mask blur
**Mask blur** is the **edge-feathering technique that smooths mask boundaries to improve blend transitions during inpainting** - it reduces hard seams by creating gradual influence between edited and preserved regions.
**What Is Mask blur?**
- **Definition**: Applies blur to mask edges so edit strength tapers instead of changing abruptly.
- **Blend Behavior**: Soft boundaries help generated textures merge with neighboring pixels.
- **Parameterization**: Controlled by blur radius or feather width relative to image resolution.
- **Use Cases**: Common in object removal, skin retouching, and style harmonization edits.
**Why Mask blur Matters**
- **Seam Reduction**: Minimizes visible cut lines at mask borders.
- **Realism**: Improves continuity of lighting and texture near transition zones.
- **Error Tolerance**: Compensates for slight mask inaccuracies around complex edges.
- **Workflow Consistency**: Standard feathering presets improve output reliability.
- **Overblur Risk**: Excessive blur can weaken edit specificity and alter protected content.
**How It Is Used in Practice**
- **Radius Scaling**: Set blur radius proportional to object size and output resolution.
- **A/B Comparison**: Compare hard and soft masks on the same seed for boundary diagnostics.
- **Task Presets**: Use tighter blur for precise replacement and wider blur for texture cleanup.
Mask blur is **a core boundary-smoothing tool for local generative edits** - mask blur should be tuned to scene scale so blending improves without losing edit control.