To increase the size of the Blur tool in Photoshop, you use the Options bar located at the top of the Photoshop window.
Adjusting Blur Tool Size in Photoshop
When you select the Blur tool in Photoshop, the Options bar displays various settings that allow you to customize its behavior. As noted in the provided information, you can Use the Options bar to customize tool settings, like Size, Hardness, and Strength, to get the effect you need.
Here's a breakdown of how to access and change the size:
Steps to Change Blur Tool Size
- Select the Blur Tool: In the Photoshop toolbar, find and select the Blur tool (it often looks like a teardrop). It might be grouped with the Sharpen and Smudge tools.
- Locate the Options Bar: Look at the bar that appears horizontally near the top of your Photoshop window, usually just below the main menu (File, Edit, Image, etc.). This is the Options bar, and its content changes depending on the tool you have selected.
- Find the Size Setting: On the left side of the Options bar, you will see a section related to the brush tip's appearance. Click the small arrow next to the current brush preview or size value. This opens a panel with brush settings.
- Increase the Size: In the panel that appears, locate the "Size" slider or input box.
- Slider: Drag the slider to the right to increase the size of the brush tip.
- Input Box: Click in the input box and type in a specific pixel value for the desired brush size, then press Enter.
- Alternatively, Use Keyboard Shortcuts: A faster way to adjust the brush size while working is using bracket keys:
- Press the
]key to increase the brush size. - Press the
[key to decrease the brush size.
- Press the
Other Important Settings in the Options Bar
Besides Size, the Options bar for the Blur tool also allows you to adjust other crucial settings:
- Hardness: Controls how soft or sharp the edges of the blur effect are. A higher hardness creates a more defined edge, while a lower hardness creates a softer, feathered edge.
- Strength: Determines the intensity of the blur effect applied with each stroke. A higher strength applies more blur with less effort.
- Mode: Changes how the blur interacts with underlying pixels (e.g., Normal, Darken, Lighten).
- Sample All Layers: If checked, the tool samples color information from all visible layers when applying the blur; otherwise, it only samples from the currently selected layer.
| Setting | Description | How to Adjust in Options Bar |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Controls the diameter of the brush tip. | Slider or input box in brush settings panel (click brush preview). |
| Hardness | Controls the sharpness of the brush edge. | Slider or input box in brush settings panel. |
| Strength | Controls the intensity of the blur effect per stroke. | Slider or input box. |
| Mode | Blending mode for the effect. | Dropdown menu. |
| Sample All Layers | Samples pixels from all visible layers (if checked). | Checkbox. |
Once you have set the desired Size (and other settings), you can Select and drag over the part of the image you want to blur to apply the effect.
Adjusting the size of the Blur tool via the Options bar or keyboard shortcuts allows you to precisely control the area you are affecting, making your image editing workflow more efficient.
