How to Apply Photoshop Blur Filter

Photoshop blur filters are used to soften a either an area of a photograph that you have selected, or an entire image. They can smooth transitions by averaging the pixels next to the hard edges of defined lines and shaded areas in an image. You can apply Blur Filters to an entire image, or to single layers within an multi-layered photograph, depending on your needs.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Basic Filters

1. To apply a Blur Filter, open an image in Photoshop. Go to the Filter Menu at the top of your workspace and then go to Blur.

2. If you select “Average” the filter will find the average color of the image or selection in the image and then fill in the area with that color to create a smooth look.

3. If you select “Blur” or “Blur More” the filter will remove any noise where a significant color transitions occurs. The Blur filter will smooth the transition, and “Blur More” will produce the same effect at about three times the strength of just “Blur.”

4. The “Gaussian Blur” will blur a selection with an adjustable amount. The pop-up window will provide you with a “Radius” sliding tool to choose the amount of blurring to take place.

Lens Blur

5. “Lens Blur” will add blur to the image that produces a depth of field-type effect, where some objects in the image will stay in focus and others areas become blurred.

6. To add this filter, go to the Filter Menu, then Blur, and then Lens Blur.

7. Under preview, you can choose “Faster” to make your previews quicker, or “More Accurate” to see the final version of the image.

8. Under “Depth Map”, choose the source from the Source pop-up menu. You can drag the “Blur Focal Distance” slider to set the “depth” at which the pixels are in focus.

9. You can select “Invert” if you want to invert the selection or alpha channel you're using as the depth map source.

10. Next choose an Iris shape from the Shape pop-up menu. Drag the Rotation slider to rotate the iris, and to add more blur, drag the Radius slider. Adjust the sliders on each effect to the left or right to see what effects they produce. Click the OK button when you are done making changes.

Other Blur

11. Motion Blur will create a blur effect in a particular direction and at a specific intensity. The effect is comparable to taking a picture of a moving object, like a car, when you have a fixed exposure time.

12. Radial Blur will create a blur that is like when a camera zooms in or out. Play with the controls of this feature, by adjusting the amount of blur (from 1 – 100) and with the different types of radial blurring: Spin or Zoom with the quality, Draft, Good or Best.

13. The Smart Blur is an effect which can very precisely blur an image. Specify the radius, which will determine how wide an area the pixels will be blurred, and the threshold, which will determine the type of pixels to be blurred, based on their similarity to other pixels. Then set a quality, Normal, Low, or High, and a Mode, Normal, Edge Only or Overlay Edge.

Tips & Warnings

• The best way to learn the possibilities of the program, are to play around with the effects and save copies for your own reference and later comparison.