CHAPTER 10
174
Applying Filters, Effects, and Layer Styles
Gaussian Blur Quickly blurs a selection by an
adjustable amount. Gaussian refers to the bell-
shaped curve that Photoshop Elements generates
when it applies a weighted average to the pixels.
The Gaussian Blur filter adds low-frequency detail
and can produce a hazy effect. You can set the blur
radius in the filter options to determine how far
the filter searches for dissimilar pixels to blur.
Motion Blur Blurs in a particular direction
(from –360º to +360º) and at a specific distance
(from 1 to 999). The filter’s effect is analogous to
taking a picture of a moving object with a fixed
exposure time. You can set the blur angle, and
distance in the filter options.
Radial Blur Simulates the blur of a zooming or
rotating camera to produce a soft blur. Drag the
Amount slider to control the blur amount. Choose
Spin to blur along concentric circular lines, and
then specify a degree of rotation; or choose Zoom,
to blur along radial lines, as if zooming in or out of
the image, and then specify an amount from 1 to
100. Blur quality ranges from Draft for fast but
grainy results to Good and Best for smoother
results, which are indistinguishable except on a
large selection. Specify the origin of the blur by
dragging the pattern in the Blur Center box.
Smart Blur Precisely blurs an image. You can
specify a radius to determine how far the filter
searches for dissimilar pixels to blur, a threshold to
determine how different the pixels’ values must be
before they are eliminated, and a blur quality. You
also can set a mode for the entire selection
(Normal) or for the edges of color transitions
(Edge Only and Overlay Edge). Where significant
contrast occurs, Edge Only applies black-and-
white edges, and Overlay Edge applies white.
Brush Stroke filters
Like several of the Artistic filters, the Brush Stroke
filters give a painterly or fine-arts look using
different brush and ink stroke effects. Some of the
filters add grain, paint, noise, edge detail, or
texture to an image for a pointillist effect.
Accented Edges Accentuates the edges of an
image. When the edge brightness control is set to a
high value, the accents resemble white chalk; when
set to a low value, the accents resemble black ink.
You can set the edge width, edge brightness, and
smoothness in the filter options.
Angled Strokes Repaints an image using diagonal
strokes. The lighter areas of the image are painted
in strokes going in one direction, while the darker
areas are painted in strokes going the opposite
direction. You can set the stroke direction balance,
stroke length, and sharpness in the filter options.
Crosshatch Preserves the details and features of
the original image while adding texture and
roughening the edges of the colored areas in the
image with simulated pencil hatching. You can set
the stroke length, sharpness, and strength (the
number of hatching passes) in the filter options.
Dark Strokes Paints dark areas of an image closer
to black with short, tight strokes, and paints lighter
areas of the layer with long, white strokes. You can
set the stroke balance, and black and white
intensity levels in the filter options.
Ink Outlines Redraws an image with fine narrow
lines over the original details, in pen-and-ink style.
You can set the stroke length, and dark and light
intensity levels in the filter options.
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