Wrinkles in clothes can ruin your otherwise perfect photos, especially product images. This looks unprofessional and also affects the beauty of the cloth. However, ironing every cloth before taking photos can be overwhelming. Photoshop can help you with the problem with its advanced features.
You have multiple options and methods for how to smooth clothes in Photoshop. You can use a healing brush tool, patch tool, or frequency separation. While these are manual editing options and require skills, they also give the best results. If the wrinkles are not too complicated, you can also use AI tools.
From this article, you will get to learn all these methods in easy steps. Each of them comes in handy under different conditions.
How to Remove Wrinkles from Clothes in Photoshop: 4 Methods
The availability of multiple functions for wrinkle removal makes Photoshop convenient for everyone. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, there is a solution for everyone.
Method 1: Using the Healing Brush Tool
It’s the most popular option to remove wrinkles from clothes using Photoshop. Basically, it’s a concealer tool that copies an area on the image and then pastes it onto another selected area. It’s an easy process; here is how you can apply this method:
Step 1: First, you need to upload an image as usual. To do so, go to the menu bar and select File > Open > select the image > Ok. Make sure the image is clear and has proper lighting.
Step 2: Now, click on the toolbar and select “Spot Healing Brush Tool” from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Before using the tool, you need to set the settings of the brush to change the painting mode. By default, it’s usually set to Normal, but that won’t be suitable for this procedure. You will find options like Replace, Multiply, Screen, Darken, Lighten, Color, and Luminosity. Different modes are suitable for different purposes. When you have a cloth that has a dark color, you need to opt for the lighten mode. Try different modes and do some experiments. This will help you develop a good idea about the models eventually.
Step 4: On the top bar, you will see another option called Healing Type. From here, you need to choose one of the three options, named-
Content-Aware
Create Texture and
Proximity Match
Step 5: Next, set the brush hardness and size, under the brush icon from the options bar. Adjust the size depending on the size of the area you want to fix. Starting with a size of 20 px, 70% hardness, and 25% spacing can be a good point. You can adjust if needed later on.
Step 6: Choose the largest wrinkles first and paint it. Photoshop will remove the wrinkles automatically. You need to select each and every wrinkle individually for the best final result. You may have to change the brush size depending on the wrinkle size.
Method 2: Patch Tool
This photoshop wrinkle removal technique is a more time-saving option and is effective when you have small areas of wrinkles. The tool takes whole “patches” of pixels from a selected area and merges them into another portion of the image. It follows the simple steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Open the file following the previously mentioned procedure.
Step 2: Right under the Healing Brush Tool, you will find the option “Patch Tool.” Select this to use on the image.
Step 3: You need to mark a flat area of the image that has no wrinkles. Make sure you are not selecting an overly large or too small area. Consider how much area you need to fix to decide how much area to select.
Step 4: You can drag the area with your mouse and place it on any area that needs to be fixed. The previously selected patch will replace the wrinkled areas.
Step 5: Sometimes, the newly patched area may appear unnatural and overly touched. This affects the quality of the image and causes disturbance to the eye. You can solve this problem with the “Liquify” option. Find the “Filter” menu from the top bar, and a drop-down menu list will appear. Choose Liquify now.
Step 6: This will open another set of options. Choose the “Freeze Mask Tool” from the menu and brush up the edges of the clothing. This will make the merging look more natural. Your image will be ready to save and use now.
Method 3: Frequency Separation
This usually gives the best result and is quite effective even when the cloth has too many wrinkles. However, it’s an advanced skill that needs to be developed by a professional.
This Photoshop wrinkle removal technique separates the texture and tone or color of an image into different layers. This way, you can edit them independently. You can also try it, but it’s best to leave it to the professionals. However, if you want to do it yourself, follow these:
Step 1: Go to the Photoshop menu bar window, then choose the layer panel. Then, copy the background layer twice and rename them for convenient use. You can name them as Edges and Color layers, for example.
Step 2: You need to hide the Edge layer image and select the Color layer. Go to “Image” and choose “Apply image”. You need to make some changes to the settings. Set Channel to RGB and adjust the other options like this: Opacity 100%, Scale 2, and offset 128.
Step 3: Go back to the Layers panel and choose your Blending Mode for Edges layer to Linear Light.
Step 4: At this step, you are finally going to smoothen the wrinkles. Make sure you are working on the Edge layer one more time. From the toolbar, choose Lasso Tool and adjust the feather between 20 and 40. You can experiment with the number and see which one suits your image the most. Use the Lasso Tool to select an area with wrinkles. Go to Filter > Gaussian Blur, and adjust the amount from the pop-up dialog box. Adjust the amount and see when the cloth appears smother. Repeat the process till you have a smooth cloth.
Method 4: Use AI Tools
You can also use different AI plugins to make the process easier. You have many plugins, including retouch4me. When you have them installed, then go to tools and choose the plugins. With just simple touches, your clothes will be smoothed out. However, AI tools often don’t give the best results. If you want a professional finish in your product images, it’s best to do it manually with your hands.
What Method to Follow for Effective Wrinkles Removal?
Any of the manual methods can give you a fine result. However, the preferences of the methods depend on your photo condition and your personal preferences.
Spot Healing Brush: This is a relatively easy method, and you can use it for small, minor wrinkles or spots. It blends smoothly with the surrounding area and makes it ideal for subtle corrections. Nonetheless, this might not be the right method for large wrinkled areas.
Patch Tool: You can apply this to larger wrinkles or areas with strong texture. It lets you select and replace wrinkled areas with a cleaner sample. This is much easier and quicker. You may not get the best result from this tool when the wrinkles are small, and there are no perfectly flat areas.
Frequency Separation: Sometimes, the wrinkles are too deep and complex. It separates texture from color and allows for precise adjustment. However, being at an advanced level of editing, it can be a little more time-consuming. Besides, you won’t need to follow this for small and simple creases.
Importance of Smoothing Wrinkles and Creases from Photos
You need to smoothen wrinkles and creases from photos to improve their quality. It gives your photos a polished and professional look. Flat, clean clothes remove distractions and help viewers focus on the subject.
Smoothing out wrinkles and creases makes photos look neat and refined. It adds to their overall attractiveness.
Removing creases allows finer product details and makes them more appealing to your potential customers.
Clean product images without wrinkles make them appear professional.
Wrinkle-free images appear better in advertisements, social media, and print.
It saves you from ironing the clothes beforehand and reduces production costs.
Final Words
Having wrinkles on product images or in any professional photos can affect the impression. Thanks to Photoshop, you have multiple methods to solve the problem. You can quickly resolve the problem without leaving behind any trace of wrinkles, fold lines, or creases. This gives you attractive and professional-looking product images.
