Filters should be sharpened. Sharpening fuzzy photos by raising the contrast of nearby pixels. This can cause image noise, or random patterns, especially in dark areas of the photo. The more you raise the contrast the more noise will appear. Blur filters soften images by spreading out the color from their center to their edge. The bluer the filter the softer the image becomes. These filters also tend to smooth out facial features which may not be desirable for portrait-style photographs. Distort filters change the shape of parts of the image. They work best on people faces because the filters can be carefully placed over specific areas of interest. Distorting the photo can make it look like someone is smiling when they are not, or giving a different expression to what they actually have on their face. These filters can also be used to add humor or drama to an image. Artistic filters let you choose from a variety of effects. Some examples include: vintage, retro, film, panoramic, etc. These effects are useful for adding special touches to your photos, such as making them look like old movie posters, or giving an impression that you took the picture from a particular location.