progressive blur

You can make a selection of the empty area surrounding the image you want to blur, perhaps using your Magic Wand Tool. Feather the selection by going to Select > Feather, and choosing an appropriate pixel depth. Remember that feathering applies the effect gradually, with the line of demarcation (the "marching ants") being the half way point. So if you feather something 40 pixels 20 of those pixels will be "outside" of the selection. Then just apply a moderate Gaussian Blur.

Another way is to use the Blur Tool and selectively blur only areas that would benefit…and to different degrees. The Blur Tool is found in the flyout for the Smudge Tool.

You might also be able to get the effects with a feathered layer mask and apply the blur to the area feathered outside. This would likely make a layer underneath mandatory.

One thing I often do is make a copy of the layer first, just in case I mess it up beyond repair, and use up my history states, making it impossible to go back.

Peadge 🙂

"matt" wrote in message

I’m a newbie on Photoshop, only use it occasionally for this or that, usually for fixing up CAD rendered images.

CAD rendered images have this tendency to be a little too perfect, in particular, everything’s perfectly in focus. I’ve read the help on blur, but maybe I’m just not understanding how to apply a "progressive blur", so that one side of the image is in focus, and it progressively gets out of focus across the image.

Anyone understand what I’m saying? Anyone able to give me a few pointers?
Thanks,

Matt

http://mysite.verizon.net/mjlombard

matt wrote:

I’m a newbie on Photoshop, only use it occasionally for this or that, usually for fixing up CAD rendered images.

CAD rendered images have this tendency to be a little too perfect, in particular, everything’s perfectly in focus. I’ve read the help on blur, but maybe I’m just not understanding how to apply a "progressive blur", so that one side of the image is in focus, and it progressively gets out of focus across the image.

Anyone understand what I’m saying? Anyone able to give me a few pointers?
Thanks,

Matt

http://mysite.verizon.net/mjlombard

you have to make selection first. just for test, to get a picture what i am talking about, do next: make a new channel, select that channel (ctrl+4), use gradient tool to make gradient on that channel only, load that channel as a selection (ctrl+click on alpha channel), ctrl+~ to switch back to rgb and then try blur. undo, ctrl+4 to select alpha again, ctrl+i to invert, ctrl+click on alpha channel and blur again. you see? 🙂

ok, now just make proper selection and thats it 🙂

regards

vladimir

Thanks guys. I’m not sure I understood perfectly, but it did help me get a result.

Thanks again,

Matt

Vladimir Misev wrote in
news::

matt wrote:

I’m a newbie on Photoshop, only use it occasionally for this or that, usually for fixing up CAD rendered images.

CAD rendered images have this tendency to be a little too perfect, in particular, everything’s perfectly in focus. I’ve read the help on blur, but maybe I’m just not understanding how to apply a "progressive blur", so that one side of the image is in focus, and it progressively gets out of focus across the image.

Anyone understand what I’m saying? Anyone able to give me a few pointers?

Thanks,

Matt

http://mysite.verizon.net/mjlombard

you have to make selection first. just for test, to get a picture what i am talking about, do next: make a new channel, select that channel (ctrl+4), use gradient tool to make gradient on that channel only, load that channel as a selection (ctrl+click on alpha channel), ctrl+~ to switch back to rgb and then try blur. undo, ctrl+4 to select alpha again, ctrl+i to invert, ctrl+click on alpha channel and blur again. you see? 🙂

ok, now just make proper selection and thats it 🙂

regards

vladimir

"matt" wrote in message

I’m a newbie on Photoshop, only use it occasionally for this or that, usually for fixing up CAD rendered images.

CAD rendered images have this tendency to be a little too perfect, in particular, everything’s perfectly in focus. I’ve read the help on blur, but maybe I’m just not understanding how to apply a "progressive blur", so that one side of the image is in focus, and it progressively gets out of focus across the image.

Anyone understand what I’m saying? Anyone able to give me a few pointers?
Thanks,

Matt

http://mysite.verizon.net/mjlombard

Another method. Create a duplicate layer. (have you gone far enough to get layers and masks?). Blur image. Add layer mask-hide all. Go in with gradient tool and paint mask.Basically gradient tool goes from solid cover to transparent on a steady line.

If you don’t get or want to get mask , create and blur duplicate layer and take big eraser and various opacities.
Start where you want most blur and leave alone and slowly work out with eraser from say 10% opacity to almost 100%. (fuzzy brushes better to blend) then flatten image.

Mask is easier and gives better control. You can go in even after gradient tool and touch up how much you get by hand in small areas.Also blur mask in general to blend or lighten.

Hope this helps ,
Matt