My Apps up close and personal: TouchRetouch

In the second part of my "Up Close and Personal" series, I going to look at TouchRetouch from Adva-Soft.

For those not familiar with TouchRetouch, it's an excellent app that does just one thing, but does it exceptionally well, and that is, it removes unwanted elements from your iPhone photos.

No matter how careful you are when composing a photo, there are times when unwanted objects get in on the act. This may be because you've missed something when composing, something or someone wanders in to the shot, or there is just an object that can't be moved. Which ever of these situations affects you, 9 times out of 10, TouchRetouch can save the day, and that is why I use it.

If you are unfamiliar with TouchRetouch, it's a real simple, easy to use, and yet very powerful application, with many basic and advanced features/tools that are found in more powerful desktop applications. Advanced features like a Lasso tool and Clone Stamp, and basic features like the Brush tool (which is used to paint over the offending objects) and the Eraser (used to undo mistakes made with the Brush tool).

So how do I use TouchRetouch? Well, I only use the Brush tool, as 99.9% of the time it does exactly what I want, and for that 0.1%, it's just not possible to do on an iPhone. Like the sample shot below shows, when ever I have a photo that has an object in it that I don't want, I simply launch the app, load the photo from the iPhones camera roll, then using just the Brush tool, I paint over the object or objects that I want to remove, then tap the GO button, and after a short time, the object/objects just fade away, and I'm left with the perfect, or at least near perfect result, which is ready to save. If for some reason the app gets things wrong, or I'm just not happy with the result, then tapping the undo button lets me start the process over.

As you can see from my sample images, I use TouchRetouch to remove both minor and not so minor objects from my iPhone photos, and for me the app works better than any other standalone app (Mac or iPhone) designed for removing objects from photos, and hence why it's part of my arsenal of iPhone photo editing apps.

Above: My windmill shot including unwanted foliage.Above: Foliage removed by TouchRetouch.Above: In this before and after photo, I removed the unwanted streetlight before putting the image through Perfectly Clear.

If you want to find out more about TouchRetouch, then head over to the Adva-Soft website, or if you want to buy the app, then it is available from the App Store, for the bargain price of just £0.69/$0.99/€0.79.

Please note: All images in this post have been taken with and edited on an iPhone 4

Comments

[Espekayen]

An excellent app, providing you don't expect miracles.

[Carolyn Hall Young]

I've done over 200 iPad painting/portraits in the last 10 months. You could call me serious. I am passionate and tenacious about making images with the iPad. I am always on the lookout for creative apps to support, not to flavor, my work.
I keep TouchRetouch handy, in an app file that I titled "photo utilities", along with Big Photo, CropAntiCrop, some simple layer blending tools, and some anti-nose noise tools. I am surprised and impressed at how well TouchRetouch works. The in-app videos are worth watching, if you are new to the program.
I look forward to reading more of your Apps Up Close and Personal, series.
Well done! Thank you.

[mike rotch]

agree, fantastic app.. well worth the $

[Adele]

I am amazed at the results, ease of use and low cost of this app (and thank you Glyn - I first about this app in one of your reviews). For my purposes (data recording, fun photos) it more than exceeds my needs.

[Kristin Maling]

Any chance you could post some full resolution samples? I bought this app last night based on your review, and the results were very poor. When looking at the images scaled down, it looks like it works, but when you actually zoom in on the area you've retouched, the retouching is extremely obviously (repeated patterns, etc.).

I did all the testing with a very simple photo—an eight ball on a pool table. Just tried removing the eight ball. Couldn't be a more ideal example, yet the results, when looking at 100%, are just way too obvious.

Was really hoping this app would live up to the review because proper cloning, even basic cloning like this, is one of the few actions I need to revert to the desktop for these days.

[Editor]

Hi Kristin. I'm away at the moment, but I'll upload some full-res samples and share the links. The app will struggle with some complex erases, but in general I find it works well.

[Kristin Maling]

I just wanted to post a follow-up. I did a bunch of nature-landscape shooting this weekend and had a couple shots where I thought "OK, let's give TouchRetouch another chance..." and I have to say, it worked really well with these shots (mainly removing branches from the skyline that got into the frame because it was windy, etc.). So, I guess it really depends on the subject.

Again, my initial testing was done on a very "simple" image, so I was really disappointed in the results—the cloning was just too obvious. So, I didn't get my hopes up on these more complex shots on the weekend (complex cloud patterns, etc.), but, I was really impressed with the results.

So, I'm really glad I have it another chance—it's now a definite keeper in my camera bag.

k.

[Justine Prior]

I love this app!!!! It is easy to use and perfect for those random streetlights or tree branches in your shot that you want to get rid of! Definitely recommend this!

For some of the more detailed pictures what I do to get a better result is erase smaller portions at a time and it works brilliantly!