stamp tool
• Remove an object from a photo

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Checked 13 November 2026 in the current editor.

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