How to blur the image background on Mac OS

Blur can often make photos more aesthetically pleasing, which is why it is commonly featured in all programs for photo editing. Blurring the background of an image can help you highlight the objects in the foreground, but the blur effect can also be used to cover parts of the image you don't want others to see.

If you are using a Mac OS and you are looking for a quick and easy way to blur the photo background you have a plethora of options available to you and in this article, we will show you how you can effortlessly apply this effect to your photos. After blurring the background of the images, you'll be able to use the slideshow maker program to make a photo slideshow with these photos for sharing on social sharing websites, or saving on your computer for an enjoyment.

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How to blur the image background on Mac OS with built-in apps?

Each Mac OS version released in the last twenty years has featured an app that provides at least basic photo editing tools. Let's have a look at some of the built-in apps that will enable you to blur image backgrounds on your photos.

1. Using the Retouch tool in Photos App

This is probably the most powerful tool in the Photos app because it literally allows you to remove or replace any pixel in your photo. In order to be able to use it, you must have Mac OS X installed on your computer since older versions don't offer this remarkable tool.

Open the photo in the Photos app, and then click on the Edit button located in the app's toolbar. Click R to start using the Retouch tool, and then zoom into the area of the photo you want to blur. The chances are that your photo already contains some blur so in order to blur the background of your image, simply click on the blurred area to clone the blurred pixels and then drag the cursor over the area of the photo you want to blur.

2. Blur Image background in iPhoto

All you need to do to blur an image background in iPhoto is open the photo in this app. Once the picture is displayed right-click on it and select the Edit option to choose whether you want to preview the image in Full Screen or regular mode. Click on the Effects button and select the 'Edge Blur' feature.

You can adjust the blur level on a scale from 1 to 11, depending on how much blur you want to apply, and once you click OK, the background of your image will be blurred.

3. Blur Image background in Preview App

Even though the Preview app doesn't provide blur effects that will enable you to blur the image background, you can still use it to blur or delete parts of the picture you don't want others to see.

In order to accomplish this you must first select the area of the image you want to blur, and then you should head over to Edit menu. Click on the Delete option and the app will remove the area of the image you selected. This may not be the most elegant solution, but it will enable you to blur the image background within seconds. 

How to blur the image background on Mac OS with third-party software

Mac OS provides support for a large number of different image editing programs that will enable you to blur the background of your photo in just a few clicks. Fotor photo editor is available for both Mac and Windows OS, while people who don't want to go through the trouble of downloading and installing this software can also use the online version of Fotor.

The online version of Fotor is stacked with powerful image editing features that will enable you to manipulate your photos in any way you want. If you want to blur the image background of an image using this photo editing tool, you'll be able to choose from a large number of different blur effects.

Once you arrive at Fotor's home page, import the photo into the editor and click on the Effects icon located in the toolbar on the left side of your screen. You can then proceed to browse through the effects library and select the blur effect you like the most.

We recommend Tilt Shift effect because it is the most effective way to blur the image background. You can choose whether you want to apply the effect in the Circular or Linear manner and you can adjust the Size and Intensity sliders to fine-tune your photo.

Hit Apply once you've blurred the image background and click on the Save icon. Choose the file name and type and then click on the Download button to save the photo to the hard-drive on your Mac.

Conclusion

Blurring the background of an image is usually a simple process that allows you to create pictures that will impress their viewers, and each method we described in this article can be used to quickly apply the blur effect to your photos.

By Liza Brown

Jul 06,2022 11:18 am