Photo retouching is the process of manipulating or enhancing digital images using specialized software. It enables photographers, designers, and digital artists to remove blemishes, add or remove objects, adjust the color balance, and generally perfect the visuals of an image.

The process of photo retouching can range from simple corrections like fixing exposure and cropping to more complex editing such as removing unwanted background or adjusting skin tone to give the subject a flawless look. Generally, photo retouching helps to enhance the visual storytelling aspect of a photograph.

There are different types of photo retouching that are popular today such as beauty retouching, commercial retouching, and product retouching. Beauty retouching is usually used for fashion magazines, where the model is perfected and made to look beautiful. Commercial retouching is used for other advertisements, whereas product retouching focuses more on the product, displaying its features realistically.