How to blur a face in a photo with Canva.Today, privacy has become a major concern, extending to photos posted online. Sometimes we may want to share an image but feel uncomfortable displaying certain faces in it for privacy reasons or to focus on other aspects.Luckily, Canva, a widely used graphic design tool, offers the ability to blur certain parts of a photo, providing an easy solution. With this feature, you can keep the identity of the people in your photo private or add an artistic touch even if you’re not a professional graphic designer.
Why You May Want to Blur a Face in Canva
When we share photos online, whether on social media, blogs or other platforms, privacy is an important factor to consider. In some situations, you may not have the consent of every person in a photograph to publish their faces online. Blurring faces in such cases can be a simple yet effective solution to prevent unwanted identity disclosure and respect people’s privacy rights.Beyond privacy, there are creative reasons for blurring faces or certain elements in a photo. Graphic design often plays with focus and attention to highlight or reduce various elements of an image. By blurring faces, you can direct the viewer’s attention to a particular part of the image that you want to highlight.For example, in a crowded photograph, blurring faces can help focus attention on a particular person or object. Similarly, you can use it to create an air of mystery or anonymity around a character in a story, adding an intriguing layer to your visual storytelling.
How to Blur a Face in Canva
Blurring a face in Canva is a simple process. Here’s what you need to do.
- Open Canva and click Create Design in the top right corner of the window. From the drop-down list that appears, select the type of design you want to use. In this example, we will use Poster (portrait).
- In the left pane, select Downloads. Then upload a photo of the face you want to blur. You can upload a photo from your local device, Dropbox, Drive, or Box.
- After uploading a photo, click it to add it to the poster.
- Now click on the photo to select it, then click Edit Photo in the toolbar.

- In the left pane, scroll down and select the Blur.
- If this is your first time using the Blur app, you need to select Use to enable this tool. Otherwise, you will already have access.
- You will see three functions: Auto, Blur, and < span style="font-weight:bold">Reset. Select Blur.
- The Blur setting has three sliders that adjust various aspects of the blur tool.
- Intensity: The strength of the blur effect. The lower the intensity, the more subtle the blur.
- Spread: How far the blur effect extends from the area you’re applying it to. A large spread covers a large area.
- Brush Size: The size of the “brush” you use to apply the blur effect. The larger the brush, the larger the area covered by each stroke.
- After adjusting the settings to your liking, hover over the face you want to blur. Press the left mouse button and paint over the area you want to blur. This results in a pink selection.
- Release the left mouse button and the selection will become blurred. Repeat as many times as needed until you get the desired result.
That’s all. This method gives you control over what and how much to blur.
Master Your Design
Understanding how to blur faces in Canva is essential to keeping your digital images private and adding a creative touch to your projects. Once you master this technique, you will be able to dictate the narratives of your photographs, ensuring that they are in line with your intentions and goals.Whether it’s to maintain privacy or improve focus, Canva’s face blur functionality gives you a wider canvas for self-expression.
How to blur a face in a photo with Canva
How to blur a face in a photo with Canva