Adobe photoshop elements User Manual

CHAPTER 9

Soften a selection or an image. Blur 

filters are useful for retouching. They smooth 
transitions by averaging the pixels next to the hard 
edges of defined lines and shaded areas in an 
image. (See “Blur filters” on page 196.)

Like 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. 
(See “Brush Stroke filters” on page 197.)

Geometrically distort an image, 

creating reshaping effects. Note that these filters 
can be very memory intensive. (See “Distort 
filters” on page 197.)

Add or remove noise, or pixels with 

randomly distributed color levels. This helps to 
blend a selection into the surrounding pixels. 
Noise filters can create unusual textures or remove 
problem areas, such as dust and scratches, from an 
image. The Add Noise filter can be used to reduce 
banding in feathered selections or graduated fills 
or to give a more realistic look to heavily retouched 
areas. (See “Noise filter” on page 199.)

Sharply define a selection by 

clumping pixels of similar color values in cells. 
(See “Pixelate filters” on page 200.)

Create 3D shapes, cloud patterns, 

refraction patterns, and simulated light reflections 
in an image. You can also manipulate objects in 3D 
space, create 3D objects (cubes, spheres, and 
cylinders), and create texture fills from grayscale 
files to produce 3D-like effects for lighting. (See 
“Render filters” on page 201.)

Focus blurry images by increasing 

the contrast of adjacent pixels. They include the 
Sharpen Edges and Unsharp Mask filters, which 
find and sharpen areas where significant color 
changes occur (such as the edges). The Unsharp 
Mask filter is commonly used for high-end color 
correction. (See “Sharpen filters” on page 202.)

Add texture to images, often for a 

3D effect. The filters also are useful for creating a 
fine-arts or hand-drawn look. Many of the Sketch 
filters use the foreground and background color as 
they redraw the image. (See “Sketch filters” on 
page 202.)

Produce a painted or impression-

istic effect on a selection by displacing pixels and 
by finding and heightening contrast in an image. 
After using filters such as Find Edges and Trace 
Contour that highlight edges, you can apply the