How to Use a Smudge Tool on Adobe Photoshop CS2

Adobe Photoshop CS2 is a powerful photo editing software program. It includes a variety of tools to help edit and manipulate an image. One Photoshop editing tool is the smudge tool. The smudge tool does just what its name implies, it smudges the image. Imagine the digital photograph is an oil painting, and the paint is wet. If you were to lay the smudge tool on the painting, and drag it over the surface, it would smudge and smear the paint. This is the same effect the smudge tool has on the digital image.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
    

   Open the digital image in Adobe Photoshop that you wish to edit. Do this by clicking on "File" in the upper left hand corner of the menu bar, and clicking on "Open." A new menu will open showing the files on your hard drive. Choose the digital image file you wish to edit.

2. 
    

   Choose the smudge tool located in the vertical tool bar to the left of the image you've opened. There are a variety of tools to select from, with some grouped together. The most recent tool used is displayed. The smudge tool is grouped with the blur tool and sharpen tool. Click on either one of those and another menu should open. From that menu, choose the smudge tool.

3. 
    

   Adjust the size and hardness of your smudge tool. You may want a large tool, or small tool. You may want the smudge to be hard and defined in one area, or blurred and softened around the edges. To make these choices, click on the small arrow to the right side of "Brush:" in the menu bar above the image. Another drop down menu will appear, and from that menu you can make your choices.

4. 
    

   Place the cursor on the image where you wish to smudge. Hold the mouse button down as you run the tool over the image. This will "smudge" the picture wherever you move the tool.

Resources

• Adobe