How to Blur an Image in Canva (Whole Photo or Just One Part)

Canva is where many people make social posts, slides and thumbnails, so it’s often the easiest place to blur a photo too. Its Blur tool can soften the whole image or just the parts you paint over.

Blur the whole image

1. Click the photo in your design to select it.
2. Click Edit in the toolbar.
3. Under Tools, choose See all, then Blur.
4. Choose to blur the whole image and drag the Intensity slider until it looks right.

A blurred full image works well as a background behind text. It keeps the colours and mood of the photo without competing with your headline.

Blur only part of the image

1. Open the Blur tool as above.
2. Choose the brush option and set the Brush size and Intensity.
3. Paint over the area you want to blur, such as a face, a number plate or some text.
4. Made a mistake? Switch to the Remove brush and paint over it to bring that area back.

Make your subject pop

For a fake depth-of-field look, blur the whole image first, then use the Remove brush to paint the subject back into focus. With a soft brush edge, the result looks close to a portrait-mode photo.

Blurring something private? Read this first

A soft Canva blur is designed to look nice, not to hide information. For passwords, account numbers or addresses, raise the intensity all the way, or better, cover them with a solid shape (Elements → Shapes). Download as PNG or JPG so the blur is flattened into the image. How to properly hide sensitive information in a screenshot explains why.

Need to blur a live web page instead?

If you’re about to screen share or record a website, you don’t need to screenshot it and open Canva. BlurSite blurs elements directly on the live page, so what you share is already clean.