Noise filters

The Noise filters add or remove noise, or pixels with randomly distributed color levels. This helps to blend a selection into the surrounding pixels. Noise filters can create unusual textures or remove problem areas, such as dust and scratches, from an image.

Add Noise

Applies random pixels to an image, simulating the effect of shooting pictures on high-speed film. The Add Noise filter can also be used to reduce banding in feathered selections or graduated fills, to give a more realistic look to heavily retouched areas, or to create a textured layer. You can set the amount of noise, the type of noise distribution, and color mode in the filter options.

Uniform creates a subtle distribution effect, and Gaussian creates a speckled distribution effect. The Monochromatic option applies the filter using the existing tones of the image without changing the colors.

Despeckle

Detects the edges in a layer (areas where significant color changes occur) and blurs all of the selection except those edges. This blur-ring removes noise while preserving detail. You can use this filter to remove banding or visual noise that often appear in scans of magazines or other printed materials.

Dust & Scratches

Reduces visual noise by changing dissimilar pixels. See Using the Dust & Scratches filter.

Median

Reduces noise in a layer by blending the brightness of pixels within a selection. The filter searches for pixels of similar brightness, discarding pixels that differ too much from adjacent pixels, and replaces the center pixel with the median brightness value of the searched pixels. This filter is useful for eliminating or reducing the effect of motion on an image, or undesirable patterns that may appear in a scanned image.