In expert mode, select the Blur tool from the Enhance section in the toolbox or press R.
- Photoshop Elements User Guide
- Introduction to Photoshop Elements
- Workspace and environment
- Fixing and enhancing photos
- Resize images
- Cropping
- Process camera raw image files
- Add blur, replace colors, and clone image areas
- Adjust shadows and light
- Retouch and correct photos
- Combine Photos
- Sharpen photos
- Transforming
- Auto Smart Tone
- Recomposing
- Using actions to process photos
- Photomerge Compose
- Create a panorama
- Moving Overlays
- Moving Elements
- Adding shapes and text
- Quick Actions
- Guided edits, effects, and filters
- Guided mode
- Filters
- Guided mode Photomerge edits
- Guided mode Basic edits
- Adjustment filters
- Effects
- Guided mode Fun edits
- Guided mode Special edits
- Artistic filters
- Guided mode Color edits
- Guided mode Black & White edits
- Blur filters
- Brush Stroke filters
- Distort filters
- Other filters
- Noise filters
- Render filters
- Sketch filters
- Stylize filters
- Texture filters
- Pixelate filters
- Working with colors
- Working with selections
- Working with layers
- Creating photo projects
- Saving, printing, and sharing photos
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Keys for selecting tools
- Keys for selecting and moving objects
- Keys for the Layers panel
- Keys for showing or hiding panels (expert mode)
- Keys for painting and brushes
- Keys for using text
- Keys for the Liquify filter
- Keys for transforming selections
- Keys for the Color Swatches panel
- Keys for the Camera Raw dialog box
- Keys for the Filter Gallery
- Keys for using blending modes
- Keys for viewing images (expertmode)
You can enhance your photos in Photoshop Elements by adding blur, replacing colors, or by cloning part of the photo. Use the Blur tool to add blur to your photo, the Brush tool to replace colors, and the Clone tool to clone part of the photo. You can select these tools from the Toolbox. For information about the Toolbox, see Tools.
Blur or soften edges
The Blur tool softens hard edges or areas in an image by reducing detail. Blurring a busy background can bring your subject more into focus. You can also use Blur filters for this purpose. For more information on Blur filter, see Blur filters.
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Set options in the options bar:
Mode
Specifies how the pixels you blur, blend into other pixels in the image.
Brush
Sets the brush tip, from the brush pop-up menu. For more brush shapes, click the Brush drop-down inside the pop-up, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Size
Sets the size of the brush, in pixels. Drag the Size slider, or enter a size in the text box.
Strength
Specifies the amount of blur that is applied with each stroke.
Sample All Layers
Blurs all visible layers. If you deselect this option, the tool blurs only the active layer.
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Drag over the part of the image you want to blur.
Replace colors in an image
The Color Replacement tool simplifies replacing specific colors in your image. You can paint over a targeted color—for example, a yellow flower in an image—with a different color, like red. You can also use the Color Replacement tool to correct colors.
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In expert mode, select the Brush tool from the Draw section in the toolbox or press B.
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Select the Color Replacement brush from the Brush tool options bar.
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Choose a brush size from the Brush menu in the options bar.
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For Tolerance, specify a low percentage to replace colors similar to the pixel you click, or raise the percentage to replace a broader range of colors.
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For Mode, keep the blending mode set to Color.
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For Limits, choose one of the following:
Discontiguous
Replaces the sampled color wherever it occurs under the pointer.
Contiguous
Replaces colors that are contiguous with the color immediately under the pointer.
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Choose one of the following methods of sampling:
Continuous
Continuously samples color, as you drag the color replacement tool.
Once
Samples color only once, when you start dragging the color replacement tool.
Background Swatch
Replaces the area containing the background color, whenever you drag the color replacement tool over it.
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Select Anti-aliasing to give a smooth edge to the areas you correct.
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Do one of the following to choose a foreground color:
- Select the foreground color by the Eyedropper tool:
- On Windows, move the pointer on the color and press Alt+Click.
- On Mac, move the pointer on the color and press Option+Click.
- Set color in the toolbox by the Color Picker tool.
- Select the foreground color by the Eyedropper tool:
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Drag within the image to replace in the targeted color.
Clone images or areas in an image
The Clone Stamp tool paints with an image sample, which you can use to duplicate objects, remove image imperfections, or paint over objects in your photo. You can also clone part of an image to another image.
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In expert mode, select the Clone Stamp tool from Enhance section in the toolbox or press S.
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(Optional) Set options in the options bar:
Brush
Sets the brush tip. Click the arrow next to the brush sample, choose a brush category from the Brushes pop‑up menu, and then select a brush thumbnail.
Sample All Layers
To sample (copy) data from all visible layers, select Sample All Layers. To sample data from only the active layer, deselect this option.
Size
Sets the size of the brush in pixels. Drag the Size slider, or enter a size in the text box.
Opacity
Sets the opacity of the paint you apply. A low opacity setting allows pixels under a paint stroke to show through. Drag the slider, or enter an opacity value.
Mode
Determines how the source or pattern blends with existing pixels. Normal mode lays new pixels over the original pixels.
Aligned
Moves the sampled area with the cursor as you begin to paint, regardless of how many times you stop and resume painting. Select this option if you want to eliminate unwanted areas, such as a telephone line across the skyline or a rip in a scanned photo. If Aligned is deselected, the Clone Stamp tool applies the sampled area from the initial sampling point each time you stop and resume painting. Deselect this option for applying multiple copies of the same part of an image to different areas within the same image or to another image.
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Click Clone Overlay, and set the following options:
Show Overlay
Select show Overlay for the overlay to be visible inside brush size.
Opacity
To set the opacity of the overlay, enter a percentage value in the Opacity text box.
Clipped
To clip overlay to the brush size, enable the Clipped option.
Auto Hide
To hide the overlay while you apply the paint strokes, select Auto Hide.
Invert Overlay
To invert the colors in the overlay, select Invert.
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Position the pointer on the part of any open image you want to sample, and press Alt (Option in Mac OS) and click. The tool duplicates the pixels at this sample point in your image as you paint.
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Do one of the following:
- Drag or click to paint with the tool on the same image.
- Drag or click to paint with the tool on the other targeted image.
Photomerge Style Match
Not available in Photoshop Elements 13 and later
If you like the style of an image, you can apply its style properties to another image. You can work with a set of images, apply styles, and choose to update the image with the style that produces the best results.
When you apply styles multiple times, the effect is not cumulative. Only the last applied style is saved.
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Open the image, and select Enhance > Photomerge > Photomerge Style Match
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In the Style bin, add the images from which you want to transfer the style. Choose images that have strong stylistic properties and details.
Note:You can also choose an image from the default style images displayed in the Style bin.
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To apply the style of an image, double-click the style image in the Style bin or drag the image from the Style bin to the Style Image placeholder.
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To refine the image, use the options in the Edit panel.
Intensity
Controls the amount or intensity of the style to transfer. The maximum value implies that you want to transfer 100% style of the style image.
Clarity
Improves the local contrast of a stylized image. The contrast of the slowly varying intensity regions is enhanced, bringing out crisp details in darkened regions.
Details
Improves the overall or global contrast of the image.
Style Eraser
Removes the applied style from specific image areas.
Style Painter
Adds the style back to areas from which you have removed the applied style.
Soften Stroke Edges
Softens hard edges caused by to style erasing and painting.
Transfer Tones
Transfers the tones of the style image. For example, if the style image is black and white or sepia, and the image to which you want to apply Photomerge Style Transfer is colored, selecting Transfer Tones transfers the style tone (black and white or sepia) to the colored image.
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Click Done to update the image with the applied style.