Removing dust spots from photos is one of those chores you probably put off until it’s absolutely necessary. The process has always been slow and repetitive, especially if you’re dealing with an image riddled with tiny sensor spots. These small marks can ruin an otherwise perfect shot, so finding a quicker way to handle them matters.
Coming to you from Matt Kloskowski, this useful video shows a new automatic dust spot removal feature in Photoshop Camera Raw. You don’t need to be working with a raw file to use it; any photo will do. Once you open your image in Photoshop, head to the filter menu, select Camera Raw filter, and look for the erase icon on the right. Inside, you’ll find a “Dust” section labeled as early access. One click on “Apply” sends Photoshop off to scan your image for spots and remove them without you having to manually track each one. The tool works surprisingly well in most cases, but if it misses a mark or removes something it shouldn’t, you can manually refresh or delete individual adjustments.
Kloskowski points out that the feature currently isn’t in Lightroom, which might frustrate you if that’s your main editing space. While the automatic removal gets the majority of the work done, you still have options if it leaves anything behind. You can use the healing brush tool and enable “visualize spots” to reveal problem areas. Adjust the sensitivity slider, and any lingering dust specks will stand out so you can click and remove them quickly. This combination of automation and manual refinement makes cleanup much faster than relying on the old all-manual approach. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kloskowski.
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