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Participant
Mar 6, 2021 9:30 PM UTC
Answered

[How To] Gaussian Blur/Glow Effect?

Recently switched from Procreate due to a hardware change and purchased full Adobe suite. I'm finding that even though Fresco is the closest competitor to Procreate, it seems to be lacking noticeably. One of my few nuances is the inability to create a uniform, clean blur or gradient via layer effects or something similar. Any workaround for this that doesn't include constantly exporting to multiple programs? 

 

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Ira293135845izyCorrect answer
Participant
Apr 9, 2023 2:16 AM UTC

Just use a clipping mask and soft round brush to make clean shading around the edge of something

 

13 replies

Ganjibus
Participant
Apr 17, 2026 8:15 AM UTC

5 years later and there is still no blur tool in Adobe Fresco is a joke. Adobe invested the blur tool and it is seriously lacking in Fresco. The work around does not produce the same uniform effect and takes much longer than necessary. Absolutely absurd this basic tool is lacking. 

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Anubhav M
Community Manager
Community Manager
Apr 17, 2026 10:46 AM UTC

Hello ​@Ganjibus 

I understand that this functionality is important to you, and I apologize for its unavailability at this time. Would you mind upvoting the UserVoice for this feature request (https://adobefresco.uservoice.com/forums/919786-adobe-fresco/suggestions/50031462-gaussian-blur) and adding your comments there? Doing this will help us prioritize this request, and you will be notified of any updates.

 

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need assistance. We'd be happy to help.

Anubhav

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Participant
Oct 15, 2025 5:43 PM UTC

Personally I like to use the soft brush in the basic category with the pixel brushes and to use a smudge to polish it off. Using a thinner thickness will give a fainter glow and thicker one will give a more bright one. (Tip: you can also use a paler color to give a slight or really faint glow). Hope this helps🙂

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Ira293135845izyCorrect answer
Participant
Apr 9, 2023 2:16 AM UTC

Just use a clipping mask and soft round brush to make clean shading around the edge of something

 

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Tavah
Participant
Apr 23, 2022 6:19 AM UTC

If you have the full Adobe Suite, I suggest you use Photoshop... While over-engineered for simply drawing, etc, Photoshop has all the tools you'll ever need for that and more...

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Sjaani
Community Expert
Community Expert
Mar 8, 2021 12:12 AM UTC

Where you say Lacking, I say Differenciates. I like that Fresco is not an exact copy of Procreate and I hope they continue to be clearly separate programs, created by different businesses.
If you use live brushes you should be able to get a good gradient or blur between two colours through painting each colour so it connects. Fresco also has a multi-colour selector option in the eye-dropper which gives a good/interesting flow between colours.

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Participant
Oct 20, 2021 2:24 AM UTC

So, what I hear you saying is, no, Adobe Fresco doesn't have a guassian blur feature? I would also call that 'lacking' a feature. As in, this feature doesnt exist in the tool. That's kind of the definition of lacking. I'm not finding live brush water colors to look anything like gaussian blur.

If someone does know a good simulation of a guassian blur in Fresco, please share. I'm still learning the tool.

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Participant
May 22, 2022 2:26 AM UTC

Here's an idea: use the smudge tool and make it BIG. smudge. you got blur

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