SUPERCHARGE The Clone Stamp Tool in Photoshop – Clone Source Panel Keyboard Shortcuts
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Clone Stamp shortcuts in Photoshop let you nudge, rotate, and scale the sample source from the keyboard, so the cloned pixels match the area you are fixing.
The Clone Stamp Tool clones parts of an image. You select a source point, then paint over the image or over a new layer to generate the cloned pixels.
The catch is that the source rarely lines up with the destination. It often sits at a different angle, or at a different size, than the spot you want to cover.
A few keyboard shortcuts fix that. Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and tap the right keys to nudge, rotate, or scale the sample source before you paint.
This tutorial is for anyone who already uses the Clone Stamp Tool and wants to work better and faster with it. By the end, you will match the source to its destination from the keyboard, and you will know where the same controls live in the Clone Source panel.
The video was recorded in Photoshop 2017 (version 18.1), and every shortcut it shows works the same way in the current version.
Note: If you only need to remove an object, the newer Remove Tool handles that in current versions of Photoshop. The Clone Stamp Tool is still the tool to reach for when the texture and angle of the patch must match the destination.
Key Takeaways
- Press S to select the Clone Stamp Tool, then hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click to set the sample point.
- Every transform shortcut starts with AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS). The last key you tap decides whether the source nudges, rotates, or scales.
- The arrow keys nudge the source, the comma and period keys rotate it, and the bracket keys scale it.
- These shortcuts change the sample source, not the brush. The overlay preview shows the change before you paint a stroke.
- The Clone Source panel shows the same width, height, rotation, and offset values, and Reset Transform clears the transform in one click.
- The Clone Source panel stores up to five sample sources, one per sample source icon.
Table of contents
- What You Will Learn
- Requirements
- Clone Stamp Shortcuts in Photoshop
- Step 1: Select the Clone Stamp Tool and Set the Sample Point
- Step 2: Nudge the Clone Source With the Arrow Keys
- Step 3: Rotate the Clone Source
- Step 4: Scale the Clone Source
- Step 5: Use the Clone Source Panel Instead of Shortcuts
- Step 6: Save Up to Five Sample Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Related Links
What You Will Learn
- How to select the Clone Stamp Tool and set a sample point on a new layer
- How to nudge the clone source left, right, up, and down with the arrow keys
- How to rotate the sample source with the comma and period keys
- How to scale the sample source up or down with the bracket keys
- How to make the same adjustments, and reset them, in the Clone Source panel
- How to save up to five sample sources for one job
Requirements
Before you start
- Photoshop 2017 or the current version
Clone Stamp Shortcuts in Photoshop
| Action | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Clone Stamp Tool | S | S |
| Set the sample point | Alt click | Option click |
| Nudge the clone source | Alt Shift Arrow keys | Option Shift Arrow keys |
| Rotate the clone source (comma and period keys) | Alt Shift , or . | Option Shift , or . |
| Scale the clone source up | Alt Shift ] | Option Shift ] |
| Scale the clone source down | Alt Shift [ | Option Shift [ |
Step 1: Select the Clone Stamp Tool and Set the Sample Point
Press S to select the Clone Stamp Tool, or pick it directly from the toolbar.
Create a new layer, and make sure Sample All Layers is selected.
Tip: Painting on a new layer keeps the original pixels untouched. Sample All Layers lets the Clone Stamp Tool read the photo underneath that empty layer.
Hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click the area you want to sample from. In the video, that is her face.
An overlay now follows your cursor and previews what you are about to clone. Keep an eye on it, because the next three shortcuts change what it shows.
Every one of the Clone Stamp shortcuts in Photoshop below starts from this sample point.
Step 2: Nudge the Clone Source With the Arrow Keys
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and press the arrow keys to nudge the clone source left, right, up, and down.
Notice how the preview changes with each tap. You are offsetting the clone source without setting a new sample point.
Step 3: Rotate the Clone Source
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and tap < or > to rotate the sample source.
Note: The less than and greater than keys are the same keys as the comma and period. Shift is already held, so tapping comma or period gives you the angle brackets.
Watch the overlay as you tap. Each press turns the sample source a little further, so you can match the angle of the destination before you paint.
Step 4: Scale the Clone Source
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and tap the bracket keys to change the size of the sample source. Those are the keys right next to the letter P.
Tap ] to scale the source up. Tap [ to make it smaller.
Then click and start cloning. The cloned pixels now match the size and angle of the destination, and you will see the difference that makes.
Step 5: Use the Clone Source Panel Instead of Shortcuts
If you do not want to remember the Clone Stamp shortcuts in Photoshop, or you forget one, go to Window > Clone Source.
The Clone Source panel holds the same adjustments. You can set the width and height, the rotation, and the X and Y offset by typing a value.
The values you see are the same ones the shortcuts just applied. Click Reset Transform to clear them, then type 0 in both the X and Y fields to bring the offset back to 0.
Scaling the sample and resetting the Clone Source panel also appear in 19 Photoshop keyboard shortcuts you probably don’t know, next to eighteen other keys worth learning.
Step 6: Save Up to Five Sample Sources
One advantage the panel has over the shortcuts is memory. The Clone Source panel can save up to five sample sources.
Click any one of the sample source icons, then set your sample point. That sample source is saved to the icon.
Set a different source on each icon, and you have five ready to use on the same image.
Frequently Asked Questions
Press S to select the Clone Stamp Tool. Then hold Alt (Windows) or Option (macOS) and click the area you want to clone from to set the sample point.
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and tap the comma key or the period key. Each tap turns the sample source. You can also type an angle in the rotation field of the Clone Source panel.
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and tap ] to scale the sample source up, or [ to scale it down. The bracket keys sit right next to the letter P. The Clone Source panel also has width and height fields for the same adjustment.
Hold AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) and press the arrow keys. The clone source nudges left, right, up, or down, and the overlay preview shows the new offset. The Clone Source panel shows that same offset as X and Y values.
Go to Window > Clone Source. The Clone Source panel shows the width, height, rotation, and offset of the current sample source. You can change each one by typing a value.
Open the Clone Source panel and click Reset Transform to clear the scale and rotation. To remove the offset, type 0 in both the X and Y fields.
The Clone Source panel saves up to five sample sources. Click one of the sample source icons, then set a sample point, and that source is stored on the icon.
Yes. Photoshop 2017 (version 18.1) is the version in the video, and the same keys and the same Clone Source panel are in the current version. The Clone Stamp Tool itself has not moved either.
Conclusion
The Clone Stamp Tool gets far more useful once the sample source can move, turn, and resize to fit the destination. Clone Stamp shortcuts in Photoshop give you all three with AltShift (Windows) or OptionShift (macOS) plus the arrow, comma, period, and bracket keys.
If you forget a key, the Clone Source panel has the same controls, a Reset Transform button, and room for five saved sources. For more keys worth memorizing, see the Photoshop keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet.
Watch the video above to see each shortcut change the overlay in real time, and comment on the video if you have another useful shortcut to share.
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