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How to blur an object in Photoshop
In This Article
Want to blur an object out of your image in Photoshop? Here’s how to do it in just a few clicks.
The Blur filters are an easy way to disguise people, objects and words you don’t want people to see in your photos.
Whether you accidentally left your credit card in the frame or your friend isn’t happy with how they look in the background of a shot, here’s how to apply a blurring effect to specific people, objects, text or anything else using Adobe Photoshop.
What you’ll need:
The Short Version
Step1
Duplicate the image layer
You can do this by right-clicking on the layer and clicking Duplicate Layer, or by dragging the layer to the plus icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Step2
Click the Object Selection Tool
You may need to right-click here to find the tool.
Step3
Select the object you want to blur
You can do this by clicking on the object or dragging a box over it.
Step4
Click the Add Layer Mask icon to mask this selection
This is the rectangular icon with the circle in the bottom right corner of Photoshop. Make sure the image is selected instead of the mask in your layers.
Step5
Click Filter
You can find this in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Step6
Hover over Blur
You can also use the Pixelate filters if you prefer.
Step7
Click Gaussian Blur
You can also experiment with other blurring effects.
Step8
Adjust the amount of blur with the slider
Then, just hit OK when you’re done!
Troubleshooting
To remove the effect immediately, simply hit Edit and Undo Gaussian Blur or press Ctrl+Z/Cmd+Z.If you’ve continued to work on your project but have changed your mind about the blur, you can always delete the mask and layer the blur filter was applied on. Just make sure you have the image saved in another layer or are able to open it up again on your computer.
Another way to blur objects in Photoshop is by using the Mosaic filter to make the object look pixelated.To do this, just follow steps 1 to 5, but, instead of clicking Blur at step 6, choose Pixelate and then Mosaic.
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Hannah joined Trusted Reviews as a staff writer in 2019 after graduating with a degree in English from Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s also worked and studied in the US, holding positions …
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Why trust our journalism?
Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.
Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
