Blur Photos to Add Focus and Depth

Blur or sharpen any photo with Canva’s easy-to-use image adjustment tools to add atmosphere to images and texture to backgrounds.

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How to blur an image

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Upload an image

Select the “Upload your image” button or easily drag and drop your files into the section.

Blur image

Click "Edit Image", then "Adjust" to use the Blur slider tool of our photo editor.

Download your design

Finally, download your design in high-resolution JPG, PNG, or other file formats or share it instantly online.

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Blur an image on the fly with the blur slider

Getting started with blurring photos couldn't be easier. You can experiment with blurring photos with any photo from our library or from your uploads. Simply select the photo, then click “filter” and “advanced options.” Slide to the right to blur, and to the left to sharpen.

Blur a bit to add artful whimsy

Blurring isn't just to simulate the wonderful world of nearsightedness. There are many ways to enhance your designs with a bit of blurring. Gently inch the slider to see the effect that blur can have. Blur a landscape to grant it a dreamy, ethereal quality, or add some blur to a portrait to give it a photobooth effect.

Use a blurred image for your background

Flat colored backgroundsare fit for phone books and DMV documentation. They are, in a word, boring. Try using a heavily blurred photo as a background to give your design a textured, organic feel, or use a blurred photo to evoke your design’s theme. Blurred images of seascapes, city skylines, and forest canopies each have an unmistakable color palette you can use to form a backdrop for your design.

Save an unfocused shot with the sharpen tool

Even though it's labeled "Blur," there is more that the blur slider can do: move the blur slider to the left and it becomes the sharpen tool. Sharpening photos helps enhance the edges between colors, giving them greater definition, and is a great way to process shots that are slightly out of focus.

Combine effects for endless possibilities

Get creative! The blur tool can be used for much more than smudging up the metaphorical lens. Use the blur together with other effects and design elements to create all kinds of looks and styles. Blur a photo and make it transparent for a watermark effect, or combine a heavy blur with high contrast to simulate intense lighting. There are countless ways to use the blur tool to jump start your inspiration.

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