How to pixelate an image | Adobe

Use pixelation in Adobe Photoshop to add an 8-bit graphics style to images or just to obscure sensitive information. A picture of a dock on the ocean that is ... AdobePhotoshop Photographytips Tryforfree Buynow Pixelateimageswithmosaicorblureffects. UsepixelationinAdobePhotoshoptoaddan8-bitgraphicsstyletoimagesorjusttoobscuresensitiveinformation. Whatispixelation? Tounderstandpixelation,ithelpstoknowhowpixelscombinetoformdigitalimages.Mostimagefiles,likeJPG,PNG,andGIF,arebitmap.Inotherwords,they’remapsofbits—essentiallygridsofpixelsthatblendseamlesslytoformimages.Apixelisthesmallestsquareofhue,saturation,andlight(HSL)thatmakesupthegridinadigitalimage.   Pixelationhappenswhen,insteadofblendingseamlessly,pixelsbecomevisibletothenakedeye.Youcangetaccidentalpixelationwhenyouresizeanimagetodimensionsthataretoolargeforitsresolution,butyoucanalsocreatecooleffectsbyintentionallypixelatinganimage.Infact,awholegenreofpixelarthasgrownoutofnostalgiaforandloveofearlyvideogames.    Nomattertheimagesizeorqualityofthepicyoustartwith,youcanquicklycreateyourownpixelartbypixelatingyourphoto. HowtocreateapixelatedimagewithPhotoshop. Followthesestepstopixelateanentirephotoinanimageeditor:   1.Openyourphoto. Select thefileyouwanttopixelateinPhotoshop.   2.Turn yourphotointoasmartobject. Createasmartfilter.SelectFilterfromthetopmenuandclickConvertforSmartFilters.Youcanadd,remove,adjust,orhidesmartfilters,soanyeditsyoumakearenondestructive.(Thiswayyoucaneasilyremovechangestotheoriginalphotoandstartover.)   3.Pixelatetheimage. Inthetopmenu,selectFilter›Pixelate›Mosaic.TheMosaicfilterredrawspixelsasblocksofcolor.YoucanalsoexploreotherpixelatefilterslikePointillize,whichturnsthelayerintorandomlyplaceddotslikeapointillistpainting.   4.Selectthelevelofpixelation. Inthepreviewwindow,movetheslidertotherighttoincreasetheapparentpixelsizeorlefttodecreaseit.Youcanzoominandoutofthethumbnailimageinthepreviewwindowtoseehowthepixelationwilllook. Howtoaddpixelationeffectstoselectedareas. Youmaywanttousepixelationtoobscuresomeone’sface,abrandlogo,anaddress,orothersensitiveinformationinaphoto.Topixelatejustaportionofyourimage,createamaskandapplythefilterselectively:   1.WorkinyourSmartFilter. After you’vefollowedsteps1–3above,clickOK.ThenselecttheSmartFiltersrectangleintheLayerspanel.   2.Select yourtool. ChoosetheErasertooltoremovesmallsectionsofpixelation.OroptfortheMarqueeorLassotoolstoremovelargersectionsofpixelation.   3.Removethepixelation. UsetheEraserontheareayou’dliketokeepfreefromtheeffect.OrselectlargerareaswiththeMarqueeorLassotools,andthenhitDeletetoremovetheeffectfromthatarea.   AnotherwaytoselectivelypixelateistousetheSelectSubjecttool.Justfollowthesesteps:   1.Selectyoursubject. Fromthetopmenu,clickSelect›Subject.   2.Inverttheselection. GobacktothetopmenuandclickSelect›Inversetoapplyittothebackground.   3.Pixelatethearea. Inthetopmenu,selectFilter›Pixelate›Mosaic.   Howtoblurportionsofyourimage. Ifthepixelatedeffectdoesn’tgiveyouthelookyouwant,youcantryoneofthemanyblureffectsinPhotoshop.   1.Select whatyouwanttoblur. Use theMarqueeorLassotoolandselecttheportionoftheimageyouwanttoblur.   2.Find yourdesiredBlureffect. Fromthetopmenu,clickFilter›Blur.Selectthetypeofbluryouwantandmakeanyadjustmentsinthepop-upmenu.ClickOKandtheblurwillbeappliedtotheselectedportionoftheimage.   PlayinPhotoshop. Whetheryouwanttomakeaphotolooklikeavideogamefromthe1980s,mosaictilework,orapointillistpainting—oryoujustwanttobluranareatopreservesomeone’sprivacy—you’llfindseveralwaystodoitinPhotoshop.Formorepixelationinspiration,checkoutthepixelartonBehance.Thenstartwitharegularphotoandseewhatyoucanmakewithit. DomorewithAdobePhotoshop. Createbeautifulimageswith Photoshopbrushes, Content-AwareFill, Photoeffects, NeuralFilter, Skyreplacement,andthemanytoolsphotographersrelyon. ExplorethePhotoshopfamilyofapps. Youmightalsobeinterestedin… Howtoaddbokehbackgroundstoyourphotographs. Learnmoreaboutthebeautifulblureffectthatcangiveyourphotosastrikinglook. HowtoaddblurtoaphotoinAdobePhotoshop. Addblurtoaphototoenhancefocus,decreasebackgroundnoise,addmovement,orplaywithcolor. RAWvs.JPEG:Whichformatshouldyoushootin? 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