Blur or Mask a Video
Learn how to add blur or shape annotations to hide portions of the video containing confidential or distracting content.
Blur an Area
Add a blur effect to cover sensitive information in a video such as names or email addresses.
Note: Viewers can decode some blurred numbers and text. We recommend using other annotations, such as callouts or shapes, to cover critically confidential information. See Mask an Area.
- Click the Visual Effects tab.
- Drag the Blur Region effect onto the canvas or timeline over the object to hide.
Note: Blur Region is applied as an effect on the media so the blur will move and resize as the media is moved or resized.
- Click and drag the blur shape handles on the canvas to cover the object to hide.
- In the Properties Panel, do the following:
- Drag the Blur slider to adjust the amount to blur.
- Select a Tint color from the dropdown.
- Drag the Opacity slider to adjust the amount of transparency of the blur.
- Select Oval or Rectangle from the Shape dropdown.
- Click the Invert checkbox for a blur spotlight effect.
- Drag the Corners slider to adjust the corner rounding of the blur shape.
- Drag the Feather slider to adjust edge softness of the blur.
- Adjust the Ease In control to set how quickly the blur effect appears on the Canvas. When set to 0.00s, the effect appears immediately at the beginning of the media.
- Adjust the Ease Out control to set how quickly the blur effect disappears from the Canvas. When set to 0.00s, the effect disappears immediately at the end of the media.
For Camtasia 2022.0.4 and older
- Click the Annotations > Blur & Highlight tab.
- Drag a blur annotation onto the canvas or timeline:
- Blur: Applies a standard blur effect.
- Pixelate: Applies a square or pixel blur.
- Spotlight: Dims the video outside the selected area.
- Blur: Applies a standard blur effect.
- Click and drag the blur annotation on the canvas over the object to hide.
- To move the blur, drag the center of the annotation to the desired location.
- To resize the blur, drag the handles in any direction.
- To move the blur, drag the center of the annotation to the desired location.
- To change the duration, drag an end of the blur annotation on the timeline in either direction.
- Click Properties and drag the Intensity slider to adjust the amount to blur.
Mask an Area
Add a shape annotation to cover up a pop-up, simplify a video, or hide confidential content.
- Click the Annotations > Shapes subtab.
- Drag a shape annotation onto the canvas or timeline.
- Click and drag the shape annotation on the canvas over the object to hide.
- Position the shape annotation on the canvas.
- To move the shape, drag the center of the annotation to the desired location.
- To resize the shape, drag the handles in any direction.
- To move the shape, drag the center of the annotation to the desired location.
- To change the duration, drag the end of the shape annotation on the timeline in either direction.
- Click Properties to customize the shape annotation. See Discover the Properties Panel.
Blur or Mask a Moving Object
Add an animation to cover up or blur a moving object in your video.
- Add a blur or shape annotation onto the canvas or timeline and align with the object to hide.
- Select Animations > Animations subtab (Windows) or click Animations tab (Mac).
- Drag the Custom animation onto the shape or blur annotation on the timeline.
- Drag the arrow tail on the timeline to where the motion begins.
- Drag the arrow head on the timeline to where the motion ends.
- Drag the playhead to the right of the animation arrow until the red dot appears.
- Click and drag the shape or blur on the canvas to the new location of the object to hide.
Note: For more detailed information about animations, see Animations In-Depth.
The blur or shape annotation moves with and covers the object in the video.
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