In
image processing, a
Gaussian blur (also known as Gaussian smoothing) is the result of blurring an image by a
Gaussian function. It is a widely used effect in graphics software, typically to reduce
image noise and reduce detail. The visual effect of this blurring technique is a smooth blur resembling that of viewing the
image through a translucent screen, distinctly different from the
bokeh effect produced by an out-of-focus lens or the shadow of an object under usual illumination. Gaussian smoothing is also used as a pre-processing stage in
computer vision algorithms in order to enhance image structures at different scales—see
scale space representation and
scale space implementation.