Cloning in Adobe Photoshop is an important skill to learn. The real trick, is that there are more options you can use, than just the Clone Stamp Tool. You can choose from the Patch tool, Healing Brush, or the Spot Healing Brush. The Content Aware and Vanishing Point tools are also available. Let's take a look at these in some detail, now that I have brought them to your attention.

Not knowing when to use the right tools can sometimes cause more damage than good. If you have never tried anything but the clone stamp, you are really missing out. You should really watch some tutorials and bring your skills up to par.

If you are new to Adobe Photoshop for a long time, you should learn how to use each of the tools can benefit you. Some work better than others, and you will learn by trial and error. Ideally, you should make sure you are watching new, and updated Photoshop CS5 tutorials. If you watch an older video for CS3 or CS4, then you will me missing out on the new features Photoshop CS5 has to offer.

Clone Stamp Tool - The Clone Stamp, or Rubber Stamp Tool, was the first cloning tool introduced. This places you, the retoucher, in completely in control of the retouching. It takes years to truly master the art. However, there is little this tool can not do.

Spot Healing Brush - The Spot Healing Brush Tool can remove unwanted dirt from an image. This brush will create sample from the pixels around it, mixing the color and texture. This brush works wonders on predictable areas, like gradients. Unfortunately, of you anywhere near another textured area, you will definitely start picking up unwanted patterns.

Healing Brush - The Healing Brush tool is another tool that allows you to remove dirt or other blemishes. This tool allows allows you to select your own sample area. Photoshop will then blend the sampled areas together.

Patch Tool - The Patch Tool corrects the image using a sampled area. This is a combination of the Lasso and the Healing Brush. By keeping the color and texture behind, this tool does an amazing job.

Content Aware Fill - The Content Aware Fill is about altering, modifying, or otherwise masking objects in a selected area. Since this tool is completely automated, you have little control over the resulting corrections.

Vanishing Point - The Vanishing Point Filter is used to clone in perspective. Once you lay out the grid, you can then, quite easily, clone in 3-D space. It works along a dimensional plane, and is great for architectural needs.

Knowing some of the Adobe Photoshop Cloning Tools is not enough. The job is too important, you should know about everything at your disposal. These tools all have strengths and weaknesses. To become a fully skilled retoucher, you really need to learn how to use all the tools.