How To Smooth Unwanted Textures or Pixelation In Your Image
Often an image can have unwanted textures or pixelation. In most cases, these problems are solved by a simple Photoshop trick!
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In case you're not sure what this how-to article is about, take a close look at our "Before" image and the texture of the green background in the right half of the photograph. You can see how the image has become pixelated and unsmooth. We've posted a comparison "Before and After" photograph at the end for you to be able to compare results.
BEFORE
Once your photo is opened, duplicate the layer either by right clicking on the layer and selecting "Duplicate Layer" or simply by dragging and dropping the layer onto the New Layer icon. (layers can be found under "Window > Layers")
Create a New Layer
Now select your duplicate layer. Once you have the duplicate layer highlighted go Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. This will bring up the Gaussian Blur dialogue box. Under Radius, use the slider or type in a specific number to blur your layer to the point that the unwanted texture disappears then click OK. (Sometimes this is all you need to do. If you are satisfied with the way your image looks then you are done. If not read on and I will show you how to apply the blur to specific parts of the image making it a little less intrusive.)
Gaussian Blur
Be sure you're selected on your duplicate layer, then click the Add Vector Mask button. Once you have done this you should notice a linked white box that appears on your duplicate layer.
Layer Mask
Click on the white box and go Edit > Fill… This will bring up the Fill dialogue box. Once in the Fill dialogue box select Black under Contents, Use: then click OK. Your image should now look as if the blur was never applied and the once white box on your duplicate layer should now be filled black. If instead your image on the screen has gone completely black then it means you were not selected on the linked white box.
Fill > Black
This is where you have to start using a little personal judgment. You will be using your brush tool to “paint in” where you want the blur to show through. The first thing you must know is that the vector mask (the linked white box) considers 100% black non transparent and 100% white completely transparent, this is why when you filled it with black your image appeared to lose the blur you applied.
Any shade of grey in between 100% black and 100% white will be treated as partially transparent. The closer the shade of grey is to either side of the spectrum the more it will resemble either non transparent or completely transparent.
Rather then trying to change the black and white of your brush just have it so either your foreground or background color is 100% black and the other is 100% white. You can then adjust how strong your blacks or whites are by simply changing the opacity of your brush.
Helpful Hotkeys and tips
“x” toggles between your foreground and background color (in this case it should be black and white)
“1-0” number keys will quickly select between the opacity of your brush, 1 being 10%, 0 being 100%
When using your brush be sure to feather it so that your smoothing blends seamlessly. This can be done by holding Shift and clicking “{“ for more feather and “}” for less. If you click the brackets without holding shift “{“ will make your brush smaller, “}” will make your brush larger.
