How to Use Smart Patch in PhotoDirector
Cover a distraction with a part of your photo that you choose yourself.
Updated Nov. 12, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the Smart Patch quick guide instead.
PhotoDirector's Smart Patch covers an unwanted object with a clean area of the same photo that you choose. Use it when a stray person or object sits on an even background, like grass, water, or sky.
- In PhotoDirector, choose Guided & GenAI and open your photo. Click Edit, then Smart Patch.
- Paint over the object with the Add brush, then click Next.
- Drag the selection to a clean area, then click Apply.
- Click Compare before/after to check the edit.
- Click Export at the top to save the photo.
Steps to Use Smart Patch in PhotoDirector
Step 1: Open Smart Patch
From the PhotoDirector launcher, choose Guided & GenAI.
Click Open at the top left of the canvas and choose From Local Drive to bring in your photo.
Click Edit in the rail on the left, then choose Smart Patch under Extract / Compose.
Step 2: Paint Over the Object
Under Select a brush, choose the Add brush on the left and paint over the object until a dashed outline surrounds it. Then click Next.
Set Brush size so each stroke covers the object without much around it. This example uses 14.7 for the tourist. If the outline takes in too much, paint over the extra with the Erase brush, the icon on the right.
Step 3: Drag the Selection to a Clean Area and Click Apply
After Next, the outline turns blue. Click inside it and drag it to a clean part of the photo. As you drag, the object is covered with whatever sits inside the outline, so you see the patch before you let go.
Pick a nearby area with the same light and texture. This example moves the outline a short way along the same rows of lavender.
To make the patch bigger or smaller, drag the Size slider. It starts at 1.00, which this example kept, and the screenshot shows the larger outline at 1.26.
When the patch looks right, click Apply.
Step 4: Compare Before and After
After Apply, the object is gone and the panel goes back to Step 1. To check the edit, click Compare before/after, the second button at the bottom left of the canvas. The Before and After views appear side by side.
To try another area, click Reset at the bottom of the panel. The patch is undone and the object is back, so you can paint and drag again.
Step 5: Export the Photo
Click Export at the top of the window. A Save As window opens, where you can save the photo as a PNG, JPG, or TIF file.
We tested these steps in PhotoDirector 365 version 18.0.10 on Windows.
Don't have PhotoDirector yet? Cover a stray person or object with a clean part of the same scene, and choose exactly what fills the spot.
Download PhotoDirector Free →FAQ About Smart Patch
Use Smart Patch when you want to choose what covers the object, like an even stretch of grass, water, or sky next to it. Use Object Removal when you want AI to generate the fill for you.
Smart Patch blends the patch with the colors around the object, not only the area you copied. Pick an area with similar light and color, and the patch is harder to spot.
Before you click Next, switch to the Erase brush, the right icon under Select a brush, and paint over the extra. A smaller Brush size makes it easier to stay on the object.
