Know When to Clone Instead of Heal?

In the Develop module, when you’re using the Spot Removal tool (Q) to remove distracting things near the edge of objects using the default Heal setting (which is where you want to keep it most of the time), it tends to smear (see above), and that’s your cue to switch to the Clone tool (see the inset at left). This just changes the method of removal and it usually fixes the smearing problem. Also, you might need to drag the Feather slider for the tool to the left and right and see which setting looks best for the current area you’re working on—just a simple drag to the left and back to the right, and you’ll find the sweet spot where it looks best.