3.3. Gaussian Blur


The Gaussian Blur filter acts on each pixel of the active layer or selection, setting its Value to the average of all pixel Values present in a radius defined in the dialog. A higher Value will produce a higher amount of blur. The blur can be set to act in one direction more than the other by clicking the Chain Button so that it is broken, and altering the radius. GIMP supports two implementations of Gaussian Blur: FIR and IIR. They both produce the same results, but each one can be faster in some cases. They are complemented by the default Auto setting, that automatically picks the optimal choice.

This filter is found in the main menu under Filters → Blur → Gaussian Blur….


The Gaussian Blur filter doesn't preserve edges in the image: