Learn how to blur the images you share online to hide private information.
Posting a screenshot or a photo online requires special attention: sensitive, personal data or private elements that you do not want to fall into everyone’s hands are frequently published on the web. The reason ? Their author does not have the appropriate tools or does not have the skills to conceal them.
Perhaps the most common example is vehicle registration plates. Many Internet users who wish to sell their car on classified ad sites like Leboncoin omit to hide the name or use subterfuge with the result not always aesthetic. To put an end to this practice, it is possible to blur the elements to be concealed using Photofiltre, a dedicated software, or Imageblur, a free online service.
The first solution works offline, only from Windows and requires some manipulation.
The second, easier to use, requires an Internet connection, but works from any web browser, regardless of your operating system. It nevertheless requires sending your image to the service’s servers, with the risks that this could imply for your personal data.
The developers of Imageblur claim to automatically delete all images uploaded to their servers after a few minutes. You are free to use the service and place your trust in it.
Blur an image using Photofiltre
1. Download Photofiltre
To blur your images, start by downloading and installing Photofiltre. This image editing software is free and allows you to edit your photos with just a few clicks, without the need for specific photo editing knowledge.
Download Photofiltre for Windows (Free)
2. Import an image
You have two options for importing an image: by going from the File> Open menu then selecting the image from the file explorer, or by dragging and dropping your photo directly into the Photofiltre working window.
3. Select the areas to blur
Make sure you have chosen the Selection Tool, represented by an arrow in the Photofilter toolbar. Place the mouse pointer on the element to blur, if necessary zoom in using the wheel, and then select the area to blur. A dotted frame should appear.
Then click on the Filter menu then in Optical Effects, click on Gaussian Blur.
In the window that appears, check Live preview to view the blur application in real time. Fine-tune its setting by moving the Radius slider to increase or decrease the intensity of the applied blur.
If Gaussian Blur doesn’t suit you, you can opt for a mosaic effect. To do this, click on Filter, then in Aesthetics, select Mosaic.
Again, it is possible to adjust the intensity of the filter by moving the slider to change the size of the cells.
Once your first blur is applied, select the other areas to blur one by one, and quickly apply the blur using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K.
4. Save the image
Once all the changes have been made, click on the File menu, then on Save to save your images, or on Save As by choosing another name to save a copy of your modified image, in order to preserve the original image.
Blur an image using ImageBlur
1. Go to imageblur
To blur your images, go to imageblur. This online service is free and allows you to edit your photos in a few clicks from your web browser, without the need for specific knowledge.
Blur an image with imageblur (Free)
2. Import an image
You have two options for importing an image: by choosing a file from Windows Explorer or by dragging and dropping your image in the frame provided for this purpose on imageblur.
3. Select the areas to blur
Using your mouse, frame the area of ​​the image you want to blur then click on the Blur It button. Repeat the operation for all the items you want to conceal.
4. Save the image
Once all the changes have been made, click on the Continue button and then on Download to download the modified image.
