Retouch a photograph locally

What you will do

Apply an activated local retouching plugin to a photograph and export a separate JPEG copy. You can optionally preview the effect and compare it with the original before export.

Before you start

You need a local retouching plugin that is installed, activated, and selectable on this computer. This example uses Heal; set up retouching first if it is not available.

Import your photographs and select the photograph you want to retouch.

Steps

Choose the retouching settings

1. Click the wand icon on the right toolbar (tooltip Retouching) to open the retouching panel, then select Local.
2. Select Heal and keep it enabled for export. Clear any plugin you do not want to apply.
3. The screenshot shows Heal at 100 as an example. Choose a value that removes the small skin marks you find distracting without removing detail you want to keep.

Heal is enabled in Local mode. Retouch preview is available when you want to check the effect before export. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

If you are satisfied with the settings or prefer to judge the saved file, continue to Export the retouched photograph. A preview is not required for export.

Optional: preview before export

Use a preview when you want to inspect the effect closely before creating a file.

1. Click Retouch preview.
2. Wait for the missing-preview indicator beside Heal to disappear. Retouch preview becomes disabled when the preview is ready for every active plugin.
3. Double-click the photograph. Hold the before/after control at the lower right of the image to see the original; release it to see the preview.

Hold the before/after control at the lower right of the image to inspect the original. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Release the before/after control to view the Heal preview. This is a preview, not an exported file. Arams 1.10.2 · Windows · American English

Compare the original and preview at a useful zoom, paying particular attention to face detail. Heal should reduce small skin marks without removing detail you want to keep. If the effect is too strong or too subtle, adjust the value and create a new preview.

Export the retouched photograph

1. If you opened the large preview, return to the gallery and select the photograph again. Keep Heal enabled.
2. Follow Export photographs and verify saved files to save a JPEG copy in a new subfolder. You can export directly with Heal enabled; do not turn it off merely to skip the preview. If another plugin uses a pre-export preview instead of Retouch preview, follow Preview plugins at export for that plugin.
3. Wait until the export history shows Completed at 100%, then open the saved JPEG and confirm that the retouching and dimensions match your intended result.

The task is complete when the new subfolder contains the retouched JPEG and the original remains unchanged.

If the plugin is unavailable

If Heal has no selectable checkbox, check its displayed status and set up retouching. You need an activated, selectable plugin for local processing. Preview support is required only for the optional Retouch preview procedure.

If Retouch preview is disabled, hover over it for an explanation. Preview is already available for all active plugins means that the current preview is ready; change a setting only if you want to create a different result.

If the exported JPEG does not contain the retouching you expected, return to Local, enable the intended plugins, check their settings, and export again to a new subfolder.

Related tasks

• Import photos
• Inspect a photograph and zoom in
• Set up retouching
• Export photographs and verify saved files