Gaussian Blur

Apply a smooth blur effect to soften images

Overview

The Gaussian Blur node applies a blur filter that smoothly averages pixel values with their neighbors. The blur intensity is controlled by a radius parameter - higher values create more blur.

Usage Tips

• Use radius 1-3 for subtle softening (portrait retouching)
• Use radius 5-15 for background blur effects
• Use radius 20+ for strong blur (privacy masking, bokeh effects)
• Apply blur before edge detection to reduce noise

Common Pairings

• Edge Detect - Blur first to reduce noise in edge detection
• Merge - Blur backgrounds while keeping foreground sharp
• Mask - Selectively blur portions of an image

Gotchas

• High radius values are computationally expensive
• Blur extends to image edges - transparent edges become semi-transparent
• Very high radius (50+) may be slow on large images