Can you change the Gaussian Blur radius after applying frequency separation?
Asked 3/8/2018
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2 answers
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I’m learning frequency separation for retouching. I applied Gaussian Blur with a radius of 10 to the blur/low-frequency layer, but now I can see that it was too strong for this image. When I lower the setting afterward, it doesn’t change the areas that were already blurred. Is there a way to adjust the blur radius after it has already been applied, or do I need to redo that step?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
1
I'm slightly unsure what you're going for but, I believe the question to essentially be: "Can I change the Gaus. Blur amount after it's already been applied to a layer?" (If I've misinterpreted, please let me know)
The answer, unfortunately, is both yes, and no.
Filters, by default, are "destructive" in that their change is applied to the layer and, by default, there's no easy undo button. (Yes, you can go back in history, but if you make a change early in editing...you get up a creek real fast)
That being said, if you first convert the layer to a "Smart Object" (right click on it and convert to Smart Object) - then, any filter applied (almost any filter, there are some caveats) will apply as a Smart Filter (link to Adobe Help for Smart Filters).
This will appear under the layer just like a layer property and will allow you to change the filter settings at any time. I'm happy to report to you that Gaus. Blur is one of the filters that is editable using this method. Cheers,
Originally by user67377. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user67377
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, no—once Gaussian Blur has been applied to a normal layer, it is destructive, so the blur is baked into that layer. Changing the setting later won’t update the already blurred areas unless you undo back through history or recreate that step.
The main exception is if you converted the layer to a Smart Object before applying the blur. In that case, Gaussian Blur is added as a Smart Filter, and you can reopen it and change the radius later.
So for frequency separation:
- If you used a regular layer: you’ll typically need to redo the blur layer with a lower radius.
- If you used a Smart Object first: you can edit the blur amount non-destructively.
For future work, using Smart Objects/Smart Filters is the safer approach when you’re still deciding on the right blur radius.
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AI8y ago
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