I am surprised at so many negative comments comparing this Inpaint v3 to v2.x. I understand that v2.x's controls were more powerful, but the newer version is made such that even newbies at graphics can wield it easily.

For those of you who don't know, the activation for Inpaint v3 will work for v2.x as well. Read some of the more adept comments above, or go search the previous Inpaint GOTD links to see how to do that.


Inpaint is like a "point and shoot camera" of graphics Cloning - ridiculously easy to understand & use, and it works on most common occasions. For tougher situations, go buy the pro tools like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, etc.

Don't think too hard for grabbing such a small and useful software. Go get it whenever it is featured on GOTD. Ciao!

I like the tool a lot, but I can't get it activated on my Win7/64 bit system. So sorry that it doesn't work.

Got it last time and it's remained on my PC. That really says it all. Anything I don't find I like or to be easy to use or useful I remove very quickly. I just checked and mine is version 3.0 also so this is the same one. It's a useful tool when you have a photo you want to cover up an area with the surounding areas without using the clone tool in Paint Shop Pro 7 (as I said asy to use, useful and I like it). If you edit photo's grab this one for a rainy day.

on xp installed & uninstalled five times. after activating it - it asks for registered key for saving any changes - HELP

Installed easily in Vista 32-bit. Program performs as advertised and handled my task with some patience. Take your time with this and enlarge your picture before editing it. The undo feature will allow changes if you make a mistake. It's a keeper - Thanks GOTD!

I just tried to run this & it says the giveaway is over. But this site says activation program I still have over 3 hours left. Any chance of getting a activation program this late????

inpaint installed fine.looks to be a fun tool (especially to erase in-laws from family photos...;o)
however, though installed/activated under admin account, when I log on as a standard user it does not appear to be activated. clicking the help tab shows "enter the serial key". this does not appear when I am logged in as admin.
will this still be fully functional under my standard user accounts?
please advise. who can I inquire to?

Just tried this out, but found that when I open the program my computer freezes up for a minute or so until the program opens. Also, just opening up IE9 or Chrome was slower. I have Vista, so maybe that has something to do with that but, given how little I need photo manipulation, I will uninstall, I hate slow computers.

Does this work on a mac... ?

Also wanted to mention what I would really love to see in this nice tiny program is a mobile version that can be used via flash drive. I would pay good money for that. I sometimes need to edit an image on the go & this would be ideal.

Amazing....thanks so much GOTD! I've used this program many times but have an older version. I'm very excited to get the new version here today. Works equally as good as the old & the method of selecting object to remove is even better than before. Fantastic program.

Brilliant! Thanks GOTD for this excellent sofwares. I fixed barry soetotros birth certificate with this and fixes my previous erors. Thumbs up & a keper.

To # 93 and 94,

If you exit from the application and the re-open, you will be able to save, I just wanted to let you know, I hope this helps others with that problem.

Thanks GAOTD - I regularly use Adobe Photoshop Elements and Corel PaintShop Pro X3 and this program is much faster in removing unwanted 'things' in photos (I was surprised on well it remove them),faster because I didn't have to spend a lot of time using the clone tool in the other programs. Thanks again.

This is interesting. This app was offered on Jan 4, 2010 as ver 2.3 and is not only quite different but perhaps better.

Instead of the current "Inpaint" & brush size buttons, v2.3 has rectangle & polygon as well as "run" & "stop" buttons. In addition, the DL includes an offline (.chm) help file. The "Skin" has a Vista look with rounded corners and blue motiff.

Ver 2.4.1 (a slight upgrade over v2.3), is still available from the publisher's website DL page and it appears that today's ver 3.0 activation key also will work for the earlier version. Go to the "homepage" link above & click on "download". Install v2.4 in a separate folder and you can run either one.

For those of u who are having registration problems and save probs, (which also sounds like a registration issue.
Was InPaint running when u tried to activate it? If so this may be ur prob.
@ end of install, I always uncheck 'run program' and then run activate. I have found this avoids a lot of problems.

Although it would be nice if the app had version and build info in the about, also trial/registered indication would be very helpful.
Hope this helped w/ reg/save problems.
Pic-Z

btw: Although I agree with selection refinements, This is an Exceptional program, I am very glad I checked GOTD today!!!

Tried it out. Meh. I A-B'd it against Picasa's Touchup feature, which I have used in past, and Picasa consistently did a better job, with more control. The video for InPaint shows foreground items being removed from complex organic backgrounds, which does work OK. However, I tried eliminating geometric shapes (e.g. furniture) from smoother backgrounds (e.g. painted walls), and InPaint did not do so well. Touched up areas were very mottled, and - unlike Picasa - user has no control over what the app chooses to fill into obscured areas.

I "Restored" my computer after installing this, so I could get back to version 2. It offers a square and a polygon selection tool, which is so much easier and more precise than this tedious "paint" selection tool. What were the developers thinking?

Wow - not impressed. Brush size limitation is only good for smaller pictures. Incredibly slow on a powerful PC. The object you are removing must be a distinctly different color than the areas around it. I'll continue to do it manually thanks.

WTF??? Why would they change from version 2's easy-to-use polygon selection tool, to this slow, tedious, retarded, error-prone "paint" selection tool? WHY DO SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS DO THIS KIND OF B.S.?

I lost some of the GOTD installed apps after a recent HDD crash, and I am glad that some of the good GOTD offers from last year are being rerun. Those who crib about GOTD reruns can just wait for a day to get something new - duh?!

In fact, reruns (even if it is the exact same version being offered again) are good for both GOTD team and the software vendors for many reasons which are too obvious to explain. Just go to any freeware site and see how many days those popular freeware tools remain in the same version and are still downloaded multiple times by the same people over a period of a few years. If it ain't broken, it don't need fixin'. Innovation is a must though, as operating systems and hardware become more complex every year.

INPAINT is actually a fabulous tool and does exactly what it claims to do: cloning and "covering/masking" parts of an image.

I know many will compare it to the advanced abilities in Photoshop or other tools, but we must understand that not everyone can afford PS, and only recent versions of PS have the level of quality of cloning as provided by GOTD. I know many people will bash me for saying this, but GIMP has always been a bit too clunky and unweildy for me (yup, I know there are better UI mods for it). But I still use and depend on a old version of Paint Shop Pro (PSP), and PSP with Paint.Net and IrfanView/XNView is fine for most of my graphics-painting needs.

Except, when I need to fix a photo and hide some defect or unnecessary artifacts and don't want too much hassle with the graphics fixes. That's where Inpaint comes to the rescue. Its simplicity and quality of performance is what attracts me and makes sure it is always handily available on my PC. With a quick swipe of the brush, it can do magic - so easily, that even my dad uses it occasionally!

Whether you need it now or not, whether you work with graphics or not, it won't hurt you to download and install Inpaint - free for today! Use it and try. If you don't like it, its small footprint won't eat up your disk space, and it will lie in a corner. Till the day you need to show some spectacular photo to your boss or your relatives/friends, and suddenly realize: "Hey, what's that stupid little thingamajig doing in my photo - how can I remove it without losing the awesomeness of my photo?".

The answer is Inpaint. If you exercise a bit of patience and adroitness with the brushwork, you can make perfect fixes to images using Inpaint, with the modifications hardly even visible to the audience.

Kudos to its devs. Please add some other nice new features to it (see XNView/IrfanView and Paint.Net for some simple and doable ideas), and I might very well donate to support it!

Running Windows Vista Home Premium

Inpaint is a Great Program to have in your digital Library collection.
I have had this download last time it was offered. The Learning Cure of in paint I would rate as easy. This program does what it says it does. If your not Familar with other software such as Adobe Photoshop and need a quick touch up on a Photo or image file then I would Highly recommend Inpaint! If one obtains a license this program is could be used for Business applications as well Home personal Use. The limitiation to your Projects is only your imagination!

Two Thumbs Up!

A small Screen Shot of some Digital Frame Art I created using an old 1950's Comic Book Cover Done with the last Inpaint Download.

Digital Frame Art Demo

I installed this program on my 2 laptops the first time I saw it on GOTD. I love it. Fast and easy. I wish the desktop I have was ready to go because I want Inpaint on there also. Thanks GOTD

I wish program writers and distributors would listen to feedback from customers and users.

Inpaint 2 has a far superior (though not by any means perfect) interface than Inpaint 3.

I use Inpaint 2 but have uninstalled Inpaint 3 and replaced it by Inpaint 2, as the Inpaint 3 interface and practicality of editing pictures is dreadful and atrocious with Inpaint 3 compared to Inpaint 2.

When will they learn, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I often wish to edit out fine detail, which is possible but tricky with Inpaint 2, but throughly downright impossible with Inpaint 3.

Just have to hope they'll eventually release an Inpaint 4, that solves the stability problems with Inpaint 2, but gets rid of the very wretched so called interface of Inpaint 3.

THIS IS DIFFERENT TO THE PREVIOUSLY GIVEN AWAY INPAINT 3!

Apologies for shouting but fed up reading comments incorrectly stating they are identical with no basis for their comments whatsoever. The one major change over the previous version 3 giveaway is the areas you now paint over are slightly transparent rather than solid colour as with the previous version. This is useful in more accurately painting over the exact areas you intended. There may be other minor changes but that was the only one that was immediately obvious.

I have tried many of these programs to 'remove' lines and text...mainly dates....I have to say...this is the best one I have come across thus far. Very easy to use and does a great job. Did find it didn't do so well with 'watermarks' on some sample photos. I guess the watermarks are there for a reason..LOL

I've had this program since January. Very, very useful. It can do in just moments what can ordinarily become a long and painstaking task to remove detritus from a photo. Works great with telephone poles and lines. Definitely a keeper and one of the better photo software offered on GAOTD.

Program only works on very simple uncomplicated backrounds.. not very impressed

Sorry, I do not buy all the “excellent” reviews, either people here have never tried any graphic manipulation software or and (more likely) the vendor has it’s people loggin from different IP address publish “reviews” and clicking + next to favorable remark and – next to unfavorable one. So I guess this comments will win many minuses clicks. Anyway, not only that you can get the same with the free Gimp, but the results would be way better, I speak astronomic way better with flexibility for correction. But why listen to me, try for yourself. Do to the vendor’s page, click screenshots and download the first pictures of the 3 girls, now using Inpaint try to remove the girl on the right like in the sample of ‘before’ and ‘after’. Without corrections with applications such as Gimp or Photoshop, there is no way Inpaint will achieve the results as post on that site.

I thought I would try this as a quick alternative to Photoshop; I was disappointed because the selected area picked up objects outside that area and "blended" them into arbitrary parts of the section of the picture I wanted to erase, leaving a speckled, ghost-like image with bits and pieces. This one I'll have to uninstall.

Downloaded and installed like a dream on my Win 7 x64.

Have just used it to paint in some scanned old B&W photo's taken of me when I was 5 (over 55 now).

It has got rid of the crease marks and blemishes and I defy anyone to pick up where they have been painted in (even when you zoom in).

Fantastic bit of software - get it while you can!

First off, really great app! Does what it says and with grace. Not always the desired result (really complex images are better done in a more dedicated editor imho) but overall a real keeper. I don't have much to add to the feedback section, add some tools (unmark, rectangle) and it's perfect!

#42 and #56, I'm also on a laptop (Asus k53s, win7 64bit) and did not have those problems, both wireless mouse and touchpad are still working fine. Sorry, can't help you out but I just wanted to mention that here for other readers.

I just did a test photo, an out of focus flower with landscape behind; took the flower out, integrated it into the landscape quite well. Thanks, GOTD! This will surely come in handy--great product!

Small program, install and activate went well. Performs nicely in my use so far. Worth having in your toolbox.

I thought I would give this a try, the first "freebie" I have fancied since I started looking at this site about two months ago. I am a keen photographer and any software that helps in editing is o.k.with me.

Others have mentioned Photoshop et al but I already have several programs that enhance my use of CS3 and Elements 7 so another one is not a problem. I am using Windows XP3 at the moment so am still a bit behind the times but happy with how it works for me.

The file downloaded very quickly and Extracted easily also. I set a Restore point as usual and installed the main programme followed by the activation software. I also had the chance to install a software updating programme at the end of the procedures and, being a bit of an amateur clicked to do this as well which took quite a while. I then realised this was something I didn't want, I will have to be more careful on future occasions.

Inpaint was already open in the Taskbar from the installation so like #84 I gave the software a try, but also like him, it wouldn't let me save the resulting image despite being told it had been activated by that part of the installation. There was no sign of where to obtain the installation code, perhaps I should have waited a bit longer like #84 and it would have worked on a re-opening of the software at a later time.

Anyway the long and short of it is I "Restored" my PC back to the state pre installation and now both Inpaint and the Software Updater are no more on my machine.

This doesn't mean I think Inpaint is of no use, it looks a very handy piece of software, but being only a moderately knowledgeable computer owner I tend to err on the cautious side if things appear not to be working properly.

Better luck next time if I see anything I fancy.

I have been using this program since the first time it was given away on GAOTD years ago. While not "perfect" it reduces the time needed to remove almost any unwanted artifact from an image. Don't look for miracles from this or any other GFX program when trying to remove artifacts from your images, but with a little patience you can achieve fantastic results.

To those hollering about GIMP and/or PS, true you can do what this program does in both programs, albeit with much more time and resources invested your project. The clone tool in both these programs are good, but they (just like Inpaint) are not the cure all heal all either and any competent GFXer will tell you that in a majority of cases it takes more than one tool to accomplish the job you want done.

Also to those flinching at the price, while $40.00 is a bit steep for such a small program there is a very old saying to remember... "You get what you pay for". I would much rather pay the $40.00 for this tried and true program that spend $10.00 on a newer/cheaper program that crashes every 10 seconds and/or corrupts the original image file(s) being manipulated.

That being said, this is a must have program for any serious GFXer to have in their arsenal.

Some comments compare this to a clone tool. A clone tool is manual -- this is automatic. You should always expect to clean up the work it has done, but it has in fact done a lot of work for you.

If you edit a JPEG file with this program you should save it in a non-lossy format such as PNG, or artifacts will accumulate.

Perhaps GAOTD could make it a requirement upon vendors to stick around to read comments, and respond as needed. For example, there are repeated questions about version number. Had the vendor been present, he could have quickly responded.

#23 : Can you please give the steps in GIMP to clean up after processing in inpaint? Thanks

@ 59

EXCELLENT ANALYSIS!!

Thank you for sharing your observations and conclusions, Peter!!

Martin

Just got a new laptop and have been slowing loading tools on it. This is one that I really wanted for it that my desktop has. and now a 2nd chance to at least load this version. I still find version 2 more useful at times, I have both loaded and working on my desktop.
These 'Reruns' are very helpful as GOTD is always attracting new blood and we old foggies have to get new PCs sooner-or-later if we're still on this side of the grass.
THANKS GOTD!!

at first wouldn't save the image I had just worked on (was prompted to buy the program), but when opened the program later saved an image fine (strange, maybe took a while to activate etc?).

would be very handy if could hold down shift to help make a straight line.

performs each step (layer) quite subtly, allows for precision (if you just swipe over an area roughly it may not distinguish what you want to erase and keep).

grateful can get this for free because not sure would pay ($39.99!) for it :/

if didn't have photoshop maybe? but then look how expensive photoshop is! ok maybe would buy.

seems pretty handy.

thank you :-)

@ 29

Supporting your results for Inpaint 3.0, Windows XP SP3 reports the following Inpaint.exe Properties...

2011-07-19
Size: 5,556,224 bytes
Size on disk: 5,558,272 bytes
Modified: Friday, April 29, 2011, 12:59:24 PM (which may be associated with my time zone)

2011-01-11
Size: 5,538,816 bytes
Size on disk: 5,541,888 bytes
Modified: Monday, December 27, 2010, 1:02:48 AM (which may be associated with my time zone)

...which are consistent with your figures.

Like you, I am quite curious to hear back from kEN @ 13.

Martin

@Paul Vdb: You need to clean your camera sensor. Try the built-in electronic cleaner first.

I can do a better job with Paint Shop Pro Clone Tool. This program messes up the parts of pixels beside what you want to remove, a window with something in from of it, totally deformed the window.

@ 21

After looking at the author's website, I believe this version 3.0 is "not different" but identical to the one which was offered previously at GOTD. Other than that distinction, I am in COMPLETE agreement with you regarding your other criticisms.

Martin

The application works well, but it would be nice if there were selection methods other than the paint. It is difficult selecting something with a shoreline, for example. Perhaps the addition of a polygon selecting tool would be good, so you could click the boundaries of the selection. That would make it easier to get selections with long straight lines.

A great program for those who don't have Photoshop CS5. I'd like to see a version that works as a Photoshop plug-in. Editing JPEG files and resaving them as such adds artifacts to the file. You should allow editing TIFF files.

Most impressive is their web version at http://www.webinpaint.com/

@ 13

I like both of these programs and recommend them often. As a Windows user, I prefer version 2.4 over its version 3.0 cousin.

Which version are you commenting about - MAC or Windows?

If Windows, according to my eyes and Windows XP SP3 reports today's InPaint 3.0 offering download size at 3,222 KB (associated with Inpaint.zip) is nearly IDENTICAL to the GOTD offering on 2011-01-11 at 3,220 KB (associated with Inpaint.zip).

Just curious what "...half the megabytes so either it is very different or very chopped" fully means or represents.

Martin

I've had the different versions of this over the years but lost the last one I had when my previous laptop was stolen, so I eagerly installed this. I've been playing with this on various types of images and these are my conclusions

Pros -

Simple program, simple to use.

Excellent results on plain or tightly similar areas - easy and fast touch-ups that saves you from firing up GIMP or Photoshop.

Cons

Program kept freezing and had to be closed using the Task Manager. Sometimes it worked fine, other times it froze and had to be force-closed losing the work done on the image. This happened numerous times but appears to be random as there were no commonalities I could find.

Desperately in need of different shaped 'brushes' such as square as any straight lines were blurred with the round one; and a speckled shape to get a less 'blocky' look.

The tool needs to be more finely tuned with maybe a smaller size than the lowest currently available for use in those tricky small areas.

On more complex images the program really doesn't hold up as well, it can't transition too well from various colours/areas and ends up washing the wrong colours into place - forcing the user to greatly magnify the image whilest shrinking the brush size and trying to alter a tiny area at a time with rarely good results.

$15-20 would seem like a more reasonable price as this program is very limited.

Overall -

The freezing was a major issue with the progam for me. Went it worked on simple images such as cartoons or outer space the results were excellent, but it has a very variable and often sketchy results with more compex colourations. The only tool shape also restricts the program.

Great for simple touch ups and I am a fan of the program for that, but needs some improvements.