Figure 17.2. Original for demo

Blur filters blur images, or parts of them, in various ways. If there is a selection, only the selected parts of an image will be blurred. There may, however, be some leakage of colors from the unblurred area into the blurred area. To help you pick the one you want, we will illustrate what each does when applied to the image shown at right. These are, of course, only examples: most of the filters have parameter settings that allow you to vary the magnitude or type of blurring.

This category describes the following filters:

Figure 17.3. Gaussian blur (radius 10)

The most broadly useful of these is the Gaussian blur. (Don't let the word "Gaussian" throw you: this filter makes an image blurry in the most basic way.) It has an efficient implementation that allows it to create a very blurry blur in a relatively short time.

Figure 17.4. Selective blur

The Selective Blur filter allows you to set a threshold so that only pixels that are similar to each other are blurred together. It is often useful as a tool for reducing graininess in photos without blurring sharp edges. (In the example, note that the graininess of the background has been reduced.) The implementation is much slower than a Gaussian blur, though, so you should not use it unless you really need the selectivity.

Figure 17.5. Pixelize

The Pixelize filter produces the well-known "Abraham Lincoln" effect by turning the image into a set of large square pixels. (The Oilify filter, in the Artistic Filters group, has a similar effect, but with irregular blobs instead of perfectly square pixels.)

	Note
	You can find a nice explanation of the Abraham Lincoln effect at [BACH04]. You will see the Salvador Dali's painting “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea” turning to an Abraham Lincoln's portrait when looking at it from a distance.

The Motion Blur filter is divided in Circular, Linear, and Zoom.

Figure 17.6. Circular Motion Blur filter

The Circular Motion Blur filter blurs in a rotational direction around a center that you can set.

Figure 17.7. Linear Motion Blur filter

The Linear Motion Blur filter blurs in a direction that you can set.

Figure 17.8. Zoom Motion Blur filter

The Zoom Motion Blur filter blurs in a radial direction around a center that you can set.

Finally, the Tileable Blur filter is really the same thing as a Gaussian blur, except that it wraps around the edges of an image to help you reduce edge effects when you create a pattern by tiling multiple copies of the image side by side.